BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1898 ALMOST A MURDER J. W. ARNETT SHOOTS AND SLASHES HIS WIFE. The little mining town of Hayden Hill was the scene of violence Monday morning, that ended in all but murder, and that the perpetrator does not now stand charged with that heinous crime, seems to have been the interposition of Providence rather than his own wicked intentions. J. W. Arnett, generally known as Bill Arnett, had been drinking heavily Sunday evening and reached home in a quarrelsome mode. He continued quarreling with and abusing his wife continuously and it finally culminated at 3 o'clock, Monday morning in his getting a 32 caliber Savage rifle and deliberately shooting at his defenseless victim. He fired three shots at her and then tried to cut her throat with a knife, his son, Andy, reaching the scene in time to prevent him making any further attacks upon her. Dr. Bradshaw was sent for to dress the wounds and he found that one bullet entered on the right side of the abdomen, but deflected under the skin and came out four inches from where it entered, the second shot she ducked and caught it in the right shoulder, the bullet plowing a furrow about three inches long through the skin. The third one missed but was fired so close that the right side of the face was powder burnt and the concussion blackened the eye. One the left side of her throat was a cut about two inches long just through the skin. The wounds are not serious, though quite painful. In the struggle with his son, Andy, which followed his arrival upon the scene, the assassin in some manner cut his own throat, from which he bled profusely, but whether the wound was inflicted deliberately or accidentally, we have not learned. After the weapons had been taken from him he was placed under surveillance, but managed to escape and, getting upon a horse, bare-back, rode away as fast as the horse could take him. Sheriff Church was telegraphed for and immediately started in pursuit of the fugitive, in the meantime notifying T. W. Wilson, his deputy at this place, to head him off in the direction of Dixie Valley; a posse also starting in pursuit from Hayden Hill. The fugitive was overtaken near a sheep camp in the Juniper Hills, he had abandoned his horse and was struggling through the brush afoot. He was returned to Hayden Hill and from there, Sheriff Church took him to Susanville, where justice will be meted out to him. Between three and four o'clock yesterday morning the horrible cry of murder aroused the town from it's peaceful slumber. It came from little Guy Arnett as he ran from house to house crying help! Help! Papa is killing mamma. This brought a crowd to the rescue, Andy Arnett arriving in time to save his mother's throat from being cut. The fiend had already fired three shots at his wife, two of which took effect, one near the hip and one in the shoulder. Mrs. Arnett is still alive and chances favorable for recovery. Sheriff Church and posse caught Arnett and brought him in this forenoon. Insane jealousy and whiskey were the cause of all the trouble. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1898 HAYDEN HILL NOTES District Attorney Barry was here Friday and Saturday, interviewing witnesses in the Arnett case. Mrs. J. W. Arnett, who had such a narrow and providential escape from being murdered last week, is getting along nicely at present. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1898 HELD TO ANSWER J. W. Arnett, Jr., who attempted to kill his wife at Hayden Hill in this county, July 25th, was brought before Justice of the Peace Blake for preliminary examination last Tuesday. The examination was conducted on the part of the people by District Attorney Barry, E. V. Spencer appearing for Arnett. As a result of the examination the prisoner was placed under bonds of $6000 to await his trial in the Superior Court for attempted wife murder. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1898 CRIMINAL CASES The cases of the People vs. Beneger, People vs. Arnett were set for trial on Nov. 15th, 22d, and 29th, respectively and among the jurymen drawn to try these cases, the following are from the northern part of the county: John Silva H. J. Sain M. J. Ayers L. Hanson S. Harbert A. Ramsey M. Watson W. Rudee H. C. Watson S. Pierce T. J. Dunlap F. Z. Palmer J. T. Summer F. Schott R. Perrault M. C. Watson F. Studley W. A. Vestal E. Van Loan F. Lannigar J. B. White P. J. Goumaz J. Fulstone G. Peterson J. Spickert W. K. McWilliams F. H. Holabird W. Kramer J. Berthiume BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1898 Quite a number of our citizens have been called to Susanville as witnesses in the Arnett case, which comes up before the Superior Court next Tuesday. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1898 Wm. Arnett, who was on trial before the Superior Court for an attempt to murder his wife, was found guilty of an assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to two years imprisonment in state prison. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1898 Sheriff Church and Fred Hall left for San Quentin Saturday morning having the charged prisoners, Miller and Arnett. The former to serve a life sentence for the murder of Chas. Saling at Amedee and the latter to serve two years for assault with a deadly weapon. Wilma McCrary reports that he died in Prescott, Arizona. She also reports that liquor was the cause of the incident. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1900 Sheriff Wilson returned from the lower country on Friday evening bringing with him Mr. Arnett, who has been imprisoned at San Quentin, having been sent from this county a year ago. The Supreme Court has granted him a new trial and it is for that purpose that he has been brought here. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1900 PEOPLE VS. ARNETT The above entitled case was called up for the arraignment of the defendant in Judge Kelley's court last Monday afternoon. Arnett interposed two special pleas: one of being once in jeopardy and the other that the void verdict of the jury in the former case was, in effect, an acquittal of the charge against him. His attorneys, E. V. Spencer and H. D. Burroughs, presented fully and exhaustively all the phases of "Once in Jeopardy" and a former acquittal and the side of the people was ably sustained by District Attorney Boyd. After arguments lasting a day and a half, Judge Kelley decided against both special pleas and on the refusal; of the defendant to plead to the former information, ordered the plea of "not guilty" entered as his plea and fixed the bail at $2000. The time for setting the trial was fixed by consent at Saturday, Jan. 27th. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1900 The trial of J. W. Arnett has been set for March 19th, a venire of forty-five jurors has been ordered for the trial. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1900 At the second trial of J. W. Arnett, which took place in Susanville this week, the defendant was found guilty. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1900 J. W. Arnett was taken before Judge Kelley a week ago last Saturday and sentenced to the state prison at Folsom for a term of three years. An Appeal will be taken. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1900 Sheriff Wilson started for the penitentiary with Arnett on Monday morning last. He got as far as Doyle station on the N.C.O. when he received a telegram that Justice Beatty of the Supreme Court had granted a certificate of probable cause in Arnett's case. Tom, accordingly, was compelled to bring his man back on the next train and Arnett now reposes in the county jail there to remain until his case can be reviewed upon appeal to the Supreme Court. BIG VALLEY GAZETTE - BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1900 ARNETT TO GO FREE We are informed that the Supreme Court has reversed the judgement of the trial court in the case of the People of the State of California vs. J. W. Arnett, convicted of an assault to commit murder and sentenced to two years in the State's prison, as a result of his second trial. Official notice of the reversal has been received here, and it is stated that the further decision of the Supreme Court is to the effect that the prisoner be discharged from custody. The plea of the defendant's attorney, "Once in jeopardy," is thus sustained, and as soon as the necessary official order is received, Arnett will be a free man. ~~~~~~ Billie C. & Anita 'Jean' Reynolds Modoc County, California "The Last Frontier" www.rh2o.com/modoc --- Our outgoing mail is checked by avast! AntiVirus. Avast! Is Free To Home Users.