Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-28
camp and saw two men, one of whom he
recognized as Emerson,

| WAGON,
And they called out to him. If, after al
that has been said, you find no circum
stances in the testimony TO prove tina
this party engaged in this murder, you
are to say SO, and if you see evidence o
guilt you are to make it known in you
decision. You have no explanation t.
make as to the death of John F. Turner
you have but one question to answer il
deciding the guilt or innocence of this
defendant by the evidence adduced
Something has been said about Hop
being the master mind and leader O
Emerson in the affair. The incidents
along the road deny the assertion, anc
show ~ g
EMERSON MORE EXPERIENCED, OLDER AMI
DEEPER POTTER
Than Hopt. It will be- remembered thai
Hopt was luckless boy, without parenta.
care or guidance at the age of Is years
He formed hayward, reckless habits
which have centered crime upon him.
On the other hand is Emerson, with his
knowledge of the world and the tact Of
even working upon the feelings of jury.
| leave with you the grave responsibility
of handling this mans life.
. MR. BEN sHEEKs.
May it pleace the Court and gentlemen
of the jury, shall not 60 through all the
details of this case, as it has been so ably
set forth by my associate, Mr.. Williams.
This case arose long time ago. The de-
PENDANT has had no means to employ
counsel and has had simply such aid as
has been provided by the Court. In re-
gard to the Identification of this body,
the fact that these witnesses testified that
they identified the body by the face
seems untrue, and that they had to be
guided by referring to clothes and many
small articles besides. I have
wondered why the other sock, said to
mate the one brought here, was not pre-
sented. The prosecution would have
produced it if it had been mate of the
one brought here. Why not bring the
one found on the body instead of the one
which had been off several days? This
is all care to say of the identification of
this body. Where is there any evidence
that Turner was killed by Hopt? Where,
if so, is any generalization shown? Re
garding the loose remarks of Hopt that
HE WOULD GET EVEN WITH THE TURNER
FAMILY,
What is the conclusion? You all know
that throughout your own lives you have
said many careless things with no signifi-
canoe intended.
Mr.. Sheeks gave an example of the
easy possibility of being mistaken in a
persons words and meaning, as may be
the case with the witness who testified to
Hopt's threats against the Turner family.
Referred to the statement of Mr.. Camp
bell, of Green River, who said Hopt
stated he had killed an innocent
young man in cold blooo. Why did this
not cause suspicion if it impressed the
witness as being true, and why did Mr..
Campbell stop there and not ask ma
tural question about the killing of an in
nocent young man? No! he invited Hopt
to stay all night with him, and but little
credit can be given the testimony. If
these men killed John F. Turner it was
for the purpose of getting the teams and
property to sell. And if they
did do the crime they would
never have waited until the
morning of the 9th before going away. 1t
is highly improbable that Hopt would
have gone to Emerson, total stranger,
and asked him to go with him in care of
one of the teams. There is no evidence
to show
WHERE EMERSON WAS THAT NIGHT,
And Hopt was about the town with COM
panions and free to detection, if guilty..
After they started away Hopt seems to
have gone ahead and transacted the
business, and this looks as though Emer-
son was shouldering the responsibility on
Hopt, and in case of detection of
the body this man Emerson could
plead ignorance and leave Hopt ac-
countable. Emerson kept himself
hid from view and in the background all
along that canyon trip. The shirt with
blood on it was seen the night of the Sd
by lady and some others who have
testified here. It has been unfortunately
lost. We say if it had been Hopt's shirt
it would have been produced here, but as
it was not it must have belonged to EN-
erson, and the spots on Hopt's shirt have
been accounted for, and he didn't try TO
get away, but wore the shirt until the
next day.
WHOEVER KILLED TURNER
did it without generalization and made
their plans afterward, as is shown by the
outfit not being removed until three DAYS
afterward. Gentlemen of the jury feel
hat have not given the defendant the
.ld ne deserves for [ have not had the
lime to look up the defense the prosecu-
ion had done. I leave the case of life or
ieath with you. You have it in your
bower to take his life, but should Won
ind no generalization and deliberafion
you can save him.
Long before the hour for the afternoon
session of the District Court, throngs of
men and women wended their way up
ne stairs into the trial room. A large
representation of the legal fraternity
we're present inside of the railing, and
ven the aisles were packed with the
urious to get glimpse of the unmoyed
rlminal and the patient and resolute
ohm W. Turner, father of the murdered
10Y.
he Prosecuting Attorney, began a most
loquent and exhaustive argument of the
estimony given. Commencing at the
d of July, 1880, he recited in rapid
nd most touching manner all fhe
ing chain of facts centering the
murder of John F. Turner IN
ne head of Fred Welcome, alias Fred
rick Hopt. To give the points brought
ut by the searchings of the speaker
'ould be an impossible task at this late
our. In contradictory proof of Hopt's
EXPLANATION of the blood on his shirt-his
ppearing in town for observance ..imme-
lately after the crime is supposed to have
cen committed-the moving of Turner's
roperty up Echo canyon, and the
raphic account of all happenings along
ie canyon road, were given in such a
irring spirit as to bring the tears and
.imSpn to hundreds of chaaks E.ra