The herald., 1898-12-04
That BLOODY SHIRT
GARMENT WITH THE SAME I'M
'TIALS Is FOUND
POSTAL CARD FROM MONTANA
Joseph Hunter Released on Bail-His
Uncles Sign His Bond-Reasons
for the Release

Assistant District Attorney Williams yes
terday received a postal card, which it
thought may cast some light on the Tropic
murder mystery. 1t was as follows:
"LIZZIO BLOCK,
BUTTE, Mont, Nov. 26, 1898.
"Dear Sir: am visiting my son here an,
observed in L. A. Times of I'd inst, an iten
concerning a shirt marked P r. NJ, tha
figures in the murder of Wong Sing Hay
No doubt that is or was my shirt and wa
given by my wife to some poor person whit
was begging clothes. She (Mrs. M fre
quently disposes of clothing in that way.
Hoping this will solve the mystery of thu
shirt, l am, yours respectfully,
"P. r. MOORE,
"Q4l7 Santee street, Los Angeles Cal)"
On receipt of the communication, De
tective Brighton was detailed to investigate
the matter. On visiting the address indi
Gated, Mrs. Moore produced the torn rem
nant of shirt belonging to her husband, or
which the fated initials appeared. The.
were worked in red thread at the bottom o.
the bosom in German text.
Mrs. Moore explained that her husband
had a half dozen shirts made by Magnin
the Spring street furnisher, two or three
years ago. They were in two styles, three
of each kind. One did not please Mr.
Moore and he took back the three shirts OF
that style to the maker, who sold them to
some one else. The one exhibited was one OF
the three retained.
Comparison of the shirt with the blood
stained garment found at Joseph Hunters
Il II, Al. 4.
ed in the discovery that the initials were
worked in different ways. The size of the
letters also differed, but the shirts them
selves were in some respects alike. Whether
they were made at the same time could not
be determined. Mr.. Magnin will be asked
to inspect the bood-stained shirt and to say
whether or not it is his handiwork
Various conjectures have been set affoat
in consequence of the identity of the initials
Of Mr.. Moore and those on the garment
found at Joseph Hunters place. There is
nothing yet, however, to sustain the theo-
ry that this is anything more than conci-
dence, but Mr.. Williams feels very grateful
to Mr.. Moore for trying to aid him in his
search for evidence in the case. He homes
that the publicity given by the press to the
subject may result in further revelations.
Meantime, every effort will be made to
Gft the bloody shirt evidence to the bottom.
IN the expectation that the shirt will be fhe
means OF locating the man who killed Wong
Sing Hay, or who helped young Clark to
drag the body under the Hunter house.
HUNTER OUT ON BAIL
A writ of habeas corpus was sworn ont
before Judge Smith on Thursday and di-
rected to Sheriff Burr, commanding him to
have the body of Joseph Hunter before him
on Saturday at 10 a. m. AT the appointed
hour the prisoner was brought in and his
attorney, John T. Jones, asked that Hunter
be admitted to bail. Assistant District At
torney Williams consented to such action.
and Judge Smith fixed his bond at $4,000,
in which sum Jesse D. Hunter Asa Hunt.
er and Samuel Hunter, the uncles of Joseph,
bound themselves, qualifying fo- twice the
amount of the bond
Hunter was Immediately released, his at
torney taking the order for his discharge to
the Jail as soon as the suretiea had qualified
and the court had signed the necessary doc
uments to effect his discharge.
Since his Incarceration, Hunter has been
enjoying better fare than the other prison
ers, and those who did not know that he
was paying for his board regarded this as
an undue exhibition of favoritism on tie
part OF Sheriff Burr and Jaier White. They
called attention to the fact that little Ri
cardo Machado, the child who killed Eddie
schmitt at San Pedro by accident, was con-
hned to "murderers' tank 'and forced to
suDslst on prison fare, while Joe enioved
the society OF the TRUSTEES and took his
three meals day at their table in the base
ment, away from the rest of those charged
with the commission of capital otfenses.
This seeming discrimination is EXPLAINED
by the fact that it took hard cash to pur-
chase such privileges and being purchased.
Hunter took his meals where it was most
convenient to serve them.
The allegations regarding Hunters ey
emptlon from rigorous confinement would
not nave amounted to much had it not been
ior the further statement that he was on
terms OF intimacy with TRUSTEES who
were accustomed to deal out drugs from the
medicine chest. When Harry Clark was
taken i'll and the senseless story got abroad
that ne had been poisoned, these people |
Jumped at once to the conclusion that the |
TRUSTEES had obtained strychnine from the
medicine chest and that they or Joe Hunt |
er had administered it to Clark in his food |
when the fact was ascertained that moth
ing was the matter with Clark but ndi.
gestlon brought on by eating beans, the poi-
son theory was exploded; and the special
privileges being paid for, there seemed to
be nothing the matter with the sheriff's
Office. Now that Hunter has been admit.
ted to bail, the friends of Clark express in
dlgnation thereat and call for explanations.
These are given by Assistant District At
torney Williams, who points out that the
evidence on which Hunter was bound over
tor trial in the superior court was mainly
that given by Clark, confessed accomplice.
Under the law it would be impossible to
convict Hunter of murder in the first degree
on such testimony. The most that could he
expected would be his conviction in the sec.
ond degree, or of manslaughter. That be-
ing the case, he was clearly entitled to bail
right secured to him under the constitu-
lion.
SUIT FOR ACCOUNTING