The San Francisco call., 1897-08-21
BEATEN BEFORE
he WAS KILLED
SChofield Autopsy De-
Velops a Startling
Fact.
Skull of the Murdered Man
Crushed by a Heavy
Blow.
Evidence of a Desperate Struggle
Before a Bullet Ended His
4 Life.

SAN JOSE, CAL, Aug. 2o.-A post
mortem examination OF the body OF
George W. Schofeld, made this morning
by Dr. John Mcmahon, assisted by DR..
Parkman and DR.. ]. T. Higgins Of Nor
gan Hill, in the presence of District At
torney Harrington, developed one sensa-
tional feature. The skull of the murdered
man had been fractured before death, in
two places each about two inches in
length, one on the right and the other on
the left side of the head. And, in the
opinion of DR.. Mcmahon, these fractures
were of recent origin; that is to say, they
must have been made Immediately prior
to the firing of the fatal shot. How and
why were they made? Presumably with
some blunt instrument in an assault for
which Schotield was unprepared.
The contention is still made by some of
the persons interested in the prosecution
that Schofield was killed on Friday night
and now, in the light OF the evidence given
at to-day's autopsy, the events that led up
10 the killing are plausibly coniectured.
Perhaps the blows upon the head were
given by some person within the house
after butchers first shot had tailed to
reach its mark. Perhaps Schofeld, half
stunned or wholly bewildered. rushed out
OF doors with a cracked cranium and re-
ceived the bullet which ended his life.
1t is certain that large part of the
truth respecting the quarreling at the
ranch house Immediately previous to the
murder has not been told. and there are
many persons who have given the con-
flcting evidence thus far ELECTED the
- 4.
ing that the reason which impelIed the
complete covering of the true story on
thai fatal morning was the fear that the
truth would send the guilty person or pei
sons either to the gallows or San Quen tin.
The autopsy was held at the request of
the District Attorney mainly to deter
mine whether the bullet taken from the
corpse was OF the same caliber as the Win
chester rife which it was said to have
been fired from, or whether it was from q
pistol DR.. Higgins, who extracted the
bullet was unable TO determine from the
superficial examination he then made
whether the bullet had lost sufficient lead
in the contact with the bones OF the head
to justify the difference in weight between
it and an unused ball for rifle of the cal
iber alleged to have been used by butcher.
The bullet, according to DR.. Mcmahon,
was discharged from a right angle. II en-
ward, crushed and took away the cheek
bone and lodged IN tge right side of the
neck, two int ches from the lobe of the ear.
The force of the bullet was so great that
all the bones OF the face were crushed, the
teeth injured aud the whole base of the
brain fractured. It's destructive power
was not confined 10 the head alone, for the
two upper bones of the spinal column
were fractured. The juguiar vein and
other arteries of the meek were severed by
the shot, as we're also the nerves supply
ing the heart and lungs. Death. then,
must have been instantaneous. In the
opinion OF the doctor "Schofield never
knew what hit him."
The performance of the autopsy, which
resulted in the discovery of the course of
the bullet, of the destruction it caused.
and of the fractures on the head made be-
fore the shot was fired, gave'rise to num-
ber of i'm portant deductions. In the frs t
place the fractures established that the
ball which put an end to the life of Scho-
field might we'll have been, discharged
from Winchester rife of 44-caliber, and
that it could not, by any proba bility, have
been fired from pistol. Amy leaden bull
let striking and penetrating the bones
necessarily becomes diminished in weight,
says the doctor. This conclusion being
admitted, the difference in weight be-
tween the bullet taken from Schofields
meet with q ready and satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION.
This point established, the question
whether the shot was fired at some dis
lance from the object or at close range
must be considered. Medical men who
have given the subject careful attention,
as well as expert reference, all declare
that the impact of a bullet is greater and
more destructive at distance, say-of $50
yards. than at close range. This being
admitted the story told by butcher that
he fired from behind the shed, distanc ce
from Schofield of about twenty feet, be-
comes open to question. If he were at
greater distance-cfose to the barn for in.
s1ance-he might not have been able to
see Schotield at The moment the mur-
dered man is alleged 10 have thrust his
head into the doorway.
Ii the autopsy discoveries mean any,
thing they mean that SchoteId was as
saulted with some heavy instrume ent before
he was shot, and that Dan butcher, when
he took deadly aim al The old man, was
not behind the shed but at some point to
Irving Mann that Dulcher stood by the
wire fence which runs from the shed to
the westerly line OF Schufeld's land Is in
line with the theory.
This forenoon the indictments found
by the Grand Jury against Mrs. Schofield
anu Ou'CneI were presented IN Depart
ment 1 by the District Attorney. No time
was set Tor arraignment, but it is under
stood that IN prisoners will be brought
before judge Lorrlgan on next Monday.
At that time an order will probably be
made holding Irving Mann as witness
for the people under such bonds as will
prevent his departure from jail before the
trial.
The finding of the indictments puts
stop to the proceedings at Madrone under
the complaint drawn by the District At
torney on last Wednesday. Justice Pinard
will receive instructions tomorrow 10 dis
miss the com plant without eiudice.
There is a desire on the part OF 10th the
District Attorney and V. A. Sche!ler, at
torney for the defendants, to have the
trial under the Indictment proceed at an
early Gay. Mrs. Schofield does not like
imprisonment ard her health may give
way under thestr to which she is being
subjected unless he issues in the case are
speedily joined and determined.
Dan Dutcher saw m ghost last night.
and to-day had recovered his normal ap-
petite.
TRIES TO KILL HIS HIFE.