Pescadero Memories

AFTERNOON SESSION

On the court reassembling, the cross-examination of John Green renewed. My brother was not at the house the night before the murder; he lived a mile from my house; he leaves a wife and two children; one a year old, the other two weeks; had been talking to Quinn (a neighbor) frequently about taking possession of the house; old man Quinn, I think, was present at the Friday night occurrence; one of the neighbors said to me before Monday, Nov. 3rd, that we should have gone in the house when my family returned from Illinois; do not know that I declared my intentions to any one that I would take possession of the house before Monday; when the Kinsey party came, on Friday, there were at my house, my brother Harvey, my son George, Thomas Johnson, John Warner, Alfred Melville, John Quinn, wife and daughters; only considered my brother, son, and Johnson, a man in my employ, to consist of my party; the others came there only of their own will; do not know if any of them were armed; all the men were in the yard a few feet from me when I spoke to Mrs. Kinsey at the gate; do not know who entered the house first; after the gate was opened, Kinsey’s teamster picked up Mrs. Kinsey when she fell, that was why I thought he was going to shoot me. I thought he had something in his hand; and I looked, then drew a small pistol from my pocket; took my pistol out because I thought Mrs. Kinsey was going to shoot me over the gate. She was desperate, and said

I AM AS READY TO DIE AS YOU ARE

and am going to take possession of this property. I was at the gate when the first shots were fired, Mrs. Kinsey was being raised from the ground; she looked at the firing and remarked, “Good, good,” and was then dragged in the wagon. After my brother was killed, Dow and the two McLean brothers rushed for the house; saw Alex. McClean go in the house about the time the pistols were fired; saw a man shooting at my son George, who was at the north end of the house, I had a four shooter that night, tried to fire all the shots, but don’t know whether I did or not, saw Knowles, the officer, in the house after the shooting.

Re-Direct

Don’t know whose team it was that brought the Kinsey party to the ground. No objection was made to me going in the house on Monday by the Brashear family, no force was used to get in; Mrs. Brashear said she was glad to get away; that she felt she had no business there; saw Brashear going away from his house when we started; on reflection, I do not think Quinn was mixed up in the fight, but was out at the gate at the start of the shooting. Have been in the habit of carrying a pistol for about a year. Mrs. Brashear and four young children were at the house when I got there Monday; expected but little resistance from the children; my son was armed on Friday night.

John Warner was next sworn. His testimony continued that of the preceding witness, in the main acts. He also testified positively that Dow fired the shot that killed Green.

R. Knowles testified to the main points that occurred during the fight; he could not say positively as to who killed Green; he was considerably excited, and got out of the way of the shots as soon as he could so.

The case will be resumed on Friday.

Continued in Part 6