San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-01
The AuI|0ugl Murder.
Jake Merle Vas Granted Bail
Yesterday.
The Amount Is $4,000 And was
Immediately Given Merle'S
Statement.

The evidence showed that Murtaugh
was shot four times and that Merle
beat the dead man over the head with
a pistol and also kicked the corpse.
The pistol is broken in three places
on the stock, the result of the blows
dealt the dead man on the head.
The evidence further shows that no
weapon was found on the dead man,
and that after the first shot was fired
Murtaugh threw up his hands, ex-
claiming, "Oh, my God, don't" and
turned to run, and that Merle follow
ed him and continued to shoot. Two
eye-witnesses testified to this.
Merle, in behalf of himself testified
that he was afraid of Murtaugh; that
he killed him in self defense; that he
had threatened his life; that he was
sorry he could not stop him without
killing him and that deceased was
larger, stronger and healthier than he.
He said that he met Murtaugh for the
first time in the fall of 1890 in Grand,
Oregon, where Merle was foreman in
the railroad shops. Murtaugh work
ed under Merle and agitated a strike
among the employees. Murtaugh then
got new job, but was discharged
when his employers learned that he
had agitated the strike. Murtaugh
accused him of being the cause of
him losing his job, because Merle
told Meurtaugh's employers that the
latter was the instigatOr of the strike.
This is said to have been the grudge
existing between Merle and the dead
man, which resulted in the murder.
The reason Merle was afraid of Muir
laugh, he said, was because he had
heard that the dead man had talked
about doing him harm and had been
warned to look out for him. He said
that ON last Thursday, when Muir
laugh called at the roundhouse, he
sent word to him to get a pass, as it
was against the rules to allow visitors
on the premises. He said that Muir
laugh went up to him and said, Cd
DIN you, I'll meet you after 6 o'clock
and give you pass to h-ll."
after Murtaugh had gone l became
scared" continued the witness. 81
couldn't get over it because l knew
the man. One of my men who heard
Murtaugh make the threat told me
that Murtaugh meant what he SAID,
because he saw it in this eyes. On
on my way to work from dinner
l decided to get my gun, which L kept
at Rheims store. l went in the store
and asked for the gun. NJ. Rhein
told me that he didn't have it then,
but would send it over to me, which
he did by boy. That night / worked
until 6:45 o'clock. l put the pistol in
my pocket and started to supper. l
was Joined by Matt Ryan, who walked
with me until we reached Avenue ID.
He went down ON the north side of
street and l, as is customary with
me, went on the other side. l was
scared as l walked along, still think
ing of what Murtaugh had said to
me at the roundhouse. All of sud-
den heard the noise of some one run
ing on tiptoes behind me and before |
could turn around to see who it was
| was seized by the arm. l saw that
the man was Murtaugh and was so
scared that | shook all over. He
caught my right hand and hit me in
the neck. He held to me tight and
the pain was terrible. l cried, look
here, Jack. don't hurt me- He said,
Cd d-n you.explain or I'll kill you.
Why did you throw me out of work.
| told him to come to the office and i
would show him papers TO prove that
| was not wrong. | could not take
my eyes from his eyes. | was almost
scared to death. yanked away from
him and he said. Cd d-n you, you
talk to me or I'll kill you He then
put his hand to his pocket. | pulled
my pistol and shot as fast as | could.
/ was crazy from fear. | knew the
first shot missed him and when saw
him running | thought the other shot
missed him too. When he fell all my
shells were gone and l began beating
him with a pistol. / thought | would
hit him on the head once and then run
away. The pistol fell from my hand
and | scrambled for fear he would
get it and kill me. l beat him until /
heard somebody boiler coward and
then / stopped. 1 offered the pistol
to some one. but he didn't take it. l
went across to the place where | took
my meals and told them to tell the
police where they could find me. III
Murtaugh had given me any warning
l would have gotten out OF the way
and sought protection in one OF the
houses near by" y
After cross-examination the trial
closed, and the bond was liked at
$1,000, which was given immedi- |
ately with DIR. Amos Graves, ST., and
Henry Rhein as sureties.