The San Francisco call., 1897-12-19
His Gun Discharged as He
Stumbled While Walking in
the Darkness.
DEATH OF THE HIRED MAN.
was to Have Been the Victim
of His JOke.
Special dispatch to The Call.

SACRAMENTO, Dec. 1S.-It now ap-
pers that not only was the killing of
Matt Hennessey by Hon. Eben Owen
unintentional, but purely accidental.
So general is the feeling generating
Mr.. owen that the Sheriff has per-
mitted him to go on his own recogni-
zance.
For several years past there has
been numerous petty robberies in the
county around my RANCH" said Mr..
Owen to-day. Several of my neigh
bors had their houses entered, and pro-
visions and clothing were stolen.
Several shots have been fired at the
marauders, and there has been a gen.
eral feeling of insecurity. A great
many farmers have had their chicken
roosts robbed, and myself within the
past two months have had meat stolen
from the ranch dairy house, and have
missed sundry other articles around
the ranch. l have also been under the
impression that my flock of chickens
has been dwindling in size.
These robberieS have been discussed
at the table when the hired men were
present and l have stated in CONVEX
sation at the table THAI 1 would be
tempted to shoot a thief as l would a
highway robber The men who worked
for me thoroughly understood my
views in regard TO petty thieves.
"A few evenings ago we were
aroused by the barking of the dogs
Thinking that someone was prowling
about the place l took my gun and
went outside. One of my hired men
took a rifle. Hennessey accompanied
US. We went out toward the dairy
hOl1SR hIlT aO111A 10 ,5erEo =
was so dark, but from the way the
dogs acted l was of the impression
that they had seen something. We
'Seeked' the dogs on and l fired my gun
into the air. The dogs gave chase, and
We followed them, only to find that
they were chasing one of my mules
HennesSey seemed to think that this
was very funny, and kept joking me
about it after that and laughing up
roariously.
We had supper last night as usual
that is, at o'clock. After supper the
men went out and fed and watered the
teams. My room in the house is a sort
of general sitting room. / allow the
men to sit there and read and talk
when they want to. Last night they
did not come into the sitting room
but went upstairs to bed. ]. B. Stew
ems and his son were in the sitting
room with me, and we We're talking to-
gether by the fire. Ny housekeeper
was in the kitchen. About 7 O'Clock
my housekeeper came to the door and
said that something was wrong with
the chickens. l picked up my shot
gun, which is a hammerless affair
and which was loaded with No. bird
shot, and walked to the outside door
where I stood and listened 1 could
hear nothing, and, remarking to my
hOusekeeper that she must be mis-
taken, l returned to my place by the
fire, leaving her and young Stevens
standing listening in the doorway A
moment later l distinctly heard E
chicken cry out as though it We're be.
ing chOked.
"The moment the gun was dis.
charged the cry of oh, OH came from
the tree, and instantly the body of .
man fell to the ground. l yelled anc
the folks came running from the house
one man brought a rifle and Steven:
lantern. He held the lantern neal
the mans face, and we saw it wa:
Hennssey. He gasped once or twice
and died. The charge of bird sho
had entered his breast just in front o.
his heart
cannot understand the matter a.
all. l don't know whether he was try.
ing TO steal the chickens or haC
climbed the tree to play a practica
joke. He could not have been steaIinl
III NlAANHCAlS, IOI WHAT cOQlQ he 0(
with them? And then there was no ev,
ldence that he had done more than f.
choke the chickens to make them crv
on the other hand, I cannot under
stand how sane man would have AT
tempted to joke in any such way."
Harry Owen, the brother of Eber
owen, who was present when the lat
ter was being interviewed, declareC
that yesterday morning Matt Hennes
sey had been telling him about Ebe,
having taken a mule for a chickel
thief ne
Matt laughed uproariously abou
the matter" Harry Owen said. "an[
referred to the mule as Eben's chick
en- thief. He seemed to think it Yer,
funny" 'Si-
continuing Harry said that Mat
Hennessey was man who was al
ways joking. He was a good-naturer
fellow and was full of good stories o
experiences he had while leading III,
life of a tramp.
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