The San Francisco call., 1897-08-13
WHEN THE FATAL
SHOT WAS FIRED
DR.. Higgins Opinion as
to the Murder of
SchOfield.
Disputes the Statements OF
Mrs. SchofieId, Mann and
butcher.
Important Facts Coming to Light
That May Soon Solve the
Mystery.

DAN JOSEJ CAL', aug l1.-At - tho
opinion of DR.. Higgins OF Morgan Hill,
who examined the body of the murdered
rancher, George w. Schofeld, at S:45
o'clock last Saturday morning, that death
must have occurred from twelve to elgh-
teen hours before. If this opinion Is OF
solid value then the statements of Mrs.
Scofeld, Irving Mann and Dan butcher
are incorrect and the fatal shot was fired
some time during the afternoon or even
ing OF Friday.
Several other important facts relating
TO the murder have come to light lately,
and it is within the possibilities that the
mystery at present surrounding the death
of the Llasas raucher will soon be solved.
Jealousy was undoubtedly at the root of
the murder. Schofield was crank on the
subject, and it was as natural for him to
become the deadly enemy OF any man who
chanced to stop at his home and speak a
word TO his vile or one OF his daughters as
it was for him to eat. The daughter who
Joined the Salvation Army left her fathers
roof because his conduct toward her be-
came unbearable.
But it was not Jealousy as has been ru-
mored, which caused him to turn the
vials of his wrath on one +. Lopez, who
lives few miles from the Schofield ranch.
The report was circulated that the story
emanated from the fertile brain OF Dan
Dutcher-that not over bright but exceed
ingly shrewd boy of all work, who is now
in the calaboose at Madrone.
Mrs. Schofield's attention was called to
this and other matters by TIE CALL rep
resentative to-day. She was looking we'll
and talked freely-so freely, in fact, that
many circumstances were related which
have either been lightly touched upon be-
fore or not touched upon at all and which
may or may not have q bearing upon the
murder.
~ have been wantonly misrepresented,
she said, with flash of her black eyes
that suggested repressed wrath, land
want to put myself right before the pub
lie My reputation is as dear to me as
any womans. l have lived pure life,
ana defy any man or set of men to prove
the contrary.
II lad strict parents and they brought
me up in the proper way. Ny mother is
dead, but my father, George w. Hines, is
still living. His home is in Santa Cruz,
and he would have been to see me before
this but for his extreme old age and en-
feebled condition.
And yet, in spite OF the correct life l
have led, have been called the vilest
names that vile men could lay their
tongues to. There is that Albert Scho-
field, my stepson. He could not get
along with me and he could not get along
with his father. he came to the house
once after be had gone away and called
me the worst names you can imagine, and
all in the presence of my children. he
was the man who held my horse that day
in San Jose when my husband pulled me
out of the buggy. Ed Schotield Is decent
sort OF fellow and have nothing against
him.
II have been told" she resumed, "that
Mr.. Schofield was jealous OF Lopez. The
ideal Why, Lopez never used to come to
the house. and my husbands enmity
against him arose over a dispute about
bill. Lopez had a suit in San Jose and
nv husband was called as witness.
"As return for the favor Lopez agreed
TO pay either 81 or cord of wood. He
neglected to do the one or the other, and
the bill is now in the hands of a collector.
My husband was very angry with Lopez
about the bill and threatened to take it
out of his hide"
WAS he ever jealous of Porforio Patrons
attention to your she was asked.
mo. He never had any cause to be
jealous. Why, Patron had not been in
our house for over year.
"Did your husband ever have any trou-
BILE with him ?"
ayes; about a month before my hus-
band was shot Patron rode by the house.
My husband saw him, ran out and stopped
him."
Were you at home at the timer
NO. / was visiting at neigh boris. Mrs.
Casteline, think, and on my way home
1 met Patron, who was on horseback and
riding fast. He stopped and told me that
my husband had threatened to shoot
him.
What for2''
II don't know. Patron further said that
he could have killed the old man, but he
refralned for the reason that he did not
want to kill him in the presence of his
family; neither did he want to have any
trouble with Mr.. Schofeld.
when got back to the house my hus-
band had his rifle and was looking up the
road for Patron, but did not see him. Re
may have chased Patron. l don't know
whether he did or not for l went into the
house."
did YOU learn what occurred between
your husband and Patron? ?"
Eyes; little girl who was staying in
the house told me that my husband
stopped Patron, called him names and
said he had a notion to pull his nose off;
that Patron m ade motion as if 10 draw
pistol, and my husband then said: oh,
it's lead you're alter, is it2 Just wait a
minute and I'll give you all you want
linen ne ran INTO tne mouse l0r MS rI0e
and Patron made off before he reappeared.
You have said before this that your
husband acted queerly on the night the
first shot was fired. Had there been any
thing strange in his conduct during the
day or before?"
He was unusually nervous from the
time he got back from Watsonville."
Mrs. Schofield said further that her hus-
band was 90 nervous that for the few days
preceding the murder he stayed in the
house most of the time. At night he
would close all the windows, pull down
the curtains and lock all the doors. He
said man in Watsonvil!e had threat ten ed
TO Kill him and that he did not want to be
shot in the back.
On that fatal Friday morning she noticed
when he went out of doors that the ham
mers of mis- gun were down. On his atten-
tion beng called to the matter he said:
That's all right. If l want to shoot
can cock the gun quick enough"
Irving Mann corrohorated his mother in
all her statements. He said, in addition,
that Schofied was boozy when he re-
turned from Watsonville.
THE CALL representative interviewed
Dan butcher at the Madrone Jail this
evening. butcher talked freely. He said
he had heard stories about Patron and
Mrs. Schofeld, but knew nothing at first
hand Scnofield had told him about the
row with Patron, which in the main was
4~Vl