Arizona republican., 1901-04-12
HE BECAME A TARGET
The Circumstances in Which Alexan-
 der Died.

A gentleman who was at Yuma on the day of the shooting of Constable Alexander arrived in town yesterday morning and told the following story of that tragedy: The jury which was trying Alexander for the murder of Mrs. Burns arrived at a verdict on Monday night after the adjournment of the court. It was a sealed verdict to be delivered the next morning, yet everybody in Yuma that night knew what it, was, murder in the first de- gree, penitentiary for life. It was pre- dicted that night that Alexander would die an unnatural death. The Kings, fa- ther and brothers of Alexander's vic tim. would be satisfied with nothing less than AleXanders death, for the average length of life sentences in Ari- zona. by actual computation, is lit tie less than six years, a low average made by pardons,
 Frank M King had been disarmed on Monday because he was more eX- pressive, if not more determined than his brother, sam King, who had said nothing On Tuesday morning at o'clock the prisoner was brought Into
  body had heard twelve hours before. None of the Kings were present. The verdict was read and Sheriff Living ston was directed to take Alexander to the penltentiary. He took him first to his office and then started to the Hill" less than a quarter of a mile away. The sheriI walked on the left of Alexander a guard on the prison CTS right and another guard followed along at dis ,ance of fifteen or twenty feet. The prisoner was handcuffed. The party had to cross a street which parallels the Southern Pacific track. A hundred yards down the track stands the old Levy store. ana adjoin- ing it on the south Is the building from which the averaging shot was fired.
 When the sheriff and his party reached the street, he the prisoner and the guards were on a line with the building south of the store.
 The guard behind called to the sher- fir, saying Shall we bring Miller back?' The sheriff stopped and said he did not know, He walked back to- ward the rear guard, That left Alex ander and the right guard on a line with the building. While the sheriff was parleying with the rear guard. the right guard moved on a few feet toward the north, leaving the hand cuffed prisoner standing out alone. an admirable target. Suddenly he sank down, and at the same time there was the dull report of a rifle. It would not be supposed that its direction could be readily distinguished. but the sher- if by instinct, intuition. or as some suspicious persons might say, by pre- vious knowledge. ran to the old house south of the store. When he reached the west end of it sam King was com ing away from it, The sheriff threw his gun upon him and took him into custody By that time the whole town, greatly excited but not at all sur prised, demanded an immediate exam ination of King, who was unarmed. On the spur of the moment there could plainly be nothing against him. The justice of the peace before whom the matter was brought, postponed the hearing until afternoon when no wit nesses could be found and King was discharged. The sheriff or no one else went into the old house at once after the shooting to see if smok- ing rifle might not be found there.
 Alexander was carried back to the