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Am not related but may be of interest as a fit. I have no further info but additional newspaper extracts may be found at URL:
<http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php>
Vern D
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Transcribed by Betty <betty@unisette.com>
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Sacramento Daily Union
Tuesday, December 30, 1862
CITY INTELLIGENCE
Dreadful Murder in Sutter Township - At an early hour yesterday morning, a profound sensation was produced in the city by the announcement that D. CARKHUFF, Justice of the peace of Sutter Township, had been brutally murdered during the night at his residence, near the American river. The deceased had resided for several years on his ranch at the point named, having generally one or two hired men in his employ. During the past summer, a nephew, Samuel CARKHUFF, has resided with him, the two having carried on some of their business operations in partnership. At noon on Sunday, S. CARKHUFF left home, came to the city and remained over night. On returning yesterday morning, between seven and eight o'clock, he found the deceased lying on the floor, dead. His head had received several blows, by which the skull was fractured, and his throat was cut half way through the neck. One of the blows on the head - made by a club, or possibly the back of an ax - took effect in the right temple, and others on the back part of the right side of the head. These blows had probably been inflicted while the deceased lay on his left side asleep.
CARKHUFF had just completed a contract for clearing some seventy acres of land on the American river, under W. TURTON, at about $28 per acre. He and TURTON had had a settlement for this work, and on Wednesday CARKHUFF received about $1,000, the balance due on it. Some eight or nine hundred of this amount he is presumed to have had about his person when murdered. As it could not be found yesterday, it is supposed that the murderer obtained it. A man named S. TURLEY or TRULY is suspected of having committed the crime. He worked for CARKHOFF up to November 18th, at which time he was discharged. While about the premises, money was missing on two or three occasions, five dollars at one time and forty dollars at another. He was at the time suspected of stealing these sums, but was not at the time accused of the theft. On Christmas day he went to the house, and was accused of having stolen the missing money, and was ordered to leave the premises and never return. Since that day nothing seems to be known of his movements. He is represented to be about thirty-five years of age, but we have been unable to procure a description of his personal appearance.
When the body was discovered, pools of blood stood upon the floor and under the house, having run through the cracks. No murderous instrument of any character could be found about the premises. Tracks were found near the
house which led to the side of a slough, at which point the person who made then had stood and moved about for some time, and from which place he looked into the window of CARKHUFF's house. The deceased had spent an hour or two on Sunday afternoon at Keefer's, on J street, three-quarters of a mile distant, and went home before night. He was in the habit of sleeping in the house without fastening the doors. His residence is located about 300 feet north of the new levee and a half mile beyond Burns' slough. The nearest residence to his was that of P. BURNS, about a quarter of a mile distant. A short time since, when both the CARKHUFFs were at home, they heard somebody around the place at night. They went out and searched the premises, but found nobody. After returning to the house, the noises were resumed. Samuel loaded his gun and went out to the barn and remained an hour but could find nobody.
The deceased has been a resident of Sacramento county for ten or twelve years. In 1856 he was a member of the City Police Department. For several years past he has held the office of Justice of the Peace of Sutter township. He was well known in the county and highly respected. He was a native of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, and was about forty years of age.
Coroner REEVES held an inquest over the body, a report of which will be found in another column. The members of the Police Department are astir, and it is hoped that the author of this fiendish crime will be promptly caught
and speedily hung.
Funeral of D. Carkhuff - The funeral of D. CARKHUFF, who was murdered yesterday morning in Sutter township, will take place at eleven o'clock this forenoon, from the rooms of J.W. REEVES, on Fourth street, near K.
In Numbers - The rooms of Coroner REEVES were visited yesterday afternoon and last evening by large numbers of citizens for the purpose of seeing the body of D. CARKHUFF, who was murdered the night before in Sutter township.
CORONER'S INQUEST
Coroner REEVES held an inquest yesterday morning over the body of D. CARKHUFF, in Sutter township, at which the following testimony was elicited:
Samuel CARKHUFF sworn - I know the deceased now before the jury; he is my uncle; I have resided with him since August of this year; I left the house about noon yesterday to go to the city; my uncle remained at home; when I went to the city I visited the Park grounds and the Melodeon, and then went to a house on Second street, between K and L, and remained until five or six o'clock this morning; the house on the east side of Second, between K and L,
is where I stopped; when I arrived here this morning, I found my uncle lying on the floor with his throat cut - the head cut one-half off; he was lying on the floor with his head toward the door; there was an incision on the outer corner of the right eye, where he had been struck with a heavy instrument of some kind; there was also several incisions on the right side of the head, and the skull badly fractured; when I entered the room and found the deceased I placed my hand on him and the body was cold; I then went and notified BURNS, and he and KING came in, and we found no weapon that we thought the deceased had been murdered with; he had drawn about eight or nine hundred dollars from TURTON on Wednesday; he had some money besides that; I think he had about nine hundred dollars in all; we did not find any money or papers of value on or about his person; I found sixty-seven dollars this morning in some crockery in the cupboard which he laid there on Saturday, stating to me at the time that we would keep that to buy groceries; the name of the deceased is Decatur CARKHUFF, a native of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania; is a single man, aged about forty years.
Peter BURNS sworn - I reside in this township; know the deceased; I do not know anything about the cause of death; I know of deceased having a difficulty with a man by the name of S. TURLEY, who had worked for him during October and up to the 18th of November; deceased dined with me on
Christmas day, at which time he told me he had a few words with this man, TURLEY; he thought that TURLEY had stolen money from him; on the morning of Christmas he had the quarrel with TURLEY, and told him not to show himself here again, or he would have him arrested for larceny; deceased told me about getting his money from TURTON; he also has some property here, consisting of two wagons, two horses, one colt, chickens and turkeys, etc., also seven cords of wood; the last I saw of the deceased was about one o'clock P.M. yesterday; he came to my house, and took lunch with us; I did not see any light at the house of deceased last night; I heard no noise during the night; my house is about three hundred yards from this place of
deceased.
H.P. KING sworn - I knew deceased; I came here with Mr. BURNS this morning between seven and eight o'clock; found the deceased as stated; we found tracks around the house which I followed to the edge of the slough below the house; we then traced it up the bottom and lost sight of it; I took the measure of the track; the shoe or boot had a steel tap on the heel, also the sole was filled with tacks or nails; Judge CARKHUFF, the deceased, told me about this man, S. TURLEY, stealing money from him, and of the words they had had about the money, and I am of the opinion, owing to circumstances and statements made, that the man, S. TURLEY, committed the murder, though I would not be positive; I do not know anything further about his property than has been stated by Mr. BURNS.
W.H. BUTTRICK sworn - Was not acquainted with the deceased; the man, S. TURLEY, worked for me on the levee about two months ago, and I discharged him for intemperate habits; he was a very hard character; he was first brought on to the levee by Major BUCKNER.
The following is the verdict of the jury:
State of California, City and County of Sacramento - An inquest held before me, J.W. REEVES, Coroner of the city and county aforesaid, on the body of a man found dead at the house in Sutter township, near Burns', do find that
the name of the deceased is Decatur CARKHUFF, a native of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, age about forty years, and that he came to his death at his residence, sometime during the morning of December 29, 1862, by having his head or skull broken in several places, and his head half severed from his body, by some person or persons to unknown.
Signed: Henry HOERLE, Edward A. MILES, Richard IRELAND, William J. KINGSLEY, Sidney SMITH, Windsor A. KEEFER.
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