Amador ledger., 1905-07-14
The Murder Mysteries Solved
Reported That Confession has been
Made by Love.

The course of sheriff Norman in re-
fusing to tell all he knuws about the
Lancha murders to the newspaper
men has created some feeling in the
ranks of newspaperdom. 1t is some
thing out of the ordinary. As rule
the newspapers know every move of
the officers in feretting out a great
crime, and they usually add a great
deal of guesswork to a small fragment
of truth. In the Staples case sheriff
Norman pursued the same course of
not talking for publication, but the
newspapers of the cities did whole
lot of publishing for the sake of talk
ing. Last Saturday it was reported
around town that Harry Love, one of
the suspects in Jail for the Lancha
Plana murders had made con-
fession. The information came from
the outside, and did not originate
here. The people of jackson we're in
absolute ignorance of the matter, out
side of the officials working Oh the
case. Indeed until the papers came
out Friday they knew not that more
than one man was in Jail Oh account
of these crimes. The papers of the
county are supposed to know more of
the inside facts of crime perpetrated
in their locality but really in this
case they do not. They are left very
much to guessing, the same rs outside
papers. While as anxious to tell as
much as possible about the crimes,
they are likewise anxious that no
stumbling block should be placed in
the path of the officials by premature
publication in getting to the root of
the matter. The leticence of the
officers is explained in this way that
to to tell everything would lead the
public to form al opinion touching
the guilt of the accused, and SO make
it difficult, as i'll the case of the
Staples trial, to secure jury. The
Ledger has no comment to offer on
the merits of this proposition. We
only say that all newspapers are
treated the same in this Lancha Plana
matter, and the officers turn deaf
ear to all inquiries for the bottom
facts. Last Saturday a newspaper of
Stockton telephoned to know whether
there was any truth in the report
current in that oity that Love had
confessed. 1t certainly does look
ridiculous for the home pub
fishers to have to send back word
that that inquiry was the first
heard about the matter here.
Yet such was the plain truth. The
status of the Lancha Plana cases at
present are about as follows according
to reports which are going around,
much of it coming from beyond the
county.
Two men, Harry Love and Clarence
| Murphy are in Jail. No formal
charge has been made so far against
| either of them. They have been taken
into custody because circumstances
point that they know more than they
ought to know concerning the taking
off of the old lady, Mrs Williams,
and her grandson. The two men
have worked together around Lancha
Plana and knew about the old lady's
habits and we're we'll acquainted with
her grandson.
Murphy is married man, having
| one or two children. He lives in or
near Clements. AS the story goes the
| Offering of the reward by the Lancha
Plana residents had something to do
with giving the officers the cIews
which led up to the arrest of Love.
A parcel, it is said was found in
barn. The parcel, consisting of let
ters, couple of photographs of Miss
Carrie Williams, who committed
suicide several year ago, and other
trif1ing things of no particular value,
except to the owner as mementoes, had
undoubtedly come from the Williams
homestead. Rumor says that bloody
knife, and blood stained pants or
Overalls we're also unearthed, and
are in the possession of the officers.
The hope of securing the reward is
supposed to be the moving cause that
gave the officers the information.
Harry Love was said to be the man
that knew about placing the telI-tale
parcel in its hiding place. He was
arrested on the strength of the dis
covery on June 81. He was unable to
explain his whereabouts on the night
of the crime to relieve himself of the
Suspicion. He was brought to Jackson
and is now OCCUPYING a cell in the
basement of the hall of records.
Clarence Murphy was away from
home when the discovery OF the i'm
portant evidence was made. Sheriff
Norman had reason to believe that he
too was involved, and at once set the
springs in motion for his capture. He
had reason to keep the matter from
getting out as much as possible, as
had it appeared in the papers he
might have taken flight. He was ar
rested July 5, and lodged in Jail in
jackson that night. He occupies a
cell in the Jail proper. He stoutly
denies any connection with the mur.
ders, but says that Love committed
them alone.
There is no doubt that Love has