William Leach, who was employed as a track-walker by the Yosemite Valley railroad, is dead, and Charles Minor, a prospector, is in the Mariposa county jail as a result of a quarrel between the two men near the Mountain King mine in Mariposa county late Monday afternoon.

        News of the homicide was received in Merced at about 4:30 o’clock Monday evening, when Minor telephoned local officials of the railroad company that he had killed Leach by hitting him over the head with an ax during a quarrel. Sheriff Turner of Mariposa was at once notified and he and Coroner Johnson went to Mountain King. Upon their arrival there they found that Leach was still alive. The physician from the prison camp at Briceburg was summoned, but Leach died at 10 o’clock Tuesday morning. Coroner Johnson took charge of the remains, taking them to Mariposa for the purpose of holding the inquest.

        Minor was placed under arrest by Sheriff Turner and taken to the county jail. According to his story he and Leach engaged in a quarrel over mining matters and during the dispute he struck Leach in the forehead with an ax after Leach had attack him with a knife. It is reported that Leach’s knife was later found at the scene of the quarrel.

        Leach, who was aged about 60 years, had been engaged as a track-walker at Mountain King for some time and Minor had been prospecting in that vicinity.