The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-10-16

dTu SJTeSl uclcCtlNcS tHio hloi hih >
discovered the first clew to the
murderer of Reno Hutchinson. This
clew Is the imprint of hobnailed
boot, from which the following
measurements were taken:
Heel, 3R inches long; sole, So
inches. In the heel were imprinted
the marks of 81 hob nails.
Back about 80 feet in dirt spot
were two more marks Of the same
boot, made as if in running strides.
Impressions were also detected in
the grass back to the Harrison
driveway, a distance Of 60 yards.
On the driveway were two distinct
imprints of the same boots.
From this resulted deductions
that the murderer is an assassin
who put on hob boots for the pur-
pose of throwing the officers off the
track by making it look as If a
rough person had committed the
deed for the purpose of robbery.
His motive for the crime is still
q mystery.
Detectives McDermott Briley
and Herndon, of the city police,
Pinkerton and Thiele men, were on
the scene early this morning and
the opinion expressed Is that the
murder was committed by cool
assassin. No holdup would attempt
to rob man at that point. so early
in the evening and under an arc
light. After much searching, Mel
son Harrison gave the first clew by
saying he had heard what sounded
like footsteps strike the boarded
walk in front of the residence twice
as II running, Detectives then
scread over the lawn and found
the footprints on the grass back
Of the Chapman residence.
Another theory to account for
the killing Is that Hutchinson
struck at a robber who attempted
to hold him up, but missed and
partly whirled around with the
force of the blow. AS he Gid SO
the robber fred the bullet, entering
the victims back.
Hutchinson was trained athlete
and one of the best football players
developed on the coast. In an at
tempted holdup it is believed his
first impulse would have been to
resist the robber
A strange coincidence Is that the
first imprints of the hobboots were
found back of the Chapman resi-
dence, from which Sidney Sloane
secured the AK with which he MUIR
dered his father and the barrow
In which he wheeled the body to
the alley between Fifth and Sixth
avenues.
The Hymen family reside there
now Said Mrs. Hymen: Myself
and others in the house distinctly
heard the shot but thought nothing
OF 1t because there is so much
blasting going on now. We heard
no one running past the back of
the house." Had the men at Hy-
mems run out the back way. the
police believe, they would undoubt-
edly have Intercepted the assassin
in his flight.
Reno Hutchinson, secretary of
the Y. M. G. A.. was murdered
about 8 O'Clock last night at the
corner Of Seventh avenue and How
ard street while en- route to attend
meeting of the directors at X. b.
Pattrson's residence, sos Seventh
avenue. The crime was committed
under the glare of an arc light.
After being shot, Hutchinson rolled
down the sloped lawn into the yard
OF Millard T. Harrison, postmaster,
who lives on the corner.
Nelson Harrison heard the shot,
and, running out, found Hutchinson
In the throes of death, moaning
"l'm shot, I'm shot, I'm shot" Then
his speech was shut off by a rush
va IldIlSpu ttltDIOHtu
Joseph r. Robertson, his uncle, who
lives block away on Howard
street. The latter hurried to the
Scene and vainly appealed to the
dying man to tell him who did the
shooting.
Coroner Witter and Assistant
Gbroner Pope were soon on the
scene. Coroner Witter examined
the man after making sure he was
practically dead and found that the
shot had been fired at close range,
the overcoat being singled on the
left side below the heart. A post
norton examination showed that
the bullet entered the left side and
ranged through the body. coming
out over the right breast.
e. l.. Greer. a travelling salesman,
was on Howard street and heard
the shot fired. He said he saw a
man dressed in a gray suit run