Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-06
BELIEVE KENDALLS
SHOT ONE BY ONE
Inquest Furthers Belief That Hid
den Enemy Picked Off Vic
tins with a Rifle
FIND SKULL BONES IN CREEK
DR.. Henry Identifies Torso Found
in Canyon as That
of a Woman
TAssociated Press1

rAssociated Pressl
CAZADERO, Aug. 5.-With only the
single crack of rifle to announce the
doom of each, the members of the Ken
dali family were picked off one by one
as they went about their work by an
enemy hidden on one of the rock points
which buttress the lonely Starbuck
ranch.
This was the picture of the tragedy
left in the minds of those who took part
in the strange inquest held in the Ken
dali ranch house today.
A jury hastily summoned by coroner
Blackburn, gathered with District At
torney Lea and Sheriff Smith in the
living room of the ranch house, when
was left in perfect order when the
housewife went to her terrible death.
The only sensation of the afternoon
session of the inquest came with the
testimony of Judge f. D. Crosper, that
Thomas Kendall and his neighbor, VIII
liam Churchman, had quarreled so bit
terly that the latter had threatened
Kendall with a pistol which ne TOOK
from his wagon and placed IN MS
pocket. -.
Churchman confirmed this story when
he was called to the stand. He eX-
planned that he had not heard of the
disappearance of the Kendalls until
noon today. Churchman lives three-
quarters of a mile from the kendall
home. He testified that on the 9th OF
9Th of July he met Yamagachl In the
road near his home.
TALKS TO YAMAGACHI
In the conversation which ensued
Yamagachi said he had been sent TO
the Starbuck ranch to look after tne
live stock, which, according 10 MS
story, had been disappearing. Aallia-
rachf then told Churchman that Tom
Kendall had warned him to cease spy
ing around, on penalty of being thrown
off the ranch
William Cockrill, the first witness eN- ;
amined. told of his discovery that the
ranch was deserted and of the search
which was started after he had IN
formed Judge Crosper that something
was wrong at the Kendall home.
Judge Crosper told of the long feud
which had prevailed between the Ken
dalls and the Japanese tanbark peelers.
According to the story told TO MN la9e S
March by Mrs. Mendall, more than one one
of the Japanese had returned 10 tlis
Starbuck ranch since they finished ther
work last year.
She told the Judge after she ana her
husband had taken refuge at ms pidce
one night that they Lad been drlVen
away from their own home by seVerdi
Japanese, who walked about the Veran-
da surrounding the house.
These intruders made no attefhPI u
enter the house, which had been par
ricaded by Kendall and ms Wlte, WIZ it
armed themselves to repell an attack
Finally. after the Cnwelcome Vlsl-
tors Withdrew, the aged couple mas
tened to Crosper's home, Where theS
spent the night.
MAN HUNTERS ARRIVE
18th impaneling of the jury the
man hunters came in from the nearby
CANYONS and the house of mystery was
soon surrounded by a small regiment
of heavily armed mountaineers. All
day long more ghastly relics OF the
murder were brought to light, but con-
sidering the enormity of the CRIME
the tangible evidence of its commls-
sion is pitifully small.
.esides the blood-stained ak, NAM
mer and boots a number of Skull
bones were foun today in the creek;
Lee. is endeavoring tonight TO -Inu
the 30-30 caliber rifle which rom hen-
dali is believed to have owned 1t IS
his theory that the murderer, after
stealing the weapon hid himself on one
of the points which command an un-
restricted view of the ranch premises,
and shot his victims, one by one, the
mother as she worked about her nt-
tle garden, the father as he came out
of the canyon where he had been hunt-
ing, and the son as he came nome
from Crosper'S resort.
%. II, Harding of Fruitville. broth
er-in-law of Mrs Kendall, and DR.. j.
f. Henry of Fruitville, a lifelong
friend of the Kendall family, arrived
here today to assist in the investlga-
tion. DR.. Henry identified the half
cooked torso found in the canyon as
that of a woman and he broke down
when he realized that it must be all
that was mortal of his Kentucky
schoolmate and lifelong friend.
The inquest will be resumed tomor-
row at Cazadero.
ISSUES STATEMENT
So closely linked is the chain Of evil
dence connecting Henry Yamagachl
with the Kendall murder mystery that
District Attorney Lea issued a state
ment formally charging the Japanese
with the triple crime
But that one frail youth alone could
have dispatched the father, mother
aid stalwart son, is held by the of
ficals to be an untenable theory ana
they are acting on the supposition that
friends of Yamagachi, who Joined him
last year in the feud which the Jap
anese tan bark peelers carried on with
the Kendalls on the Starbuck ranch
aided in the perpetration of the whole
sale murders and in the disposition of
the bodies.
A statewide search for Yamagachi
is now in progress, and the officials or
this county are rounding up all the
Japanese known to have been ac-
duainted with the boy.
The fact that the Kendalls' dog, a
shaggy black SHEPPARD, followed va
magachi to Oakland, whittier the ac-
crsed went to visit the Starbucks,
owners of the ranch, and to Mrs. Star
buck 10 talk incoherently of putting
the Kendalls away" is expected to as
sist in the apprehension of the Jap
anese, as the dog is thought to be still
Ii,