Amador ledger., 1900-03-16
MURDER At SACRAMENTO |
Mrs. M. E. Brouhard One of
the Suspects.
R. R. WATTS BODY FOUND IN The TULEs
The Skull of the Murdered Man Was
Crushed by a Large Stone,
Which Was Found.

Mrs. Martha E. Brouhard is again
in trouble being mixed up in the Watts
murder case at Sacramento. =.
On Wednesday of last week the
body of R. r. Watts was found in
the brush and water beyond the north
levee, at Sacramento by some boys.
This was the first inkling of dark and
mysterious crime.
Letters addressed to 6264 street,
Sacramento. were found on the person
of the deceased. This gave the officers
clue. This place was visited by the
officers and found to be an employment
Office kept by Mrs. Martha E. Brou-
hard. At the time of the officers visit
Mrs. Brouhard, her clerk, George w.
Odell, and young man named Charles
Bowen, were down town to their supper.
AS the parties left the restaurant they
were taken into custody and escorted
to the Sheriff's Office.
Bowen said he had been employed in
Mrs. Brouhard's mine in Amador
county, where, since last December,
Watts had worked at times. He
stated that he understood Watts had
borrowed some money and left town
the day before he Bowen) arrived, on
February 2Sth.
Watts skull had been crushed with
a large jagged stone, which was found
nearby covered with hair and blood.
| Mrs. Brouhard said Watts had been
hanging about her place of business
and that she had given orders to have
him thrown out. He tried to get her
to buy mining stock from him for $50,
and threatened her that if she did not
buy the stock he would iujure her in
her case in San Francisco. She also
admitted that Bowen was her ex-hus-
band and that the signature on the
pawn ticket was not really his own.
Watts was evidently not murdered
for the sake of robbery as so far as is
known he had no money, and Bowen
may yet be held responsible for his
death.
Mrs. Brouhard was few years ago
a resident of Amador county. She
was married to Daniel K. McManus,
who had an express wagon in Sacra-
mento, his stand being in front of D. o.
Mills bank. They then kept a lodging
house at Seventh and M streets, but
owing to the liquor habit contracted by
McManus, the place was closed, his
habit being distasteful and annoying to
guests. They afterwards came to
| Amador comfy and leased the place of
H. 81. Page, near Forest Home, but
always had trouble with the owner of
the property which was settled in the
courts.
On Sunday, October Z, 1894, some
difficulty arose between McManus and
his father-in-law, ]. D. Maxwell, at
river, about three quarters of a mile
above the Wisconsin Bar bridge on the
road between Plymouth and Latrobe.
During the trouble Maxwell shot and
instantly killed McManus, his son-in-
law, the ball entering the left side
about four inches below the nipple and
severing the main arteries of the
heart. Death resulted from internal
hemorrhage.
Mrs. BrOuhard was at that time we'll
known in that part of the county and
had many friends.
Sheriff McInnis of Reno, New, and
Deputy Sheriff J. J. Hinters of Sacra-
mento, effected the capture of Mark
Westlake, who has been directly &C.
cused of killing r. r. Watts, last Tues
day. The suspect arrived in Reno two
weeks ago and registered at hotel
under an assumed name. He had Sc
cured work with section gang, and
was working on the track mile west
of Reno when the officers approached.
He attempted to hide in the brush
but was quickly found and handcuffed.
His valise and the shoes he wore were
said to have been the property of the
murdered man. The prisoner was
taken to Sacramento by the deputy.
1t has since been found that there is
strong evidence against Westlake and
his brother. The suspected persons
had their clothes covered with mud
and Watts was slain at muddy spot.
Mrs. Westlake is angry and will testify
against her husband. Mrs. Brouhard
is the arch-conspirator.