The San Francisco call., 1897-10-20
Ass ssin Lies in Wait and
Fires Upon Him at
Close Range.
MYSTERY SURROUNDS THE
CRIME.
For Years the Victim Had Been in
Dread of Death at the
Hand OF a Foe.
Special Dispatch to The CALL

BAKERSFIELD, Oct. 10 - John c.
Davis, a man VINO lived constantly in
dread of death by foul means, lies in the
morgue here tonight with bullet in his
brain Around the identity ofthe assassin
there hangs a cloak of mystery that few
believe will ever be drawn aside.
Davis was killed instantly last night at
$50 o'clock and it is certain that he never
knew he was in immediate danger or that
foe bent on murder was near him He
was a barber by trade, and that hour he
closed his shop and, in company with
Morris Borgwardt, brother of the Sheriff
OF this county, started for home Just
beyond the business portion of the city
Borgwardt entered his house. Davis went
around the corner of the block and had
not gone over hundred feet when he fell
from a wound in the left temple So close
was the pistol held that the powder
burned deep into the flesh and turned it
black in a circle five inches in diameter.
The weapon could not have been more
than four inches from his face when fired.
Borgwardt heard the shot and ca me out
of his back door and listened. He heard
q man run across the Panama Slough
bridge aud called out:
Are you being htld up, Davis?"
No reply came, and as the footsteps
died away in the direction of Davis
home, a block TO the north, Borgward t
became satisfied that Davis had shot at
some ones dog and run away. He went
Uack into his house and knew nothing of
the murder until this morning, when he
learned that his companion of last night
had been slain and had lain for six b ours
within few steps of his yard.
Mrs. DAVIS, knowing her husbands fear
OF being killed, waited anxiously for
his coming until 10 O'clock. Then it was
she remem bered the pistol-shot early in
the evening and hurried across the street
TO alarm Frederick Wilson and beg him to
GO out and look for her husband. Wilson
did so and followed the route usually
Travelled oy Davis in going to and from
his shop. He went up to the shop, looked
around for him, and then retraced his
Steps
Finding no trace of him he, too, be-
came alarmed and made a thoroue b
search OF the neighborhood. AT last. at
2:30 o clock this morning, he discovered
the body in the shadow of the Baptist
church on the south side of the slough.
but not close enough to it for the assassin
10 have hidden in the bushes A near
by telephone pole probably screened the
murderer from detection until his victim
was against the muzzle OF his revoive
when the trigger was pulled and DAVIS
fell
The body was lying on its back, feet
crossed as though Davis had half turned
as he fell. One pocket was turned out and
all but 70 cents in money taken. Davis
had with him considerable coin. A watch
and revolver were left on the body.
While group OF men was standing over
the body Mrs. Davis, hearing their voices.
harried down to the bridge and was met
by Night Watchman Tibbet. She said 10
him:
Il know my husband was killed. for I
heard the shot He IS dead near here
and they have hidden him in the bushes. -
She was taken home and the truth
withheld from her until this morning.
In spite of the fact that the money was
taken, few believe the object OF the mur-
der was robbery, the popular theory
being that the money was taken to throw
suspicion on one of the MANY rough char
acterS who have arrived here since the
fruit-pickers were let out on the orchards
in counties north of here That the mu-.
der was premeditated is the general
verdict.
Davis was blunt-spoken man and
oftensaid things to hurt, vet no enemy
bit er enough to induce his murder IS
thought to have been made here by the
d cad man. He came 10 Bakersfield three
years ago from Fresno, and indirectly
from Stock ton. What this life NAV have
been and what enemies he made before
coming here no one seems to know, and
his wife is too deeply affected by his
death to talk, or tell what she knows, if
anything which might throw suspicion
on the proper person. or explain from
what quarter her husband expected death.
1t IS known that Davis fear of returning
TO Fresno was so great that some lime
ago he hired a awyer to go to that city
and look after some simple matters of
business rather than expose himself to
the unknown dangers which lurked in
that city.
Davis was the first man TO cut the price
of shaving TO 10 cents in Bakersfield. and
since doing so he had repeatedly refused
to join a comb ne and raise prices to their
former scale, the last refusal being about
three weeks ago. On this account he was
unpopular with the mem bers OF his trade,
and once or twice his place has been
threatened by incendiary fires and more
or less demolished by unknown enemies.
Many believed this was due 10 his acton
in regard to cutting rates, but In view oi
tbe tragedy If iast night the popuiaT De-
lief is that he was followed by Toe whose
grievance. whatever il was weighed on
his mind until attempts at petty annoy
ance no longer satisfied and murder alone
would do.