The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-06
PURSUING SUSPECT
IN GARCIA MURDER
Search of Sheriff Centers Upon
Brentwood Man Seen Near
Scene of Crime

OAKLAND, Aug. 5.-Clews pointing
toward James Mcfarland of Brentwood
town near Byron Springs, as the mon
who may have murdered Manuel Car
cia in his lonely ranch house on the
Livermore road through the hills. have
been unearthed by Sheriff Veale of
Contra Costa county, and all efforts to
unlock the mystery of Garcias tragic
death now center about Mcfarland A
fugitive from justice, Mcfarland was
known to have passed through Brent
wood and Sycamore Springs Sunday
morning, and the description of the
suspect seen by Joe Glease, a ranch
hand. talking with Garcia when Gar
cia was last seen alive taIlies accu-
rately with the description of McFar-
land, so Veale said.
In addition to Glesse's description
that of the boy Willie Pima also taIlies
closely. as the lad saw the stranger
shortly after Glease had observed him
with Garcia.
Movements Of Mcfarland have been
traced since Friday, when Yeale said
that the former was arrested at San
Francisco on a forgery charge.
An attorney who went on McFar-
lands bond travelled with him to
Brentwood. where Mcfarland promised
TO raise a cash equivalent from a man
named Mcnamara, but gave him the
slip on slight pretext and presum-
ably LETT town in a stolen rig. The
horse came back at night badly tired.
Saturday evening a horse and buggy
belonging TO physician outside of
brentwood were stolen and likewise
81 hor Ir a
Early Sunday morning a man closely
resembling Mcfarland was seen at
Sycamore springs taking the road
which leads toward Garcia's ranch and
travelling on foot.
In every instance where the stran-
ger was observed and where his move
ments could be identified as to time
Sheriff Veale says that the chain of
circumstantial evidence has been
woven tightly about Mcfarland.
Glease and the Pima boy said that
the man whom they saw with Garcia
sunday was feet s inches in height:
had light hair. was clean shaver, wore
blue coat and vest and corduroy trous-
ers patched on the right knee and had
q missing tooth in front. This, Sheriff
Neaie asserts. closely follows the lines
Of Mcfarland. Features of the case
show that Mcfarland desperately need
ed cash and that Garcia by general re-
pute also carried large sums on his
person. The theory on which Sheriff
Neale is now working is that after
talking for some time with the muir
dered man, the suspect discovered that
he lived alone. Entering the house.
the murderer picked up Garcia's rife
and. seeing Garcia with his back
turned in the corral, brought him down
with a single shot and then crushed
his head with an AK. After carrying
the body into the cellar the fiend went
through Garcia's pockets, which were
turned inside out. The discouraging
feature Of the case is that the muir
derer had nearly 20 hours start before
the crime was reported Wednesday
morning. Veale. is making every eff
fort to overcome this handicap and in
formation and descriptions of the sus-
pect are being wired through several
states.
Public Administrators George Gray
petitioned the superior court today to
take charge of Garcia's property. Per-
sonal and real property which he
owned were roughly estimated at $10,-
coo in value, and no near relatives were
said to be at hand to take il in charge.