San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-08-27
JACOB MERLE SH0IssD0WN JOHN
MURTAUGn LAST EVENING.
He Pumped toyr Bullets Into Him And
Then Beat Up His deaa With d tlstol.
Says 1t Was Self Defense.

ldtdl ueeu was perpetrdteu ny
Jacob Merle, and he is now in Jail on
a charge of murder.
Merle and the dead man were seen
together about Z o'clock at the north
west corner of Maverick park, at the
intersection of Grand and River aven-
ues and Avenue G. They were about
a foot apart, facing each other, Merle
facing westward. They were talking
when Merle was seen to hold pistol
at Murtaugh's stomach, and in an in
slant a shot was heard.
Murtaugh threw up his hands and
cried, for Gods sake, don't man." and
turning his back, turned the corner of
the park. Merle was closely behind
him and fired four more shots in rapid
succession. Then Murtaugh grabbed
the fence of the park with his hands
and sank on his knees. Merle rush.
ed upon him, pistol in hand,
and rained series of blows upon
Murtaugh's head The blows could be
heard distance of fifty feet and
sounded as the breaking of bones.
Merle then walked quickly across
the street and stood at the gate of the
residence of Mr.. Besse on River aven-
ne for a while, after which he went
into the house.
A crowd soon gathered around the
corpse, but no one seemed to be able
to Identify it. Upon the arrival of the
Coroner Jones the body was taken to
Collins boarding house on Az
enue d, opposite Maverick park, where
deceased had been stopping, and was
later removed to Mccormick & Co.'S,
morgue ON East Commerce street,
where it is held, pending instructions.
Officers Gates, Bader, Beck and
Brown soon arrived on the scene.
Merle was found in room of the
house he entered and placed under
arrest He was taken to police sta
ton, where a charge of murder was
lodged and he was then transferred
to the county Jail. Merle's friends
offered to give bond for his release, but
as no bond is allowed in such cases,
their offers were refused.
Rumors were wild and thick as to
the cause of the killing, but no one
seems to know what was really at the
bottom of it. A Light reporter call
ed on Mr.. Merle this morning for
statement, but he begged to be excus,
ed, saying that he is more sick than
well and too nervous to talk. Il had
to do it," he finally said 1T was
self defense. He would have killed
me-" That is all he would say.
Friends of Merle called on him this
morning and told him not to say any
thing. A number Of lawyers also
talked with him, but he had as yet en-.
gagged no counsel. He appeared ner,
vous and was lingering handker,
CHIeL, at WHICH hc OSSdSloudhg ShdMN
ed.
Merle was foreman in the Sunset
roundhouse and has held that posi-
ton about three years. He has
wife, who is in San Francisco. Muir
laugh has wife and four children hv-
ing in Chicago. He was Mason
and worked in the machine shops of
the Nickle Plate route in Chicago be-
fore coming south. He formerly
worked in the Arkansas Pass shops at
where he was hurt, and was
then brought to San Antonio to be
placed in the hospital. He left here
about month ago for Mexico to work
in the. machine shops at G. p. Diaz.
On account of the depreciation of the
Mexican dollar, he resigned last week
and drew his time, Sill in Mexican
for which he received $40 in
the United States. He came to San
a few days ago and sent his
wife $50 last Wednesday. Upon his
arrival here he began to look for
work. He visited the Arkansas Pass
and Sunset roundhouse, leaving the
Arkansas Pass depot yesterday eve
hing about 6 O'Clock for his boarding
house on Avenue ID.
After supper he saw Merle walking
along Grand avenue and hailed him.
He stopped and the two talked to-
yether for awhile, which resulted in
he shooting. There were five shots |