Patterson Cemetery District, Stanislaus County, CA 

Submitted by Gale Stroud and Burta Herger 26 Aug 2007

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit 
or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations 
desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain 
the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of 
the submitter.

Elder James R 330630 p1
Stab Fatal to Ranch Worker; Negro Kills Tractor Operator in Brawl At Wesley; A drunken braw following a day spent at
Stockton resulted fatally Sunday evening for James R. Elder 49 tractor operator at the Frank Cox ranch at Westley, when
Elisha Robinson, 39 year-old Negro, cut his throat. The killing occurred in front of the Merchan service station, where the
two, accompanied by Armsted Dixon 24, also colored, and an unidentified white man known only as "Whitey", had
stopped on their arrival from Stockton. According to Dixon. a trifling argument over boxing preceded the scuffle,
although he was evasive on this point.  According to eye witnesses of the affair at the service station, the two participants
in the quarrel got out of the car and Elder chased Robinson around the car, declaring he was " going to cut you down to
my size.:" The clash followed and Elder fell to the ground with his jugular vein almost severed, dying within a few
minutes. The two Negroes vanished in the darkness and a night-long search was begun.  Constable C. W. Kirk and
Deputy Ossie Ball were called form Paterson and Sheriff Grat Hogin who passed the scene without knowing what was
going on, on his way to the Patterson Pentscost was also on hand in short order and summoned his deputies from
Modesto. The search ended at 5:45 Monday morning when Hogin picked the two up on the highway at Vernalis, they
having spent the night along the track between there and Westley. A large jack knife, supposedly used in killing, was
found on Robinson.  He had purchased it Sunday morning at the McConnell store at Westley, it later developed.
Eye-Witnesses' Story; Two boys, Gerald Avila and Rex Jones, were the closest eye witnesses, with Joe Merchan and two
Japanese also near by. According to Jones, both parties to the quarrel were intoxicated, and he told them not to fight, but
to get back in the car.  But Elder made his threat to "cut Robinson down" and the Negro backed around the car as Elder
made a motion toward his back pocket.  According to Jones, Robinson asked Elder if he had a knife, saying he did not
want to fight that way.  But elder came on and swung at the Negro, half-knocking him down.  Robinson blocked the blow
with his left, Rex said, and then swung the blows with the knife that were fatal. Examination by Dr. E. G. Allen revealed
one slash that had cut the deceased man's clothes with a sharp slice; a second that made a deep gash in the left arm and a
third that started at the crown of the head, describing an "S" shaped cut downward behind the left ear and then clear
across the throat, almost severing the jugular vein. An unexplained and important item was a cut on the Negro's arm,
which he said he had been inflicted by Elder.  A small knife was found on the dead man but it was closed in his pocket.
Whether the Negro had cut himself in the scuffle or whether Elder had cut him with some other weapon which later
disappeared are matters for conjecture.
Had Threatened Negro; The Negroes had also been employed on the Cox ranch for some months past and Robinson had
aided Elder at various times.  According to reports, Elder had been abusive on several occasions, threatening Robinson.
An inquest was held by Coroner George Sovera at the Davis & Evans chapel Tuesday evening, but brought out little,
testimony being confined to establishing the death of elder.  A crowed room heard the evidence, however. Dr. Allen
testified to the nature of the wounds and Dixon was placed on the stand and questioned thoroughly as to his knowledge of
the case, but proved vague and evasive on important points.  Robinson was placed on the stand but refused to testify on
advice of his attorney.  He is a husky six footer, a typical southern darkey. Dixon is of slighter build but of the same type
and his unconscious humor brought waves of laughter, despite the seriousness of the setting. Asked by Deputy District
Attorney Bob Fowler where he lived, he replied tersely, "County jail." Later, when tying to identify the fourth man,
known only as Whitey, Fowler asked "Is that the name he gave you." "Nope, the Name I gave him,:" was the reply.
And when the actual stabbing was recounted, Dixon said he heard Elder say, "I'm ent." "And then what did you hear?",
Fowler asked. "Didn't hear nothin", replied Dixon, "I'se gone." Robinson, was also, "gone" with about the same celerity,
it developed, both probably being spurred on by visions of what would happen under similar circumstances in Alabama.
Asked why they were headed for Tracy, Dixon insisted it was to "see a doctor" to fix Robinson's arm and that they had
no intention of running away. In views of the scant evidence offered, the jury brought in an indefinite verdict of "killed
by an unknown weapon in the hands of unknown parties."  Those on the jury were Jack Frame, Ed Pagel, Roy Cripe,
George Robinson, J. M. Soares, Frank Smith, B. R. Bingham, W. F. Johnson and Paul Martin. Robinson will be charged
with murder, according to the decision reached by Fowler following the inquest.