Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1923-03-07
WHO SLEW SMITH
Is @ U ESTI0N
PUZZLINC UTLEY
District Attorneys Staff
Makes Trip to Scene Of
Crime
FEW CLUES FOUND
Drunken Quarrel, DOmes-
tic Troubles Thought
Possibilities
FEW CLUES FOUND

Whoever killed jess Smith, the
Calipatria negro who disappeared
last Friday night, and whose body
was found beside {. ditch bank Mon
day afternoon with the head crush
ed in and bullet hole through the
jaw, surely chose an out of the way
place for the crime, the scene of
which was visited last night by Dis
trict Attorney Ernest r. Utley, ac-
cOmpanied by A. B. Robbins and
Frank Spencer of his staff, and a
representatives of the Press.
The murder took place about two
miles south Of Calipatria and east
of the old Brawley road, in q sec
ton Of the country overrun with
sloughs and tules, where few people
ever venture, especially after night.
Ominous Journey
After picking up Charles Verge,
Calipatri: constable, the district at
torney's party drove south on the
old. Rrawley road about two miles
and then turned off On branch
road for half mile to make in
quiries at ranch house. Here the
party left the automobile anil pro-
ceeded on foot to Athe scene Of the
crime about half mile south.
Headed by Verge, the officers took
a trail along the west side Of on irri-
CATION ditch. ''Trail - does not
describe it, for the way was over
grown with tules and weeds, while
holes of one sort or another served
to make the going treacherous,. de-
spite the flash lights of the party.
Twice members of the party slipped
toff the path and down the side of
the embankment, and their grunt Of
establishment as they lost their foot
ing, fitted in well with the general
atmosphere of a party going to d
place where a cOlOred man 8 '.hant'
might be hanging around.
Find Grewsome Scene
Verge's light finally picked up
the spot where the dead man s body
was found, and the old saying that
murdered blood will not wash away
seemed to be proven in this case,
for despite the heavy rain of Sun
day, the ground was covered with
blood. 1t was an ideal spot for such a
crime, and it is not to be wondered
OF, that the Mexican who found
the body, even though it was day
time, was scared GREATNESS. Search
for the weapon used to strike the
blow that killed Smith was ;mpos-
sible in the dark, and after making
note OF the location, the party re-
traced steps over the narrow but
not straight path, all strangely ST.
lent as they felt their way along the
trail, and it seemed good to get
back to the car again
Motive Unknown
The motive for the crime Is puz-
cling the Officers, several different
angles appearing in the case. The
bottle of moonshine whiskey found
with Smith s body gave rise to the
belief that it might have been Il
drunken quarrel, though this fact
has little support. Whether Smith
had n quarrel with "moonshine''
outfit, believed to be operating a
still somewhere in the vicinity, or
had disagreement with Hindus for
whom he had been working, or the
possibility of domestic troubles in
volving another man, are al angles
that are being investigated.
District Attorney Utley stated
that mysterious murders in Imperial
County are altogether too frequent,
and every possible clue will be run
down to ferret out the murderers
and bring them to justice, whether
the murdered. parties be prominent
or the most obscure laborer.
An inquest held on Smiths body
mt Brawley yesterday returned
verdict of death at the hands Of
person or persons unknown.