Arizona daily citizen. (Tucson, Ariz. Territory [i.e. Ariz.]) 1884-1901, 1901-01-10
ATRAMP'SCRIME
Details Of the Killing Of
the Undersheriff at
Yuma.
MURDERER
AT THE PRISON.
he Is Taken There for Safe Keeping
as the People of Yuma Are
thoroughly Aroused. Matthew
B. DeVane the UnfOrtuna ate
Victim.

YUMA, Ariz., Jan. Especial cores
| ponce of the Citizen AT S:45 p. m. on
Tuesday evening, Matthew b. DeVane,
undersheriff of Yuma county, while at
| tempting to make the first arrest he
had essayed during his entry into office
eight days previously, was shot, dying
an, hour later. The ball, which was
from 44-cslibre revolver, entered the
stomach slightly to the right OF the CEN
ter, and pierced the liver and the lower
portion Of the right lung.
DeNane, accompanied by Paul Mo
retti, of the liquor firm of Gilroy & Mo-
retti, from whom had been stolen case
of whiskey, crossed Main street near
Second, to where were seen three men
suspected OF being the thieves. The
place is almost in the heart OF town, but
is dark and unfrequented at that time Of
evening, and there were no witnesses TO
the tragedy which followed. The under
sheriff asked the men what they wete
doing, to which one OF them replied
! evasively, when, in response to sug-
gestion from Moretti who accompanied
him, he told them he would have to
search them. Almost as soon a. Il e
words were out of his mouth, one oil the
three with an oath and the assertion
that no one would search him, drew a
gun aud fired, the ball taking effect as
stated. He fred again, this time at
Moretti, but missed. II is disputed
point as to whether or not the officer re.
piled to the shots. II he did shoot once
as some claim, he replaced his gun in
his pocket where it was afterwards
found. Deyane .c.i IT, his knees, then
Strengthened up and aiked towards the
opposite side OF the street where he sat
down, saying:
i II am shot; am bleeding to death. -
| With slight assistance he walked to
Cottei's drug store fifty yards away,
| where he was placed in the operating
chair. He died an hour later, conscious
almost to the last, but in such intense
agony that he made few statements OF
value. Within five minutes after the
shots were fred the town was in an
| uproar and officers and citizens were
dispatched in every direction. Guards
] were placed at the big iron bridge which
spands the Colorado at this point; the
Indian police were Get 10 patrolling the
reservation across the river from Yuma
of the.raiIroad, trailers were sent 10 all
directions possible for the fugitives TO
go, while scores OF excited men secured
the town. Every man who could not
satisfactorily explain himself was placed
in jail. About twenty men were cap
tnred In this manner. The search con-
tinued until after ten O'Clock today ;,
| when two of the captives, who were po-
sitively identified by Moretti earlier in
the day as being the two who accom-
panied the murderer, turned states evil
dence, under promise of protection from
the officers, and laid the crime upon
| another OF the number who had been
rounded up. Confronted by several who
were competent to identify him, he was
instantly designated az the murderer.
i He gives his name as Thomas Hart, but
does not tell where he is from or any.
| Oh h In
ingly we'll dressed for a hobo, and 1t is
thought he will be found to be. desper-
ate crook wanted elsewhere for serious
crime, and that this fact led him to
commit murder to prevent his capture.
The two men who peaehed on him, and
who claim to have met him for the first
time three days ago at Maricopa, are
genuine hobos. aad give their names as
James Ray and John Cody.
! With the evidence Of Ray and Cody,
accompanied by that of Moretti, who
was witness to the shooting, and
Frank Doyle, to whom the thieves sold
their stolen whiskey, together with that
of the trailers, who found and measured
the tracks leading,away from the scene of
the shooting, corresponding with the
shoes worn by Hart, and he will almost
surely hang. The populace of Yuma has
been in an exceedingly excited condi-
tion and the murderer would probably
have been taken from the Jail tonight
and hung up had an order not been se-
cured by the officers from Acting Gov
ernor Akers and the prisoners placed in
the territorial penitentiary this afters
noon. This was done during the pro-
gress Of the funeral, which was attended
by almost everybody.
Matthew b. Devane, the murdered
victim, was one OF Yuma's most popular
young men. He was chairman OF the
countv democratic central cOmmittpa