The San Francisco call., 1897-03-17
TWO MUROERERS
CONFESS GUILT
Story of the Killing OF
Serafno Genignani Is
Told.
An Indian and a Hail. Breed
Committed the Horrible
Crime.
Dragged Their Helpless Victim From
His Bel by His Whisksrs and
Butchered Him.

REDDING, CAL. March 16.-The pre-
liminary examination of William Miller
and Louis Richards, charged with the
murder of Serafino Genignanl at New
town last week, was held in Judge Gar
den's court here to-day.
The defendants, one ofSwhom Is full
blooded Indian and the other half breed
Indian, appeared without counsel and
conducted their own defense.
The Witnesses examined were chiefly
Indians but all the testimony was decid-
edly against the defendants and pointed
directly to their guilt. Clothing which
they wore on the day of the murder,
found in their cabin and in different por-
tions of their dooryard, covered with
blood. was iden titled by several of the
witnesses. The knife found at the scene
of the cutting was identified as belonging
to Miller; the shoes worn by them pre-
vious to the murder were found to fit ex-
actIy the tracks found around the body
and leading to he house OF Genignani.
At the close OF the examination Judge
Garden held the defendants to appear
before the Superior Court on charge of
murder.
After the examin alton was over and the
prisoners locked in their cells Richards, the
Indian, called for the District Attorney
and to him made clean confession of the
entire affair.
The facts as stated by Richards are as
follows:
On the day of the murder Richards and
Miller had been drinking and about 6
o'clock applied at Genignani's cabin for
some wine, which he refused them. They
left the place and went to Newtown. where
they took several more drinks. They
returned to Genignani's cabin at about 8
o'clock. Genignani was lying on his bed
asleep. The men broke into his cabin.
caught Genignani by the beard and pulled
him from the bed. In doing this they
pulled greater portion of his beard out
by the roots. Genignani attempted to :
fend himself, but had no weapon. He
fought them as best he could and en-
deavored to get away. They felled him
to the floor with blow on the head and
robbed him of $33. They then grabbed
him by the hair and whisSers and pulled
him from the house about twenty steps.
He again struggled to escape, when Miller
pulled out large pockes-knife and
stabbed the poor victim in the throat just
above the breastbone.
They dragged him few steps fart her,
where they cut his throat and cut large
cash in the back of his head. They then
dragged him farther with the intention
of hiding the body in reservoir. A
picket fence was in their way and they
there left the body.
The murderers then took from Genig-
nani's pockets what trinkets and valua bles
that were in them and went back 10 his
house, ransacked it, and then br ke into
the winehouse and stole a large quantity
of wine and left ten casks OF wine flowing
to the floor. They then changed their
clothes, hid part OF tho bloody clothing
and buried the remainder, and hid the
money and trinketB stolen from their
ctim.
The fiends then went to Miller's cabin,
where they were arrested.
Richards states that Miller did the kill
ing, while he helped drag the body to
where it was found. He told the District
Attorney where the hidden money and
trinkets could be found, and made Il clean
breast of the whole affair.
A good deal of Indignation is felt here
tonight over the affair and there is strong
talk Of lynching.
Miller is an Intelligent half-breed and
reads and writes the English language
fuentIy. He is a mean-looking fellow
and bears all the marks Of a bad man.
Fitch Bashington Mine Sold.
REDDING, CAL, March 16-The sale