The record-union., 1897-12-19
TRIPPED over A DEAD LIMB.
HIS FINGER ON THE TRIGGER
AND THE GUN WENT OFF.
Eben Owen Tells the Story OF How
Mat Hennessey Came
to His Death.

Ex-Assembiyman Eben owen came
into the city yesterday morning 'iIa -
surrendered himself to the custoos VI
Sheriff Johnson, pending lnvest tisa .ioil
Of the unfortunate shooting Oh MALI
Hennessey, his hired man
Mr. Owen was interviewed ps "
Record Union reporter yesteiuaS
morning and told the story of the aflair
as follows:
Matt Hennessey had been WORKING
for me. about six weeks. one OF tue
men who were driving my elght-horse
teams Quit. and l went to ELK GroNe
for the purpose of telephoning into sac
ranento for an employment agency 10
send me out a. man. l met a man
whose face seemed familiar, and VINO
accosted me. saying that ne guessed
had forgotten him; that he worked
for me about six years ago, ana UNDER
stood that | was now in want OF
no,1le nuncher He said that he had
haan sent out to work for Richard
Rilby. near Franklin, but found on his
arrival that Bilby had secured man,
and he then came over to my place,
and finding me not at home got a ride
with the mail carrier and found me at
the Grove 1 hired him, and he has
been working for me ever since. He
was good with his team, and a jolly,
careless, good-humored fellow, full of
stories Of his past life.
For two years past the neighborhood
has been troubled with petty thievery,
and the residents have become ex-
cited and angry Houses have been
entered at night and robbed,
be detected. Shots have in several
instances been fired at parties who
We're caught stealing. Within the last
six months the people became so
worked up that the District Attorney
was consulted as to the best steps to
take.
George Andersons storehouse was
robbed, and he shot at the thief. Mr.
Busber also shot at man whom ne
caught stealing. The house of Pres
Strong was entered twice and various
articles stolen, as was the case with
the house of Aaron Core. Ny own
dairy house was entered about three
weeks ago and my meat was stolen,
and articles were also taken from my
Storeroom. The hen rooStS of myself
and my neighbors have also been
robbed repeatedly. These robberies have
been talked of repeatedly at my table,
and both myself and James Bond, my
the thieves if we caught them. as the
man, have stated that we would shoot
presumption was that any one who
would steal at night would go armed
and prepared to resist capture. l have
said that l considered a man who would
steal chickens just as guilty as high
wayman Hennessey has heard these
conversations time and again.
The room that we generally use as
a sitting room has a fireplace, and my
men always go in there and read and
smoke till bedtime, after they have at
tended to their horses. We eat supper
between half-past , and c o'clock. A
few evenings since the dogs barked
loudly beyond the dairy-house, where
there are two large apple trees in which
the chickens roost. l took my gun and
my man took his Winchester, and we
went out there thinking some one was
after the chickens. When we got near
the trees the dogs seemed to leave what
they We're barking at and go after a
mule that was in the yard and we
seemed to hear a man running away.
l fired one barrel of my gun into the
air, and went back to the house. Hen
nessey seemed to take great delight af-
terwards in telling L chased a mule for
a chicken thief.
Last night we had supper about o:43
O'Clock and the men went and attend
ed to their teams and then went to
their rooms. Mr. Stevens, a neigh
bor and his son came over and we sat
in the loom talking. My housekeeper
came aid said she heard some one out
where the chickens Were. ! listened,
but heard nothing and went back into
the house. \ few minutes afterward