, 1888-03-17
OVER THE BONES.
Patterson, Charged With the Murder
of McElh9ne, on Trial.
The Skeleton of the Dead Man in
Court.
Clubbing on the Admissability of
Evidence.

But little progress was made in the
Patterson murder case yesterday. Forty
one witnesses for the prosecution were
narshalled into the court room and duly
sworn. At that time it was announced
that dispositions from half a dozen other
persons would be forthcoming in the
cours OF trial. Among the number were
three experts, Drs. Marston, Barkwell and
Grimes.
United States Attorney Campbell made
the opening statement for the territory.
He gave a synopsis of the proposed line
of action for the prosecution. A short
history of the dark crime, from the acci-
dental discovery of a coat in Dead Mans
canon to the apprehension of Patterson in
Montana last August was submitted. The
speaker dwelt forcibly on the circum-
stances connecting the prisoner with the
case. The departure of Patterson and
Tin Hat" from Runningwater and sub
sequent appearance of the former in that
section alone was recited, and the first
arrest and escape Of the prisoner men
toned. The prosecution will attempt to
establish, among other things, that a re-
v~olver, identified as the property of the
murdered man, was taken from Patterson
upon the occasion of his arrest by Deputy
Sheriff Thomas Carroll in 1885. Counsel
for the commonwealth will introduce evil
dence for the purpose of proving that the
skeleton found in Muskrat canon Dec. l.,
1884, was the corpse James McElhone,
alias Tin Hat"
Fer some reason Patterson's legal rep
resentatives waived the right to make an
opening statement. Senior counsel for
defense is very willy and OVERLOOKING with
resources, being a specialist in criminal
jurisprudence. Yesterday a spectator
would be constrained TO draw the conclu-
sion that the identity of the murdered
man would be denied. However, counsel
may resort to an attempt to establish an
alibi.
The accused sat near his attorneys.
Patterson is a dark eyed, brown haired
man, with a heavy moustache. His fore
head is slightly receeding, but he never
theless looks quite Intelligent. Defendant
watched the proceedings very closely, but
exhibited no
Mrs. Patterson, or Wilbur as the lady
calls herself, was seated near the prisoner.
She takes the matter quite seriously, and
evinces a lively interest in the proceed
ings.
Attorney Patterson is a shrewd practi-
toner. Though not a brow heater he
manages to pretty rigidly cross examine
each witness, and often succeeds by adroit
questioning in placing information at the
disposal of the jurors which might with
propriety be omitted. In Laramie coun-
tvs able prosecutor and the bright United
States attorney, the Colorado attorney and
his Cheyenne colleague, T. NJ Fisher,
Esq, have foemcn worthy of their steel.
The first witness called was John Stru,
man.. While hunting in Muskrat canon,
Nov. 80, 1884, he discovered the coat
which subsequently, led to the finding OF
the skeleton of the murdered man. Stru-
man was closely Intercepted as to the to-
biography of the surrounding country and
infinitely described its appearance and pc
culiarties.
John Murphy lived in muskrat canon
in 1884 and found the body supposed to
be that of McElhone in what is now cal
led Dead Mans canon. Witness recog-
nized the clothing which had been un
earthed and with the skeleton exhibited
in court. He Identified the skull, which
had been perforated with two bullets and
pointed out the wound in the shoulder
blade. Murphy was a witness at the
coroner's inquest and he and Henry
Chase inferred the remains of the muir.
dered man Dec. s. Nothing was found
in the pockets of deceased's clothing.
Coyotes had gnawed nearly all of the
flesh from the body prior to its discov-
cry.
Henry Chase has for several years past
resided at Rawhide Buttes. He was
foreman of the coroner's Jury which held
an inquest on the remains of the mur,
dered man. He disintered the skull and
shoulder blade of the skeleton and identi-
fed these members as a portion of the
original ghastly find. In searching the
pockets of deceased nothing of value was
found. The boots on the feet of the
corpse were of the style called govern
ment. Red or auburn, certainly light,
was the color Of the hair found on the re-
mains. There was very little flesh on the