The San Francisco call., 1897-07-03

Sheriff and his deputies with Nelson then
assembled the scaffold. When asked if he
lad anything TO say Nelson said:
|. liam guilty OF killing Perry and am
sorry forlt. May God have mercy on my
guilty soul.'
Nelson was perfectly composed and
calm, he baGe the Sheriff good by and
at 1913 the trap was sprung. Nelson's
neck was broken and dea was iEstanta-
ne0ls A. 10 30 he was pronounced dead by
srBe physicians and cut down. He will be
. Buried at the expense of the county He
wrote lorg letter to his wife yesterday.
Lemuel Wesley Nelson was SO years OF
ageand native OF California. The mnr-
GfFof Perry was committed on March %,
I 1896
Nelson and Perry were fellow-miners in
the cppper mines at Waldo, Or. during
" Tie winter of 1895 and 1896. w nile work
M together Nelson lnsinuated himself
iH5o the good graces of Perry. The latter
was told by Nelson of the richness OF the
+ Copper ore at he Low Divide, in Del Norte
i County California, and that the mines
. we're open for location, as work had beeu
suspended on them for many years.
Lured by the glowing description given by
Nelson. Perry was induced TO make the
y trip with him and agreed to invest what
! money he had, provided the prospects
were as good as Nelson represented them
g. TO be-
Nelson and Perry started from Waldo.
Or, for the Low Divide on March %, and
the last time they were seen together was
at about 100 clock IN the morning OF that
3 day, at the tool of the mountains, ten
miles southeast OF W Waldo.
The evidence upon which Nelson was
conTIcted of murder in the 1irst degree
NJ a. 70 pfiaI and
markable as it was convincing When
the two 13en started from Waldo, Nelson
was penniless, and Perry had in his pos
session about $500. at IL o'clock that
night Nelson arrived at Shelly Creek sta
lion, in Del Norte County. he stopped
there during the remainder OF the night,
exhibited considerable amount OF
money an sold watch to the station
keeper FOR 81. In the trial this watch was
proven 10 have been the property OF
#Perry. The next day he boarded the stage
Tor Crescent City, where he spent ABOUT
800 in cash, ana afterward obtained WORK
IN one Of the Ioggin- camps OF Del Norte,
where e remained until he was arrested.
Before starting for Del Norte County
Ferry made arrangements " tn Is. b. Gay,
resident of Crescent City, Cal, who~Was
also at work at the copper mines at
3. Waldo, 10 take his toolchest to Crescent
! CITY This Gay did according TO agree
mehts and as the months went by and
Ferry did not call for the chest Gay, sus-
:pecung foul play. began a quiet inqulry
: Int to7the whereabouts of Perry. As a re-
%sqlt of his investigation the body OF Perry
s. was found in a well at he old Baine place,
about eighteen miles from Waldo, on The
abandoned wagon-road running from
Southern Oregon 10 Crescent City The
remains were taken from the well, al
though heavily weighted down with ones.
They were found to be in a remarkably
good state of preservation, and were iden-
@trhed both by those who knew Perry IN
his lifetime and by papers found In the
inside pocket of his coat among wnlch
was a promissory note in the sum oil S30,
payable 10 Charles Perry and signed Dy
L.oW. Nelson.
The post mortem examination held by
the Coroner OF Del Norte County revealed
the fact that Perry came to his death by
pistol shot which took effect III the left
side of his back, the bullet ranging
through the heart. A cartridge, found
near the scene OF the tragedy, fitted re-
volver which Nelson owned a, The time
of the murder and Tas afterward pre-
sented by him to his brother-in-law, who