Coroner Notified
Coroner C. W. Palmer was at once notified and he arrived early upon the scene. District Attorney Albert Nelson was next to arrive. The house was searched in the hopes that some clew might be obtained, but there was no reward for the officers along this line of inquiry. Nothing had been disturbed in the house outside of the room of Mrs. Louis.
It was learned that Mrs. Louis had awakened when her husband had arisen to depart for Arroyo Grande and after dressing had accompanied him to the door to bid him goodby(sic). After looking after her children to see that they were all slumbering she returned to her bed for a morning nap. Probably she had just fallen asleep when the burglar entered the house.
As soon as possible Ah Louis was notified at Arroyo Grande of the killing of his wife and he returned to this city on the next train, reaching here at 10:45. He was deeply affected when he reached his home to find that the hand of a murderer had robbed it of the happiness which it had always known.
Ah Louis Talks
Soon after his arrival home Ah Louis, sitting in his own store, bowed down in grief, told his story to the officers and a Tribune representative. It was in substance as follows:
I do not think that any Chinaman killed my wife. I know of no one who held a grudge against me or my wife. I cannot assign any motive of revenge to prompt the murder. I do not remember of telling any person of my intention to go to Arroyo Grande, during the early hours of the morning except several persons in the store, who were my friends. No American men have been up stairs in my home so that they could gain knowledge of the place. They could only gain the information from some one who knew the place well. The box taken contains fine jewelry, all my wife’s. She has kept it a long time, it being given to her from time to time by friends and family. I did not see any one around the street or the building when I left in the morning to go to the depot. I cannot imagine who would want to kill my wife. She was always kind to every one. No member of the family had had any trouble with any one.
McFADDEN DIRECTS AFFAIRS
Sheriff McFadden was in San Miguel attending the celebration when notified of the murder. He hastily secured an automobile and started for San Luis Obispo, picking up Constable Gano in the Springs City and bringing him here to assist in the search. Sheriff McFadden arrived at the home and store of Ah Lois before two o’clock in the afternoon and at once he, Constable Gano, Coroner Palmer, and District Attorney Nelson went into consultation with Ah Louis. A diligent search was insituted(sic) to gain a clew. The officers are making a careful search and investigation. They have several suppositions to work upon, but no really tangible clew at present. Necessarily they are keeping a close(sic) mouth.
City Marshal Johnson made a search of the section nearby, even to the extent of going along the creek banks in the little valley just north of the Chinese section in hopes of finding the box that was stolen or something that might have been thrown away by the burglar in his flight. Nothing was found.
While the burglar a(sic) took bunch of keys with the box containing the valuables he did not have on the string, a key to the box itself. Ah Louis has the key in his possession at this time. To open the box it would be necessary to break or smash it in.
MAY BE A CLUE
Miss Amelia Padilla who lives in the northern part of the city tells a story which may finally lead to some clew to the identity of the man wanted by the authorities. She states that while going to early mass at the Catholic church between six and seven o’clock she saw a well dressed white man step out of the door of the Ah Louis home and hurry down the street. He was dressed in grey clothes.
Last evening the Tribune gained another link in the chain which may finally fasten the finger of guilt upon some person, and in one way it directs attention to a well dressed young man in gray clothes. Such a person a few days since left at the barber shop of Harry Anderson on Chorro street a box of thirty-eight calibre cartridges. The box had contained fifty cartridges, but before leaving it with Mr. Anderson the man had taken out 17 of them. He stated that he would call later and get the box. He has not returned as yet. The man whom Miss Padilla saw leaving the Louis home wore light grey clothing; the man who left the box of cartridges with Harry Anderson at the barber shop wore light grey clothing.
Mr. Anderson last evening turned the box of cartridges over to the Sheriff’s office. There was then developed another circumstance. The bullet taken from the pillow upon which rested the head of Mr. Louis was identical with those contained in the box given to Mr. Anderson.
Coroner Palmer during the day had called in Drs. J.C. McGovern and Paul K. Jackson to examine the body and note the nature of the wound. They found that the bullet, a 38 calibre, had passed directly through the head of Mrs. Louis and into the pillow. Coroner Palmer cut the pillow open and found the bullet imbedded in about two inches of feathers. The bullet is now in the possession of Coroner Palmer.
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