, 1874-05-05
CRIME.


A Remarkable N1urdcr.Gnso In C0loe
r1d0.
Special Correspondence Of The Chicago Trfbane.
CARSON CrrY, Col, April 20, 1874.
The judicial circles Of Canon City and coul-
try adjoining arc quito deeply Interested over
very important murder-trial which comea of at
tho May term Of tho United States District
Court, CAicf-Justice Dlosos Hallett presiding.
A notice of the case has already appeared in the
Denyor press; but, aa tho account waB faulty in
many respects. u brief synopsis Of some OF the
principal points will bo Of interest to the roadore
OF Tue TRIBUNE.
In December last,. Mr.. r.. Z. Neave, .
Mountain Valley, wus stnbbod IN bis own house,
nnd fouliy murdered, by ono Theodore r. Pryco,
d protego Of Noave, aud a man whom lie bud
often nssiated in various ways. Both men we're
Mr. Noayo, at the timo Of hs death, being the
prospective heir Of q Baronetcy. Pryce Ind boon
in This county but lhreo months, and bore rather
hard reputation. both at home and abroad.
llc had travelled quite extensively in South
sprcos, frequently boasted Of the mon lie
had killed. His family, however, are
quite well stocked with this worlds
goods and. at thor solicitation, and with do
sire TO improve tie future pnsspeoa Of pryco,
Ncave hindIy offered him Il homo, and sought to
wean him from his former reckless habitB and
associations.
On the day Of tho murder. both Ncayo and
P,y had beon drink 6 tog< tho. and h, latter,
as lsunl, bocumo intoxicated. No dispute or
other unpoasantneBs wns noticed hstweeu thom
and the two men we're apparently on al good
terms as over. Theae terma. however, were
never Of the most cordial nature, as
Pryce, md expressed q dcsirc to get rid OF him.
III tho evening, and while Naave waB conyorsng
with aomo nelKhbora who Ind dropped In, pryco
aot up mud told Noayo that he wanted to SEQ him
OF In fht tfp fhnf
readily complied with. Whnt words passed be-
tween the two men IL not known with certafnty
but, i'll worry short time, Nenve returned to the
room with his banda tightly pressed upon his loft
Btabbod mol" and aanl upon tho aoor. Tho
wounded man WAS Ut once placed upon q lounge;
but tile knife OF the murdorer Ind penetrated
tlo heart, aud tho victim espirol Ill aboutt five
mlnuteB. rryco waH immediately arrested, Rnd
placed under guard but lie manifested no con-
cern whatever, and Expressed no regret for the
act he had committed, 1norely remarkng that
he had skilled many q man, hut this was the
first friend" In the morning, whom Pryca was
led into the room whcro tho body Of his. victim
lay, aud the cloth was drawn from tho pallid
fuuttrca, lo turned upon his hoel, and remarked
contemitllously, why the devil didn't you
close Ills mouth while ho WIS warm z"
Ncave wag uniyersal faYorto with all olassos ;
and, when tho nows OF his sudden and terrible
taking-oF became genoraliy known, the oxcito-
ment waH intense. T'Aroats Of lynching woro
1Iculy luAu!bClt III al 1htk, " ,u0u4 VI HUI hAa
organized at Pueblo, tho Headquarters Of tho
ViEilants, Tor that purposo but they finally
disbanded when asHuroa that Pryce vas in GUS
toiy, md would 10 dealt with according to law.
The murderer WAS takon to Canon City,
The scat Ct Justice OF Fremont
County. aud lodged iu tho calabooBo; and
here lie has since romninod. As Pryco was
known to bo dangerous. determined character,
and aa it whH feared that an attempt would be
mudo. on tho part Of homo Outsiders, to reHcue
him, llo was heavily ironcd hand aud foot. while
guard wha placed over tho prisoner, with in
8trslctiona to shoot him load at tho flrst
symptoms of 1nutlny.
During tho creator portion Of his impriaon.
1pcnt, pryco maintained 4 gloomy resorva; but
his mcntnl slfloringH wore great, and
moro than onco ho told tic
guard thut ie would will Him oil
h|n property, and eBtocm 1t personal favor be.
bidey, il lo would blow his brains out. AT las
pryco refused to ont hia food, grew siok conn.,
plaiuod Of Ills chest and throat, and bocamo SO
en,aoiatcd tllut the irons wore taken OIL: Mean
whilo, the friends Of Pryco IN England had boon
notified Of tho treatment, and they aent III I
vigorous protest to tito British Government AMI
this protost, together with other alleNed abuBcs
WaY forwarded to tho English Minister a
Washngton, Sir Edward Thornton. Thorn
ton roforrod tbs matter to tho soc
rotary OF State; tllo Secretary turnet
vt oiico to Attorney 0oneral Willlama, aud th'
latter, In turn, forwalued ali tho papers aut