Leonidas Whorton in Yosemite

Great Uncle Lee closed up shop, moved west, owned land, and became a respected citizen in Yosemite valley. He was shot by a romantic rival who was acquitted of murder. We have pictures of Lee's grave and contemporary accounts of the trial, but I'd love to hear more of the story from the perspective of the Alabama relatives. I know his father went out west to look into the matter. Why did Lee go in the first place? How did he tell the rest of the family? How was he talked about?
Julia Coley