Individual Details
Levi Myers FLETCHER
(1844 - 15 Apr 1872)
Wife's name and marriage date from Anna Salierno.
Levi was a house painter.
The Tulare Times of 15 Apr 1872 had this article under "Local News".
"A COLD-BLOODED MURDER"
A terrible cold-blooded murder was committed near Farmersville lastMonday about 10 o'clock, when Mr. Levi Fletcher, a young man wellknown in Visalia, was assassinated while walking by the side of hisyoung wife to whom he had been married but a few weeks. At the time,they were just crossing Cameron Creek, in the lane leading from EricSwanson's to Farmersville, when some one concealed behind the fenceand weeds, but a few feet distant, fired two shots, from a shot gun athim. Mr. Fletcher was carrying a small sprig of evergreen in his righthand, which was cast over his shoulder, the hand being elevated, as inwalking, when the first and fatal shot struck him, passing through theback of the portion of the arm, and penetrating his side, causingalmost instant death. The charge consisted of rifle balls and duckshot some of which passed through his body to the opposite side, nearenough to the surface to be felt, but not coming out. The second shotswept down the whole side of his body, and down his leg to the knee,and wounded Mrs. Fletcher in the hand, seven shot passing through hershawl. Mrs. Fletcher screamed and turned to the direction the shotscame from, when a man rose up from the ambush over the fence and firedanother shot at them. The man then ran, taking a course parallel withthe road, and the woman pursued, screaming at the top of her voice.The chase extended about 200 yards - there being a fence between thetwo - when the man sprang across a creek and disappeared in a swamp.Mrs. Fletcher returned to the spot where the dead body of her husbandlay, just as it had fallen, and the sad horror burst with full forceupon her. A little girl at Mr. Swanson's house about 1,000 yards fromthe scene of the murder, heard the piercing shrieks of Mrs. Fletcher,and told Mr. A. M. Fletcher, a brother of the deceased, who drove atonce to the scene of the tragedy and picked up the body. A messengerwent in haste to Farmersville, a mile distant, and Constable Firebaughwas soon informed and reached the spot. He quickly arrested K. Kisseyat his house, on suspicion of being accessory to the murder. As Mr.Fletcher had seen Wm. H. Hart in company with Kissey a very short timebefore the hour of the shooting, he procured his arrest also. They wretaken before Justice Brundage and placed in a room full of men, whenMrs. Fletcher was asked to point out the man whom she had chased fromthe scene of murder, and pointed out Hart as the man. An examinationwas then had, and the two men were committed to appear before theGrand Jury. Deputy Sheriff [Boxer] brought the prisoners to Visalia,and lodged them in jail, where they are heavily ironed. One of theprincipal witnesses against them before the Justice was the wife ofKinsey who is supposed by some to have been at the bottom of thetrouble between her husband and Fletcher. The parents of Mr. Fletcherreside near Farmersville, and two brothers live in Visalia. Mr. Harthas been a soldier, and was a member of Lieut. Daly's Company,formerly stationed at Visalia. The funeral of the murdered man tookplace in Farmersville, at 3 o'clock P.M. on Tuesday, the 16th, and wasvery numerously attended.
The parties under arrest for the murder have heretofore borne a goodcharacter, according to general report. Our reporter visited them atthe jail since their incarceration. They both appeared cheerful andhopeful."
Jean Laws provided a copy of the County Court record of May, 1872, forThe People of the State of California against K. H. Keeney and WilliamA. Hart. The Grand Jury returned an Indictment for the crime of murdercommitted by the defendants on 15 Apr 1872 by inflicting mortal woundsto Levi M. Fletcher. Witnesses in the case included A. M. Fletcher,Mrs. S. M. Fletcher, Mrs. Narcissa Fletcher, Aaron Swanson, W. P.Fletcher, James Fletcher, and several others, including the twodefendants.
According to Anna, Levi was in Santa Rosa and came back to TulareCounty and got married. He was living with a couple and a small child.The child was reported to be Levi's, not the husbands'. The husband inthis couple shot him, encouraged by a fried. He was tried inFarmersville.
Levi was a house painter.
The Tulare Times of 15 Apr 1872 had this article under "Local News".
"A COLD-BLOODED MURDER"
A terrible cold-blooded murder was committed near Farmersville lastMonday about 10 o'clock, when Mr. Levi Fletcher, a young man wellknown in Visalia, was assassinated while walking by the side of hisyoung wife to whom he had been married but a few weeks. At the time,they were just crossing Cameron Creek, in the lane leading from EricSwanson's to Farmersville, when some one concealed behind the fenceand weeds, but a few feet distant, fired two shots, from a shot gun athim. Mr. Fletcher was carrying a small sprig of evergreen in his righthand, which was cast over his shoulder, the hand being elevated, as inwalking, when the first and fatal shot struck him, passing through theback of the portion of the arm, and penetrating his side, causingalmost instant death. The charge consisted of rifle balls and duckshot some of which passed through his body to the opposite side, nearenough to the surface to be felt, but not coming out. The second shotswept down the whole side of his body, and down his leg to the knee,and wounded Mrs. Fletcher in the hand, seven shot passing through hershawl. Mrs. Fletcher screamed and turned to the direction the shotscame from, when a man rose up from the ambush over the fence and firedanother shot at them. The man then ran, taking a course parallel withthe road, and the woman pursued, screaming at the top of her voice.The chase extended about 200 yards - there being a fence between thetwo - when the man sprang across a creek and disappeared in a swamp.Mrs. Fletcher returned to the spot where the dead body of her husbandlay, just as it had fallen, and the sad horror burst with full forceupon her. A little girl at Mr. Swanson's house about 1,000 yards fromthe scene of the murder, heard the piercing shrieks of Mrs. Fletcher,and told Mr. A. M. Fletcher, a brother of the deceased, who drove atonce to the scene of the tragedy and picked up the body. A messengerwent in haste to Farmersville, a mile distant, and Constable Firebaughwas soon informed and reached the spot. He quickly arrested K. Kisseyat his house, on suspicion of being accessory to the murder. As Mr.Fletcher had seen Wm. H. Hart in company with Kissey a very short timebefore the hour of the shooting, he procured his arrest also. They wretaken before Justice Brundage and placed in a room full of men, whenMrs. Fletcher was asked to point out the man whom she had chased fromthe scene of murder, and pointed out Hart as the man. An examinationwas then had, and the two men were committed to appear before theGrand Jury. Deputy Sheriff [Boxer] brought the prisoners to Visalia,and lodged them in jail, where they are heavily ironed. One of theprincipal witnesses against them before the Justice was the wife ofKinsey who is supposed by some to have been at the bottom of thetrouble between her husband and Fletcher. The parents of Mr. Fletcherreside near Farmersville, and two brothers live in Visalia. Mr. Harthas been a soldier, and was a member of Lieut. Daly's Company,formerly stationed at Visalia. The funeral of the murdered man tookplace in Farmersville, at 3 o'clock P.M. on Tuesday, the 16th, and wasvery numerously attended.
The parties under arrest for the murder have heretofore borne a goodcharacter, according to general report. Our reporter visited them atthe jail since their incarceration. They both appeared cheerful andhopeful."
Jean Laws provided a copy of the County Court record of May, 1872, forThe People of the State of California against K. H. Keeney and WilliamA. Hart. The Grand Jury returned an Indictment for the crime of murdercommitted by the defendants on 15 Apr 1872 by inflicting mortal woundsto Levi M. Fletcher. Witnesses in the case included A. M. Fletcher,Mrs. S. M. Fletcher, Mrs. Narcissa Fletcher, Aaron Swanson, W. P.Fletcher, James Fletcher, and several others, including the twodefendants.
According to Anna, Levi was in Santa Rosa and came back to TulareCounty and got married. He was living with a couple and a small child.The child was reported to be Levi's, not the husbands'. The husband inthis couple shot him, encouraged by a fried. He was tried inFarmersville.
Events
| Birth | 1844 | Stephenson Co., Illinois | |||
| Census | 1850 | Town of Florence, Stephenson Co., IL. Age 6 (1844) born IL. | |||
| Census | 1 Jun 1860 | P. O. Leon, Eden Twp., Decatur Co., IA, pg 128; Levi, 15 (1844-1845) born IL. | |||
| Marriage | 14 Jan 1872 | Tulare Co., California - Louise M. INGRAM | |||
| Death | 15 Apr 1872 | Farmersville, Tulare Co., CA |  | ||
| Burial | 18 Apr 1872 | Deep Creek Cemetery, Tulare Co., CA | |||
| Reference No | 1584 |
Families
| Spouse | Louise M. INGRAM (1857 - 1872) |
| Father | Warden Pope "Pony" FLETCHER (1810 - 1890) |
| Mother | Narcissa SWANSON (1810 - 1876) |
| Sibling | Alfred Moore FLETCHER (1840 - 1910) |
| Sibling | Mary Eunis FLETCHER (1842 - 1933) |
| Sibling | James Worden FLETCHER (1848 - 1933) |
| Sibling | Stearns J. FLETCHER (1852 - 1872) |
Endnotes
1. Tulare County USGENWEB.