The herald., 1897-01-26
WHO killed jim BEuEN?
Coroner's Inquest Does Not
Solve the Mystery
MT HONERTQN'S REVISED STORY
Told Some Things He Wanted
to Keep Back
THE PLACES THEY VISITED
Uacle and Nephew Dropped Into the
"coon' Joint
After Having Had Some Small Qusrr.Is
Up Town
The Murdered Man Did Not Want to
THE PLACES THEY VISITED
Uncle and Nephew Dropped Into th,
"coon" Joint
After Having Had Some Small Quarr.ls
Up Town
The Murdered Man Did Not Want to
Say Who Hit Him, and Living
Witnesses Seem Equally
Reluctant.

Witnesses Seem Equally
Reluctant.
The coroner's inquest in the matter of
the murder of James A. Bellew was held
yesterday afternoon at Cussen & Cum
ninghams, and though it resulted in
unearthing considerable new informa-
tion regarding the movements of the
dead man Saturday evening, it did not
fasten the guilt upon any individual.
The mystery of the murder has been in
creased by the evident determination
of the dead man, in his ante-mortem
statements, not to tell who struck him,
and the reluctance of his surviving side
partner, his uncle. to give fair and
candid recital of what happened and
what places were visited during their
fatal tour of the tough joints.
The first witness examined by Coro-
aged father of the murdered young man,
who was 10 years of age and native
of California. The father could tell lit
tie, except to say that when James left
the family home, No. $50 Santa Fe street,
Saturday evening about 7:S0 he was ac
companed by his uncle, Mat Howerton,
his mother, sister. his brother-in-law,
William Foster his sister, Mrs. Foster,
and William Shaw The boy was in
good health and sober. The next time
he saw his son was in the receiving hos
pltal about $50 the next morning. The
boy seemed conscious at times, and in
response to questions, told his father
that he had been assaulted by two men,
who had followed him and his uncle.
When asked if his head hurt him much,
the boy had told him it ached 'awfully."
The boy had told him he did not recog
nize his assailants. Witness did not
know that his son ever had an enemy,
though he had heard that two boys had
declared they had it laid up for him"
for something.
Mat w. Howerton, the next witness,
the uncle of the murdered boy and his
companion on the eventful tour of the
tough places, was the next witness. He
gave his testimony guardedly and re-
luctantly. The first part of his testimony
was a repetition of the story he had al
ready told about the movements of him.
self and nephew, but some additional
and seemingly significant facts were
brought out rs the result of some shrewd
ss-questioning.
pears that the party of men and women
left the Bellew house together the wo-
men with the intention of going to the
Orpheum theater. the men to so uptown
to have a general good time. The women
Went uptown by street car and the men
walked. so they could make some calls
on the way ana go to a barber shop The
men stepped first at a saloon on the cor
ner of Third and Alameda streets, where
they bought a half-pint flask of whisky,
which they drank at once, and then pro-
ceeded to a barber shop near the corner
of First and Main streets to get shaved.
Jim and one of the men were shaved first
and then went into an adjoining pool
room to wait while Howerton and the
other man were fixed up While Jim
was in the pool room he got into an al
tercation with a man, but no blows were
struck that he knew Of
When their toilets had been completed
the party again went into the street. The
men were not then drunk, for all they
had was the half-pint, divided among
the four men.
I'VE then went into place on Main
street above First" said witness, where
there was music and dancing. We were
rot drunk when we went there. We
went in where they We're performing.
7 didn't like the performance. which
was women dancing, and l started to
go out. ] heard jim and white fellow
who was playing music have some
words. and the colOred musician step
ped over the rail and said to Jim: If
you want to fight I'll take it up but
jim said he was talking to the other
boy The colored fellow went back and
began playing again"
After this experience the three men
went to the Salvation army, and after
that they walked to the Orpheum, where
they stood outside until the show was
over. Silly Shaw rejoined the two and
in a short time the entire party was
gain together. All the men and women
started for their homes except Hover
ton and BelleW, who proceeded to see
the rest Of the seamy side of Los Ange-
les. The witness was a little shaky
at times as to the exact sequence of
events. but it is gathered from what
he said that he and Jim next went into
a gambling place on Main street where
they looked on the game for awhile and
then to another gaming place, where
there was no bar They We're at this
place quite awhile, and then went to
Chinatown, stopping on the way at a
saloon near the plaza to get a half-pint
of whisky. They went into several kinds
of Joints in Chinatown, but did not do
or say much. From Chinatown they
walked down Alameda street. and when
Jim looked back and said that two fell
lows were following them, and sug-
gested that he and Mat should turn up
Second street, and see if the fellows
really were after them.
Just where Vine street and Wolf
skill avenue come into Second street L
heard steps behind u.s." said witness,
and then l got lick across the head
with q club that knocked me off the
sidewalk into the street When | was
hit 1 Skipped out. 1 suppose they hit
both of us at once, for l only heard
one blow"
lie told then how he had tried to
rouse somebody at a saloon on the cor
ner of Third street and Wolfskill ave-
nue.. and failing in that ran on toward
home, routed out Foster and with him
returned first to the scene of the fra
cas- and then went up town. This part
Of his story was q repetition of what
ne told to a Herald reporter, as given
in these columns yesterday morning.
Witness was asked to describe the two
men. but he declared he could not say
anything about their appearance, size
or clothing, though it was not very dark