The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-12-15
FOUL MURDER


a gentleman here gives the fol.
lowing particulars of an alleged
murder at Green River. the latter
part OF November; a man named
Smith killing a young man named
Rice:
Smith is one of the first settlers
on Green River, below Split Rock
Canyon, and is we'll known amongst
his nelghbors as being very trouble
some. and a terrible mischief maker.
He has had several fights and law
suits over right of water, roads and
fence, which have always termin-
ated in his being in the wrong.
This young man Rice was not
over twenty-five years of age, and
was stranger in the country. He
located on Green River this tall,
and he and gentleman by the
name Of Muloy took up a ranch or
farm about two miles below Smiths
farm on Green River. Mr.. Muloy,
being telegraph operator, left and
put Rice in charge Of the further
improvements of the farm. Things
went on very smoothly, Mr.. Rice
making several acquaintance who
speak very highly of him |;
also they assisted him in put
ting up u cabin, etc. The
ground located had consider
able timber on it, which, of
course, was very valuable for fencing
purposes, etc. Two days previous
to the shooting a son of Smith went
down to Rice's place. He and Rice
had an alteration; Smith, however,
ended it by breaking a gun stock
over Rice's head, the marks of
which he carried to his grave. This
did not suffice their Villainous pas
Sions, so, on Thursday, November
oath, Smith armed himself with a
rifle and took his son with him to
Rice's place after load of firewood,
a distance of two miles. He (Smith)
had plenty Of wood at home within
his own fence. Rice did not see
them until they had partly loaded
their wagon with wood. When he
did see them. he got into his wagon
and drove down from the cabin on
a road which intersected the main
travelled road about 200 yards from
the cabin. Smiths wagon stood
about twenty-five or thirty yards
from the junction of the roads
distance from the house not over 200
yards. Rice, of course, felt he was
imposed upon, and no doubt tried
to maintain his rights, when Smith
shot him dead. The bullet entered
his left breast and came out at the
shoulder. Death mnst have been
instantaneous. Smith then drove
his wagon home, and came to Ash
ley's Fork, the county seat, and
acknowledged having. killed Rice,
but, of course, in self-defense.
Next morning the coroner's jury
were impaneled by Coroner Alfred
Johnson, viz: W. G. Britt, Charles
Carroll and j. NJ. Davis. They went
down, and found the body on the
ground, about 200 yards from the
cabin, frozen hard. He was lying
on his back. Smith says he turned
him over on bis back. His right
wrist lay over the breach of a
Sharp's rifle, the trigger Of which
was down. and exactly under the
breech of the rifle was the
hole made in the ground
by the victims blood, when it
gushed out of the heart; but,
strange to say, there was not
a PARTICLE of blood on the rifle, only
what came off from his sleeve and
hand. Had Rice had the gun in his
hands at the time he met his death.
it would have been impossible for
him to have fallen with the gun in
his hand, as when found, without
all this blood, that passed from, his
body, going over the breeeh Of the
gun. But not sign OF blood could
be found, which, of course, proves
that the gun must have been placed
there after the bloody deed had
been done, to try and delude who
ever should investigate the affair.
Two tracks we're found going to
and coming from the cabin on Rice's
wagon tracks, which proves that
some one went to the cabin after
the man was dead, AMI the tracks,
no doubt,were made by Smith when
he went after the victims rifle.
Rice'S whip was also found between
his arm and breast,al smeared with
blood. Many other points of circum-
stantial evidence will be made
known at the proper time, which
will prove the deed one of the most
cruel and premeditated murders
ever committed.