The San Francisco call., 1899-07-23
FOE IN AMBUSH
STAYS 4 RANCHER
Victim Shot While at
Supper.
HUMBOLDT COUNTY MYSTERY
c. II sTEGEMEYER FOUND DEAD
AT HIS HOME.
One of His Neighbors Had but Re
Gently Escaped by Chance
From Murder by Means
Of Poison.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

EUREKA. July &c. II. Stegemey-
er was murdered al his ranch on the
south fork of Eel River, near Phillips
Vile. yesterday or the night before. At
noon to-day the body of Stegeneyer
was discovered in a bedroom of his
home by Thomas Parker and wife and
Charles Iinser. ON the porch were
pools Of blood about a table that had
been set out there and upon which his
supper still remained untouched. y
bloody all led from the table into the
house 10 the bedroom, where he was
found dead upon the floor His nose
had been shot off, and there was
wound in The body. made by bullet
that had passed completely through IL
Evidently Stegcmeyer was shot Whlie
preparing his supper the previous even
ing. and. after having been wounded
he had craWled 10 his room. There he
placed a piece of carpet on the floor,
took a pillow from the bed and lay
down To arise no more. Owing 10 the
hot weather now il was his custom to
eat on the porch. and it is supposed
he was shot from ambush as he was
preparing his meal. Two bullet holes
We're found in the wall Of the house.
one of the bullets was dug out and
proved TO be a rife ball Every door
IN the house was found open except in
the room where the body was found.
Stegemeyer was married, but had
separated from his wife, who lives in
this city. They had no children. For
years he had been living alone on the
ranch, except for a female housekeep-
er. whom he engaged to cook and care
for him. Recently he had considerable
trouble with his housekeepers. Mrs.
RaWlins. who was with him for some
time had obtained a deed to his ranch
and a promise that he would get a di-
vorce and marry her, but she left him
several months ago on account of her
two children When here last week he
said she had returned the deed and that
everything had been adjusted satisfaC-
toTily.
Since her departure he has had sew
eral women from San Francisco, the
last one. Mrs. NJ. 3. Curtis, giving con-
siderable trouble He tried to rid him
self of her after weeks s trial but she
insisted on staying a month. He final
ly succeeded in prevailing upon her to
90. Another woman was expected on
the steamer WeeOtt.
The inquest viii be held tomorrow
afternoon at Garberville.
Stegemeyer was for many years en-
gagged in the draying business here, but
fifteen years ago he sold out and pur-
chased the ranch of 240 acres on which
he met his death. He was a native of
= y
There is no clew to the murderer or
the cause Of the crime. Sheriff Brown
and District Attorney Cooper have left
for the scene.
On July an attempt was made near
the scene of this murder to kill a we'll
known citizen of that section. James
Chafin, residing near PhilIipsviIle,
claims that an attempt was made to
take his life on the evening Of the
Fourth. He attended the celebration at
Garberville returning home in the
evening, where he parboiIed a piece of
meat which was intended for his sup
per. After it was cooked he placed the
juice from the meat in a pan and
placed it in the yard one of his dogs
drank a portion of it and a short time
afterward died. Chaf1n could not ac-
count for the dogs death, but suspect
ed the meat had been poisoned. In or
der to satisfy himself he gave another
dog a piece Of the meat, and it soon
died. No doubt it was intended to
poison Chaffin.