The San Francisco call., 1897-04-29

| ASA iOOiHs WIS aiSO OpCiit oHA 49,
her to come back. There being no way 10
| get out. she obeyed his command and ad-
vanced toward him. When she was about
| three feet distant from him he fired. Inc
charge tore away the under portion OF her
| left forearm and a few scattering shot
lodged in her breast. She then ran past
! him and out the rear door, whlcn was
standing open as he had lett 1t.
"The man had set his lantern on the
floor, and after firing at mother reloaded
| thegun. Then he stepped to my bedroom
door. l was still sitting up in the bed,
| screaming and not knowing what to do.
| He advanced few steps toward me-
Say your prayer! he com manded. Al
the same time he raised the gun and dis
| charged it at me, the shot taking effect
| Just above my lett wrist. | fell over and
| lost consciousness for q minute.
"When l revived, MIR. Brooks was stand
| ing over me. pointing the muzzie of the
! gun at me. l sprang from the bed, intend
| ing TO make an attempt to run away. He
then changed the gun to his left hand,
and with his right whipped out hatchet.
He stopped me and held the instrument
over my head. with the stern injunction,
! Don't you rum
"My memory is blank after that until
! Mr.. Brooks and | reached the yard
together. How we got there, l do not
| know. The next thing | remember We
| were standing out near the rear porch. i
have hurt you, and l will be hanged for it,
| heard Mr.. Brooks say. Yes L replied,
let me go and get my arm Dandaged.
Then the man laid his head on my shoul-
der and cried. sobbing that he Was sorry
that he had shot me. He kissed me, and
said he could not bear TO see me 60 with
Frank Hutchings. l said nothing, but
only begged him to let me go. He finally
released his hold of me and went to the
rear OF the house. | saw nothing more of
him.
"I ran out to the gate and down the
driveway to the public road. About $50
yards from the house | found mother
lying at the SIDE of the road, sobblng and
crying. She had tried to get to some
neighb bors, but fell exhausted on the way.
| stopped with her moment and then
| ran 10 the place of William T. Burnett a
neighbor, screaming all the way. 1 called
| for help. and Mr.. Burnett, Frank Hutch
ings and Elmer Smith, who were there,
responded. | ran back to where mother
was. The men arrived few minutes later
and on a sled conveyed US back here 10
the house.
This is an awful affair, and 1 am not
over the shock yet, continued the young
lady. II could not accept any of the at
tentions Mr.. Brooks tried to pay me, as he
was very repulsive to me. | tried always
to treat him kindly, but nothing further" !"
The young lady told her story very in
telligently. She is quite a belle in the
district in which she resides. She is
pretty, and very ladylike in her mann ers.
When Mrs. Qualls ran past tie MUIR
derous fend and out of the house she
started for Mr.. Burnett's house to get as
sistance. Her wound bled profusely, and
she had proceeded only about half the
distance 20 the place, when she fell ex-
hausted- She managed to crawl to the
side of the road, and remained there until
found by her daughter. She is an elderly
Lady, and the excitement and the run
ming also told severely upon her.
1t is supposed that Brooks took the trail
leading through a grain field 10 a barn
owned by Mr.. Qualls, about three-quarters
OF mile distant from the house.
When the neigh bors had made Mrs.
QualIs and Miss Qualls as comfortable as
tney could In the bedrooms where few
moments bsfore they had gone through
such an awful experience they began look
ing around for the would-be murderer.
About half-hour later they saw the fire
at the earn, and Immediately came to the
conclusion that Brooks had starteu it.
Hutchings remained at the house, while
the other two proceeded to the barn.
They suspected that the desperate man 8
remains might be in the ruins, but on ac-
count of the heat could make nc investi-
| cation.
They returned 10 the house, and with
| Hutchings began To make Investigations
with the aid of the lantern. Here they
| found evidence of another insane attem pt
of Brooks 10 destroy the girl and her
mother.
The fiend had tried to set the house on
fire directly under the window of Miss
Qualls' bedroom. He had poured kero-
sene on the boards and applied n match.
The fire charred the wall over a space
about footin diameter and also burned
hole through; but the blaze had died
out, and it is supposed that after failing in
this way to effect his evil work he entered
| the house for the more bold proceeding of
shooting the women.
| This forenoon the charred remains of
Brooks were discovered in the ruins of tn 9
barn. The shotgun was pointing upward
above the ashes and what there was of
the man was found at its side.
His hatchet was also at his side, the
handle having been burned out. Coroner
Long held an inquest to-day, and the Jury
arrived at the conclusion that Brooks first
shot himself and that the discharge
ignited the hay where he had chosen to
end his life.
DR.. jacob of Centerville was called to
| attend the two injured women. He found
Mrs. Qualls' condition serious, she having
lost great deal of blood The shot had
carried away the fieshy part of her arm
on one side. The doctor hopes for her re-
covery. bet has given orders that she be
closely confined to her room. He dressed
| Miss Qualls' wound with bandages, and it
will heal in a few weeks.
David Qualls and his family are pioneer
| residents OF Fresno County. Miss Qualls
was born on a ranch about mile distant
from their present home. The family is
well TO do and well connected. Little has
been learned as yet of James Brooks his
| tory. He was always considered a strange
individual, being of very suspicious dis
position. He was a native of Indiana and
3Oyears of age. 1t was not ascertalned to-
day where be procured the shotgun with
which he tried to commit the two terrible
murders and with which he ended his own
career.
Messengers have been sent after Mr.
Qnalls and his sons, who are engaged in
planting corn at their foothilI ranch.
SANTA EA AfBdKA -lCCIDENT