, 1874-01-01
4 COLORADO MURDER-TRlhL.
The Filling Of Brooks by Stcsle~~-What
Ied TO the Crime.
The Evidence---The Conviction and
Sentence.
Scenes in the Courtroom.
Special Correspondence Of The Chicago Tribune.
at Iana

Spceiol Correspondence Of The Chicago Tribune.
BorLpEr, Col, Dec, p, 1873.
One of the most interesting and exciting mur-
dcr-sins that have ever taken place in the North"
west has just closed at Boulder, Col, resulting
in the conviction Of the prisoner, aud his Sen
sence to be hanged on the the 9th Of January,
1871 I hcstcned from Denver to Boulder to
witness the closing scenes Of the great case, and
:Gey most profoundly impressed me, and we're
full Of painful ard exciting incidents. The eri-
i1ence vas wholly circumstantla), and presented
riapy nice points of law aud deductions OF jutlg-
a,cnt. Tie Gaze was tried before Judge Bol-
ford. OF the United States District Court
.1Iessrs Rock and Derkley appearing for the
,au7dcrcr. and District Attorney ". l.. Condit,
Erd Sam Brown, Of Denver, against him.
TIL; PRISONER
J. S. Steele, man Of % or - ve=1s OF age.
looked very unlike murderer. He is tall we'll
r,adc, with black hair and eyes, and all open and
engaging countenance. His manly bearing and
innocent looks created feeling Of eyuip.:hy for
him in the minds c: many OF the oeholders; and
tie !adics-.uadreds Of whom we're present dur
;,:c the trial-dcclared him to be - q handsome
nan"
THE JURY
-AN' Ia No1--|--N9
t:vcrai vi vhoc, a-c so we'll lacwn throughout
the Northwest that give their uArncs entire,
viz: james L. King. David Herr. 6. D. Harmon,
.. S. Coi.naa. Joseph Shelton, Christopher
Eulycrson, ". o. Phillips, Henry T. Rogers.
Z. Rodgers. George Siyyer, r. II. Coldrldge,
md Charles Collier.
TEE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO THE MURDER,
IS 1:e:r as ] caa gather, are as follows steele
aud man named Taylor lived together.
rctl Herc paying attention to = young
liiy vino lived ncar their home,
- Lei: Hand Creek. Mr. Brooks appeared
Epon the seenc, aud bcgan paying his addresses
20 the same roung lady. One evening. while
Brooks was at the young lady's house. somebody
n. rl-o 1uraess Of his HORSE which was hltched
i. trout OF the Louae. Brooks blamed steele fo1
His, and j. aasde bad blood between the two
yoa.i: .1e;1-
Tho testimony wss long aud labored, aud can
oxiv ciyc tho points tha5 were established.
C3lAlLl.5 DNlT
testified tEat he lew Steele. Il7es in Left
Han! (:uon al ".k in Hathaway's saw IEltl
n. lie :.7u OF j1.uc last. when Brooks W:e shot.
Ir waz O'Clock n. the morning, end they Lad
taw,d tx, logs. wten SHOT came through a1l
,,cn:nS in tho sito Of tic mill. struck Brooks i'll
LIZ side. aud ranged downward Brooks Was
;cap;ns o:er the los ut the time. He sank down
,,.a.ed: atel-, saving. - am shot, and Steele
Ic7lcr shot 1ao.' There l3 . bill above tho kldc
ri the :cll, aud the shot was fired from the bill
pGe. started over on the hili-sldo to see where
r:e shot ca1e from. waen Eas fdt5er called INC
1s.:s afterwards found tracks at L t.ee-;op Is
G.: 70 Yards from the E1iif. once heard Brooks
s,l slcclo quarrel, ard Brooks threatened to
1L-oT S.ce1e's thin@s out Of doors. Brooks sad
be would lick Steele if lie had it to do over
sSa:u.
MRS. HATHAWAY
,:;cs ucar tbs mill, and heard tho shot frcd
yaa in the dining i,on, 1t the timo. aud thought
il xaa al.5rt 5 o'clock. Went 10 the door TO sce
.1o ,y.a sslcct:::;. and tAw snloac IN the t.1cc-
ton Of dead irec-top tho hll-slde beyond
t4a mill.
In MAY las! steele ta!l ;i1n Of 4 quarrel ho had
ai1sl U7.r,l=, a-u said Erooks hau called hum d
Ear; AMI lo could call him q liar aud 1--we.
liz sail Crooks WEE stronger t2n him, but there
y" IS .cr1ctl,;r:, would make them even. He said
1;.co..s had drawn revolver on h;1n: andlt would
l., his tStceles) turn next Steele t.!d his
Quarrel vii, Br sols took place i'll u ptcksnstA-
T.: -. whore lle fStceiej ha.. gone to sharpen
,3E. s:la lie Wished To had tempered his PICK il
i':oo-s hearts blood. Knew Steele we'll. lie
s,::ltgaliv car-:.d 4 gur. revolver. and hatetet.
wv: w.,G= ling LaiI. Steele hlatcd great deal
s::y 1;:.ohs a:te- he WIS si:ot. Hc saM:to me,
.'S.:eie and TAYLOR Lave killed me- Went up
t., :hc 1:ee-:or, where fund tracks; and meas
E:c5 thc::l Followed them, ani fo:iud one place
o:ero they were plain and Gil not toe out.
NlCCtE hl1lA tAN Nt-S Aoe wv o'At"
MaIx lATuA:AY
: part oTccr OF tho MIL where Erooks WIS shot.
5..1vs S.celc. ARK: hai ]lE, in hi. employ.
3ieeie Vas discharged in Nh: last. Head the
quarrel in the psathslnitl-eliop between BROOKS
nd S:.ule D,co5s called Steele e liar. Steele
caiIcs 1uc out doors. ard asked ne to give him
10 IIu said he ;:anted to buy revolver; th1s
~, nan could call him <. liar and i've l gave
lin :l5. lie afterwards showed rlo bI;,a'4 re,
v,>lyo. no said lie had Got il Bouiaer. He told
IL lie ::c;..;l stay in the Canon uti. brooks w2s
o;,t ci the way. lie eald Brook. llad t!1awi re-
vc!ycr on hir,. hut next time be would get the
l.op OIL Brooks.
rrro1s Dopr
was near the mill On the 25:h Of june when
T,coks wss sbct, Went to the .ciil. end saw
Crooks lying shot by the 1os-ca:fl3Ee. Eaw
S.sc!e on tic mountain. near the mil. about 70
::es from do2d tree-rop. was north Of the
mill veco saw Stace first. He wab lying down
or the ground.
s,c7. at tI-. Trylor's On the nigh: Of the 24th Of
.!1l,o. W.n; 70 led bctwco:l and ~ o'clock.
iayIo; ard stceio slcl;t iu the ss1ne Steele
p1il - Toylo. :' How will that do:' Taylor re-
lied. Il IN afraid they will call you coward"
s:eale complained If Icing 1snwell. aud went to
!,ld with lis bouts On, and Put lis gun at the
house nlort r1ldrisht I saw him the next day
ao,llt II O'Clock. lie was coming lip !l!e canon.
a=.ca il:;u 70 help 1no lx 'nv ycaoou, but lie
f;,3ea. Fad his gun, rcvo!ve: knife, ani slime
blankets vita h..I. Heai1t Ei1n sav ~ Taylor,
the night befcr.. ~ had bette: 20 down and
IeooLs nrst.'' heard Taylor aud Steele uhis-
ptr;us il the led.
s. .. 4C5IS
taw Steele in Boulder orce Wit. lis gun. and
tsx4i i.irl vkat liu ;;c:'C to 20 with it. He
s:.ii. Maybe &c was going b2ehsia.A'iig; maybe
40 was going to get away With Brooks
3. F. SMITH
tesr:, Steele 30: lie l,i:n4e4 to ki Brooke # he
r,rs;s.o: i'll saying ti!nt ho \stGc!e) cut TIC Lar
:,+sa. Said he intended to kiil Brooks ut tl,e
-1iu: that he had tie place picked out. lie told
re. On Saturday before tie murder, that he
would xii Brooks. was with the party vino
,;,tsued Steele after the murder. Next Iorui1s;
70 saw Steele several times: sud shot at him !:
bat ;,e got out Of sight We hfiai1y found him
iyirc hidden rn1or some rocks.
OTHER TESTIMONY fon THE PsosEcUIIoS.
William st;csler. Albert Anderson. Samuel
N.alct. W. r. Howell. mud Oscar AGtn coErob-
STATED tho above testimony, and sta:ad soma Id
0.icnal facts all pointing to the prisoner as the
a.an aAo did tlc deed
1lE pEI-3SEHs STATEMENT.
The orisoaer was then pat upon the stand.