The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-01
CORRAL HOLLOW BANDIT SLAIN

AS say, when first seen it was only some
fifty feet from the buckeye tree. When
Parker got to it the animal was a quarter
of a mile away from that place.
'Dunham had heard US talking as he
lay in the brush. and knowing that he
could not take the horse with him, as he
would be seen, he united the animal and
allowed it to make its escape while he
travelled on foot. 1t is out o. the question
that the horse broke away, for the rope,
remember, was coiled near the tree, as
though the murderer had released the
horse as a sort of good-by to it.
''In our subsequent search in the gulch
we found the scrap of the Mercury news
paper. The head of the paper had been
torn away, carrying the date, but it con-
tanned something of the story of the MUIR
der, showing that it was later than
Wednesday. The murderer no doubt had
stolen the paper from one of the rancher's
boxes along the road, and making the dis
covery that it was proposed to put blood
hounds ON his track, he stole the cover
erings for his feet at Parker's. Parker had
his washing out hanging on rail to dry.
"Tbere were a mum Der of socks, all in a
row, and at the end of the row were several
hoursacks. There was a break in the row
of socks, showing where Dunham had
taken out a pair, and some OF the -four
sacks were missing. In our further search
in the gulch we found pieces of those
sacks. Now, 1 am convinced that this
precaution he took by binding his feet had
the effect he desired-that of confusing
the scent for the dogs. 1 am certain, also,
hat he hot Oh
for his footprints were traced in the road
up to that place. At Parker's he climbed
through a window, and where he jumped
to the ground there were two distinct
prints of his feet, and these fitted exactly
to the other prints found in the road lead
ing 70 that place.
''The dogs could have taken his trail
from those prints, but they have been un-
able to do so afterward for some reason,
and there seems TO be no other explana-
ton. 1t is said that water will destroy
scent. He probably wet those clothes,
and that threw the dogs off. l am con-
vinced that the dogs are all right. | had
q demonstration of their ability to follow
scent. Al Hanks had separated himself
from our party and taken position on a
high point in Indian Gulch where he
could watch the flight of the buZZards.
We were upon another point fully five
miles away.
Sheriff Ballou had run the dogs back
and forth to allow them to catch trail.
Suddenly they set up yelp and started
away at speed that no horse could have
matched on the level. They went directly
past me, yeiping at every bound. They
went down TIE gulck, crossed over and |
saw them go up the other side, following
every turn that Hanks had made in his
difficult climb. We had seen Hanks go
up, and we now saw the dogs go over his
trail perfectly. They did not stop until
they came 10 Hanks, and one of them at
tackled him. They knew him, however,
as ha had been with them, and he had no
difficulty IN controllpg shem.
They seemed to know they had made
mistake and to feel foolish about it, but
every little bit they would go away and
looking towards Us utter one OF those
mournful howls of theirs. No, the dogs
are all right and would get their man if
they had anything straight to work on.
''Now, about those buzzards," continued
Haley. "a good many people are dis
posed to smile and say that buZzards are
always to be seen in these gulches. But 1
than ordinary, l have watched the buZ-
cards and know something OF their habits.
II counted no less than twenty-three
buZzards this morning circling about the |
head of the gulch. They do not attack
BODY until it is three or four DAYS old. |
They will circle about it, going closer and |
closer each day. 1 noticed that they made |
descents, and as they reached the ground |
they lifted their wings. That indicates
they are feeding or about to feed Yes, it
is true that we made search about the
place and found nothing, but still be-
lieve the body OF Dunham is there and |
will be found tomorrow. [ think the
buzzards will indicate the place distinctly
"The route that Dunham was trying to |
take to escape was practically impossible. |
His only alternative would be to return .
over his old course, and he saw the folly |
and danger of that and he fired ball into
his brain. A man situated as he was
worn out by his efforts to evade his pur-
suers, unable to get food, surrounded on
every side-it Is just about the thing he
would do"
Others of the Sheriff's men take the
6onf5n bird Dr.