Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-29
TAKE SUSPECT TO
SLAIN MANS HOME
Police May Also Confront PriS-
oner with Body of Long
Beach ReCIuSe
WIFE DEFENDS SON-IN-LAW
Kin of Murdered Victim Says HuS-
band Was Home at
Time of Crime
WIFE DEFENDS SON-lN-LAW

LONG BEACH, Oct. 2S.-Samuei
Apodaco, who has been suspected by
the police of the murder of J. S.
Ranous, the aged recluse whose body
was found yesterday near his home,
was brought to Long Beach this
afternoon by Under Sheriff Brain and
Deputy Sheriff Aguirre, and after be-
ing closeted with Chief Meyer at po-
lice headquarters was taken to the
Ranous place.
1t was intimated that clew as to
the weapon with which Ranous was
killed might be obtained. on return
ing to town the prisoner and the
authorities were again closeted for
more than an hour at the headquar-
ters. 1t had been said Apodaco would
be taken to the McFadyen morgue to
view the body, but this had not been
done at a late hour.
That the mans death was caused
by blow from a club or other blunt
weapon was DIR. F. D. Bishops re-
port after an examination of the body
at the McFadyen morgue this morn
ing, He discovered triangular hole
at the base of Ranous' skull The
wound is a complete fracture of the
skull at the base, and several frac-
lures radiate from that. 1t Is believed
such a blow caused instant death
That the body was dragged feet fore
most to its hiding place was evident
as a piece of stout rope was tied about
the dead mans waist and the blue
jumper he wore was rumpled UP un-
der his arms to the shoulders.
SAYS HUSBAND IS INNOCENT
Mrs. Devoe, Famous daughter, and
wife of one of the men held on 5us-
picion in connection with the case,
CHI
husband was innocent and that he was
at home the night when Famous Is
believed to have been murdered. Jack
Perkins, a negro living near Ranous'
house. said today that Apodaco, the
Mexican. offered to sell him some of
Ranous' ducks after the disappear
ance of the old man and also offered
to sell him a mare Apodaco stated
according to Perkins that he eX-
pected to remove to northern call
fornia.
The pile of fertilizer under which
the body was found had been sold by
Devoe to the Japanese who uncovered
the body. They paid, it is said, S45
for the pile and for the little shack
and outbuildings on the lot. Devoe is
said to have been given an opinion
by Attorney McKelvey to the ERECT
that he had a right to make the sale.
M. YukiyaSu, VINO 1Ounu inc DOuy' WIN
receive the 500 reward offered for 1t
by Ranous' nephew in Bakersfield.
The police say that two hours be-
fore the body was found Devoe was
in the police station and stated that
he believed Apodaco killed Ranous
and that the body was not far from
the house. This alleged statement Is
now considered important bv the po-
lice. Friends of Devoe assert that had
he known about the old mans body
being where 1t was he would not have
sold the manure and allowed 1t to be
removed. The body was found at the
east side of the pile, where small
amount had not been moved. Mrs.
Devoe made the statement yesterday
that the pile at that point seemed so
hard that there was no suspicion the
body was there, so her husband did
not turn over the stuff. The authori-
ties insist he told them he had turned
over every portion of the pile. Famous
had $3.50 on deposit in the Citizens
bank, and team cf horses and
wagon which might run the total
value of his estate up to $500.