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Show ! CLUE SUPPOSED TO BE ! FQUDIO TO MURDER OFDIBJEIINS Except in the Intimation expressed by Hyrum and Joseph Jenkins at the coroner's inquest yesterday afternoon, there Is still no clue as to the Identity of the murderers of David Jenkins a week ago. Tho brothers say that there has been trouble between the Martin and Jenkins families of Wilson Wil-son the past number of years over land and water affairs, that has caused caus-ed considerable friction. They testified testi-fied that John Martin had threatened violence on David Jenkins, the deceased deceas-ed brother. They also stated that the feud had been carried from John Martin Mar-tin the father, now deceased, to the son, who Is now a man well along In years, and that both the father and the son had threatened to do David Jenkins some injury. The inquest was held before Judge George S. Barker of tho Municipal court and a jury composed of Jonathan Jona-than Jones, II. Brumell and E. W. Nichols, and it was conducted by County Attorney Joseph Evans. The investigation was not concluded until about 6 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Doctor Testifies. The first witness was Dr. Edward T. Rich who was called to attend David Jenkins at his cabin in Wilson Lane, Wednesday afternoon. He said that he found tho old man badly beaten up and that he transferred him to the Dee hospital, where ho did all in his power to restore consciousness, but to no avail. The doctor said that the man's eyes wero closed by the swelling, swel-ling, occasioned by a severe beating, his left shoulder blade was broken In a number of places, the hips were dislocated, dis-located, the back bruised and the left ear and forehead appeared to have been struck with a blunt instrument. It was possible that the skull was fractured, frac-tured, the physician said, but he did not make an examination for that, saying say-ing his efforts were directed more to restoring consciousness than any thing else, as all were anxious for the old gentleman to recover sufficiently to tell who his .assailants were. Mr. Jenkins died at the hospital Thursday afternoon and it was the doctor's opinion opin-ion that ho was assaulted Tuesday night, at least ten hours before he was discovered in an unconscious condition con-dition at his cabin. The ultimate cause of death was pneumonia, superinduced superinduc-ed by the injuries received on Tuesday. Tues-day. Brother Testifies. Hyrum Jenkins told of going to his brother's cabin Wednesday afternoon at about 4 o'clock and finding him on the bed In an unconscious state. He said that the door was locked and he forced It open with his shoulders. Ills first remark when he entered the door was addressed to his brother, saying ''My God, Dave, can't you speak?" tlio uui itujjuuao ueiufe unco ai of the hand westerly. Soon after he noticed a flro near the cahjn and, approaching It to determine deter-mine what it meant, observed John Martin who walked away without speaking. He said that Martin was in the act of extinguishing tho fire and that he 'stared him squarely In the face." Mr." Jenkins then told of tho blood stains in the front yard and the drippings drip-pings of blood to tho door, and on tho floor inside the cabin. His brother had on his clothes, but had removed his shoes and socks and was covered up in the bedding. His hat was in the yard in front of the house whore there were evidences of a struggle and piece of a buggy shaft, with evidences of blood on it. When he approached the place, the dog barked furiously and he had to drive tho animal away while he made an Investigation. The stock ' appeared to have been 'fed the evening before and tho premises appeared about as usual except the blood stains and other Indications of a struggle Mr. .Tonkins said that his brother frequently had trouble with the Martins Mar-tins over water and boundary lines between their lands, and that Sara Wilson had told him that John Martin had said ho would kill Dave Jenkins Is he had more trouble with him. His brother had lived in the cabin alone upwards of 85 years, but he had never known him to keop any money there. He said that his brother had borrowed $20 that day but but had spent all but about $6 or $7 of it for lumber. A little more than $13 were found in his clothes after his death. An Old Quarrel. Tho witness also stated that his brother had been In trouble with tho Martins as far back as 1878 when the Martins persisted in backing tho water upon his lands and damaging them. Some of his stock had been killed and maimed and on one occasion oc-casion a calf was killed oa the premises prem-ises and taken away. He said that he had been told by Bert Cox, that young Frank Martin had said ho would finally final-ly "get Dave Jenkins" if trouble did not cease. Joseph Jenkins, another brother of David Jenkins, testified to the trouble trou-ble with the Martin people "and said that his lands, as well as his brother's had been flooded by the backing up of the water by the .Martin people. Ho had heard David say that tho Martins had threatened to kill him and that he was constantly in fear of them. They were In trouble all tho time, ho said, but his brother was a peaceable man and did not court trouble. On one occasion, the witness said, his brother Dave was down in a drain ditch to fill a rat hole when John Martin attacked him and choke him. His brother retaliated by striking him In the face and was arrested. Tho witness said said that his brother had two horses killed, and two cows shot, bv some one in the neighborhood and "that he found some of his stock poisoned. On one occassional occas-sional pair of horses died within threo days timG and It was supposed they had been poisoned. Deputy Sheriff's Oren Hadlock and J. L. Hobson told of their Investigations Investiga-tions corresponding with the stories told by the Jenkins brothers. The jury's verdict was that David Jenkins camo to his death through feloneous beating with a deadly weapon, wea-pon, administered by some one to the jury unknown, as follows: "Wo, the jury empanoled in the above entitled action, find that David Jenkins came to his death by being beaten and clubbed with a blunt Instrument In-strument by person or persons unknown un-known to the jury and was feloniously committed sometime between 4 p. m., May 9, 1916, and 4 p. m May 10, 191G." |
