The San Francisco call., 1897-03-10
NEWTOWN MINER
BRUTALLY SLAIN
Killed Because He Refused
Liquor to Intoxicated
Visitors.
Beaten and Tortured Before His
Life Is Cut Short by His
Tormentors.
Two Men Whose Guilt Is Almost
Certain Captured by Shast ta's
Sheriff.

REDDING, CAL, March 9-The most
cold-blooded murder in the annals of
Shasta County crimes was committed last
night at spot one mile from Newtown,
small mining town located seven miles
north of Redding, in the Old Diggins dis
trict. Seratino Genignani, an Italian, 90
years OF age, was the victim.
Genignani was q miner and by hard
labor had succeeded in laying by consid-
erable store of worldly goods. Besides his
mining he had planted small vineyard
and ca rrled on wine making on a small
scale. The income be derived from the
sale OF his wine was sufficient 10 afford
him good living, and his mining opera
tions enabled him to add to his hoard
each month. He was frugal, industrious
and peaceable, and was respected as q good
citizen in his neigh borhood
Two of Genignanis neighbors who were
IN the habit of Willing away their even
Ing hours at his home, called at his place
at o'clock last night, and as they en-
tered the door a horrible sight met their
gaze. The floor was besmirched with
blood. A knife lay in one corner and
there were other evidences of a desperate
struggle. These neigh bors-O. c. Alex
ander and John Roland-began to investi-
gate. They could see by the aid of a
lantern the footprints of two men leading
from the house, and accompanying them
a broader trail, as though a body had
been drgaged. Following this for about
seventy-tve feet. they came to a panel
fence. and there, in a pool of his life
blood, lay poor Genignani, cold in death.
Hi hlSkora ho6 haon i,, off
If with a knife his throat was cut from
ear to ear, there was deep cash over his
right eye and another across the back OF
his head ana deep cut or stab just above
the center of the breastbone
The searchers left the body at the fence
and proceeded back to the house, where
they picked up the knife with which the
murder had been committed. They then
sent word to officers in this city. Their
message reached here about o'clock this
morning. Shortly thereafter Sheriff Hous-
ton and deputy left for the scene and at
Z O. clock Coroner Earnest aud DR.. Mitchell
went out.
a clew was obtained and at 2 O'Clock to-
cay the Sheriff returned with Two prison.
ers against whom the strongest kind of
evidence has been obtained. They are
Alexander Miller, an ex-convict, and
Lewis Richards. They were 10 fged In the
Counfyjall pending an examination.
The details of the murder, as far as the
Sheriff was able to learn, are that Miller
and Richards, in company with 15-year-
old lad named Young, had been al Genig-
nani's place early in the evening, drink
ing wine and having a generally good
time. They left the Italians house and
proceeded to Newtown, where they drank
more liquor. At about o. clock they re-
turned to Genignanis and asked for more
wine.
The Italian refused their request They
knocked him to the floor, beat him. cut
his whiskers off and finally killed him.
They then dragged his body from the
house and as tar as the fence, where it
was found. There they left it and pro-
ceeded to the house of Miller. At this
house the two were arrested. They Of
fered no resistance. Their clothing and
shoes were blood-stained, and other facts
point directly to their guilt. The lad
Young was also brought in as witness.
For some months past Genignani had
been troubled by persons who persistently
tried to force an entrance TO his house at
night, aid time and again he has applied
to the courts for warran 3 for the arrest of
the disturbers, but not being able to iden-
tify them could 10 nothing