Amador ledger., 1905-06-16


noon. 1t is said that he fell in the
river and his clothing was soaked. Ii
the afternoon he played baseball with
some boys, wearing the wet clothing
On his return home he changed hi.
clothes, hanging them up by the
stove to dry. This was done while
the evening meal was preparing.
The two are supposed to have par
taken of supper Sunday evening
After that Maker was seen in the VII
lage in front of the saloon. This was
between eight and nine o'cock. 1t
was customary for the old lady to
summon him home by ringing a bell.
1t was the boys habit to go to the
village of an evening, and chat with
his boy friends. The neigbbors heard
the bell-ringing that night about 9
O'Clock. Some say she was seen alive
about that hour. At any tate, the
notes of the bell are interpreted as
proof that she was alive and we'll at
been perpetrated when the boy was
last seen in Lancha Plana. The
crime is believed to have been COM
mitted between and II O'Clock Sun
day night.
Footprints of these peculiar shoes
worn by Maker we're seen along the
Mokelumne river below Lancha
Plana, at point where an iron pipe
line crosses the river. He is sup
posed to have crossed into Calaveras
county over the pipe about II o'clock.
In the pocket of the overalls of
Maker hung up near the stove was
found a purse containing the sum of
1915. In the under mattress of the
boys bed was found 65c-a SOC piece,
dime and nickel. A rent had
been made in the ticking. 1t seemed
like an old tear or rent. 1t is sur
missed that this place was where the
old lady or the boy kept money.
Whether robbery was the motive of
the murder, can only be cojectured.
1t was reported that Mrs. Williams
was in lone in April last, and sold
some cattle. This, however, was not
so. 1t has since been learned that
she sold two head of cattle to the
butchers in Camp Seco, and was paid
SO on account, the butcher owing
S45 still on the transaction. One
opinion prevails that the old lady
had money, although there seems
little foundation for this belief. 1t
is strange, if robbery was the in
centive, that the 60 cents shout d
have been left, and the money in
the boys overaIIs.
1t is known that the grandmother
and grandson had little spats, not
violent quarrels. 1t is said the old
lady had made deed conveying all
her real estate to Chester; it was
placed in the hands of third party,
who now holds it. She chided the
boy at times tor not looking after the
place better. Still he was regarded
by those who knew him best as
good, inoffensive boy; that the
was inclined to be too
exacting, and that in fact the child
did better than the average boy of his
years.
There are two theories of the crime.
One, that the deed was the work of
outsiders; that gain was the prompt
ing motive; that the murderers made
away with the boy, after taking him
away from the house. This belief has
many supporters IN the vicinity of the
homicide. Lancha Plana people scout
the notion of the boy being the SLAYER.
Still there is not the slightest evi-
dence CT search for plunder having
been made. Nothing was disturbed.
Furthermore, the hamlet is off the
track of travel; tramps are rarely
seen, and strangers entering the place
could hardly avoid being noticed.
The other theory, adhered to by non
points to the grandson as
the criminal; that it was done in
moment of anger, following harsh
words between the two.
Meanwhile search for young Maker
has been made in every direction, but
not the slightest clew to his where
abouts has been discovered. Except
for the prints of the rubber soled
shoes plainly seen in the dust on the
highway below Lancha Plana, there
is absolutely no trace of him. And
the footprints are not conclusive. A
lady driving toward Lancha Plana
about midnight Sunday saw a man
approaching in the distance. As he
drew nearer he swerved from the high
way. and acted in manner that indi-
Gated he wished to avoid the passer-
by. The boys father, Lee Maker,
lives in Sacramento; there are reIa
tives in Stockton; None of them has
seen or heard aught of him.
Thursday afternoon searching
party was organized to search
river and brush and prospect holes for
miles around, under the impression
that the boy may have been murdered
and his body left in some out of the
way place. The search was postponed
until this morning.
The funeral of Mrs Williams took