The record-union., 1898-12-11
HIS DEATH WAS ACCIDENTAL.
INQUEST HELD ON MARTIN
KRITTER LAST NIGHT.
Jury Found He Came to His Death
by Falling Over
Bluff.

An inquest was held last night on the
death of Martin Kritter. who was found
dead near the Costumes River last
Monday.
County Detective Fisher acted for the
District Attorney.
Fred Rink testified that he knew de-
ceased They were both members of
the Red Men. He last saw deceased on
Thursday of last week. He was coming
to the city with load of wood, and
was going home next morning to the
ranch. Kritter was not man who
drank and declined to drink at wit
ness place, saying he preferred cigar
when he was driving. He was good
hand with a team. Witness was posi-
tive that it was Thursday that Kritter
came to town, and that it was Friday
that he went back home.
j. Warner testified that Kritter stayed
at his hotel on Wednesday night. He
found Kritter there when he came
home from the lodge. Kritter was a
sober man. Witness was positive that
it was Wednesday night, because it was
lodge night.
Mr.. Rink took the stand again, and
acknowledged that he had been mis-
taken, and that it was Wednesday in
stead of Thursday that Kritter came
into town. Never knew him to use
narcotics.
Deputy Coroner Craig took the stand,
and stated that he had been told by
the Coroner that a man was lying dead
back of the bridge house on the
Cosumnes. He went out, and found it
about two and one-half miles from the
bridge house. The land is rolling there.
He cut across fields to Sherman's ranch,
and Sherman told him that his family
were looking through field glasses, and
saw the body from the house, about a
mile. Witness went down to Arewater' s
place, where Kritter worked. The hill
where the body lay rose up about forty
feet above it, and had two different
pitches. Witness asked questions of
those who came to the spot, and they
told him they thought the body had
been lying there for a day and half.
The wagon was found on the upper
road, with the lines tied to the wheels
and the traces unlocked.
The bank above where the body lay
was sharp and abrupt, and he saw
where Kritter had slipped off, and had
cleared off the grass with his heel. He
found that Kritter's neck was broken.
He searched his clothing, and found a
couple of lodge receipts, knife, 35 cents
and some other articles. Arewater said
Kritter left for this city on Thursday
morning-at least witness so understood
him. He said he had not worried over
his appearance, because he was a
man he could trust, and he sometimes
stayed in town for two or three days.
He never carried much money.
Arewater said that when he went to
round up his calves he, saw an unfa-
miliar object lying on the ground, and
found on investigation that it was
Kritter's body. There was a short cut
that he. himself sometimes used in
coming home, and he thought Kritter
had probably been overtaken by dark
ness and tried it; that he had missed
1T, and in going to investigate and try
to see the house, had tripped and fallen
over the bank
The body lay between the wagon and
Arewater's house. There were no
wounds or signs of violence on it.
The jury found that Kritter "came to
his death by dislocation of the neck.
the same being received from a fall
over a bluff; and in our opinion the
same was accidentalH