A Murderer
The Verdict of the Coroner’s Jury
so Brands J. B. Walker
Coroner Bancroft was notified on Monday morning last that George P. Stevens, the man who was shot on Thursday of last week by J. B. Walker, at Farnam, was dead. The Coroner accompanied by Deputy Sheriff Cole drove over to Farnam and held an inquest on Tuesday the verdict of the jury being as follws:
“At an inquisition holden at Farnam, in Dawson county, on the 16th day of May, A.D., 1893, before me, W. M. Bancroft, coroner of said county, upon the body of George P. Stevens, lying dead, the said jurors upon their oath do say that the said Stevens came to his death by a pistol shot from a 38-calibre revolver in the hands of J. B. Walker, on the 11th day of May, 1893, in the village of Farnam, in Dawson county, state of Nebraska, and that said shooting was done with felonious intent. We further find that George P. Stevens died on the 15th day of May, 1893, from said wounds, in testimony whereof the said jurors have hereunto set their hands, the day and year aforesaid.
David Hanna,
E. B. Dunham,
G. B. Dunton,
J. B. Grooms,
Geo. C. Kerr,
M. J. Tufts.
W. M. Bancorft, Coroner.
On Tuesday morning a postmortem examination of the remains of the victim of assassin Walker was made by Dr. Kreecorian of Farnam, and Dr. Pace of Elwood. Three bullet wounds were found one through the palm of the right hand, one through the fleshy part of the right forearm, and another on the right side of the back, about three inches from the spinal column. The latter wound was the fatal one. The ball ranged upward passing through the middle lobe of the right lung and is supposed to have lodged in the upper part of the chest.
Samuel Wykoff, the other man wounded by Walker, will recover, his injuries being severe but not serious.
The remains of Stevens were buried Tuesday afternoon, the lodge of masons from Elwood, of which deceased was a member, attending in a body.
A warrant charging Walker with willful murder was issued by coroner Bancroft immediately after the inquest, placed in Sheriff Hamilton’s hands, and by him served upon the prisoner.
A very strong feeling against Walker is entertained by nearly everybody living in the vicinity of the tragedy, and threats of lynching have been spoken. There is, however, no probability of the threats being carried out, as the prisoner is securely confined and guarded both day and night.
Walker’s preliminary hearing upon the charge of murder was to have taken place this morning before Squire Little, but owing to the absence of his attorney, C. W. McNamar, the county attorney consented to a postponement until Monday, May 29.
