The San Francisco call., 1897-02-05
INQUIRY INTO THE
UK|AH MURDER
Ybarra Now Denies in ToSo
That He Killed His
Employer.
Two Witnesses Before the Cor.
cner Who Saw Him Weld
the Knife.
Preliminary Examination Set for N xt
Monday-The Victims Funeral
Largely Attended

UKIAH, CAL, Feb. Am inquest was
held this morning on the body of Benia-
min Henderson, who was Yesterday
stabbed to death by man in his employ.
The Coroner's jury found that deceased
was 50 years of age and a native of Scot
land, and came to his death by three
knife wounds inflicted upon him by one
Gregorie Ybarra, who is the man under
arrest
The testimony of William Owens, who
was an eyewitness TO the affray, was
substantially that Henderson had ordered
Ybarra to 60 out and skin a sheep that
had died during the night. This, it ap-
pears, the man was unwilling to do. The
next Owens saw was the prisoner stabbing
the deceased. He SAYS the latter had a
two-by-four scantling about three feet long
in his hand, but did not, so far as Owens
saw, strike Ybarra with it. Witness de-
scribed the means employed by him TO
stop the flow of blood from Henderson's
neck. He died, as stated, about three
minutes after the last blow was inflicted.
John Mcpherson, also an employe on
the ranch, stated that he heard consider
able noise and that this attracted his at
tention. All he saw vas the prisoner
cutting at Henderson for the last time,
and that while Ybarra was cutting him
Henderson was fighting him off with his
hands. He saw no stick in the latter's
possession.
The prisoner now denies in toto that he
inflicted any wounds upon Henderson,
but admits that he had some difficulty
with him in the early part of the morn
ing and that Henderson struck at him,
but that he simply pushed Henderson
away and did not cut him. He denies all
knowledge of the killing, and claims that
he was in his cabin until he was arrested
by the officers.
The knife that be yesterday stated he
was using in peelipg potatoes at the time
OF the affray was found by the officers at a
camp occasionally used bv the prisoner in
summer, and which is situated about
quarter of mile from where Henderson
was stabbed. The knife seen in barra's
possession on the day OF the killing by
several parties, and which he was to use
in sklnning the sheep ordered by Hender-
son, has not yet been found. The pris-
oner claims that the knife recovered by
the officers is the only one he ever had.
AT the autopsy held on the body last
evening by DR. G. W. Stout three knife
wounds were discovered, TWO of which
might be termed fatal wounds. The
wounds were all on the left side of the
dead mans body, and therefore evidently
inflicted while he was facing his murderer.
One wound was in the neck, about mid
way between the ear and the collarbo
extending TO the bone, and severing the
jugular vein and carotid artery. The Sec
ond was Just below the shoulder, striking
the fifth rib. The third was between the
eighth and ninth ribs, about eight inches
from the backbone, penetrating the cav
ity. Each of the wounds was about an
inch in length.
The preliminary examination of Ybarra
has been set for next Monday at 10 o clock.
The funeral OF Henderson took place to-
day, and large eortege followed the body
to the grave, at the Masonic Cemetery.
He was buried under the auspices of
Abel Lodge No. 146, f. and A. NJ, Of
which organization he was a prominent
member