The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-17
COURT AT PROVO.
The Jury Find Dudley Guilty
Of Incest.
THE WRIGHT MURDER CASE.
Evidence of the Prosecution Wright Testi-
ties-0ther Business Transacted
BY the Court.


Provo, the defendant took the stand. He
denied all improper relations with his
daughter, and said: when the child was
born, she did not tell me whose it was.
asked her if she had been too thick with
Seth Frost and she said she had not. When
the sheriff arrested me | didn't say 4 am
afraid 1t is too true;' l said, sit is "a serious
thing if true" have been sick for some
time. WASN'T well in the JAIL
To Mr.. Evans-I told Fowler I'd give
81 900 for pistol. ] hardly know why l
wanted it. / jumped the train because
was crazy. l thought of the disgrace it
would bring upon me and my family, and
my dead wife. 1t was the next thing to
death for me. l never harmed living per
son in my life
Several witnesses were introduced to
prove the good character Of the defendant
and the defense rested.
In rebuttal, the evidence of several other
witnesses was introduced. The jury was
out but two hours, when a verdict of guilty
sFas rendered.
THE WRIGHT MURDER CASE.
The murder case of James A. Wright was
called, Assistant District Attorney Evans
prosecuting and Thurman and King de-
Tending
During the impaneling of the jury little
tilt occurred between counsel for defense.
There were eleven in the box and defense
waived their peremptOry challenge as the
jury stood. The court ordered the eleven
to be sworn, but to this Mr.. Thurman eX-
cepted, stating that there might be chal-
ieugeS to some of these same Jurors when
the panel was full. His honor warmly Or
dered he eleven to be sworn, which was
done, and Mr. Thurman strongly excepted.
The jury stands as follows: Charles Pat
fen George White, Thatcher Hallett, T. D.
alexander, w. G. Barton, W. K. Henry,
G. Daniels, w. A Haws, 3. L. Kim
isOn, E. Bibbins, C.. NJ Fairbanks, and
Thomas Herbert.
Mr.. Evans made the opening statement,
o. the case outlining his theory of the kill
ing. Mr.. Thurman thought it proper at
this stage of the case to state the theory of
the defense.
The prosecution called Lee Cropper-I
live in Deseret On 25th of April, 1889,
saw SUren Christensen. He was dead.
Defendent came to my house about
o'clock that day and said: Here is the
snan who killed "Old Soren" Unanswered
20 guess not" He replied. Yes, / just
shot MN. He called me a Sol "a b
and threatened my life and wouldn't take
it back and | shot him" Myself and
another started for the body Defendant
repeated this on the way. | went to the
wagon and my brother helped me lift the
body off the seat. / saw a pistol MY
brother picked up the pistol from the wag
on. 1t was empty. No one but the dead man
was in the wagon. Hewas lying with his
head dropped over backwards and still
aeld the lines. He was shot in the left
side of the head The whole top of the
mead was taken off. We laid the body
on the quilt in the back OF
the wagon. | didn't see the pistol when l
first got in. His wife had been helped out
of the wagon and we met her little way
on. The horses hadn't been unhitched |
lived about three-fOurths of mile away
1t was in the scattering town of Deseret.
The first information l had was given by
the defendant. Witness described the
map which was posted on the wall for the
enlightenment of the jury. In my testi-
mony before the grand jury think said,
defendant told NE deceased threatened his
life. l meant to say so.
Cross examined by Mr.. Thurman
Wright didn't request me to look for a
pistol when l reached the wagon. Defend
ant was very much excited. His boy was
with him. The right hand of deceased was
swinging down. Defendant waived exami-
nation. We met the lady about twenty
FIVE yards away. She had blood and brains
on her clothes. There were two children
zyith her.
Wise Cropper-I know the defendant
Wright. Saw him on the 2Sth of April
He called at my house that morning. He
wanted some powder. He said man had
threatened to Kill MIN and he didn't pro
pose that he should get the first shot. He
didn't say who the man was That same
day l was at my brothers., Thomas
Cropper, when he called my attention to
the killing. l went up to the body,
about half a mile away. When we
got to the wagon the woman |
was Sitting in the wagon with the lines in |
her hands. She said she was cold and we
helped her out. She had the lines in front !
of his hands. When | went to lift the body !
aq | saw Texas bulldog pistol. 1t was
ander the seat. Witness described the |
position of the body similarly TO the previ- |
GUS Witness.) picked up the pistol. There
was nothing in it. There was blood on the
IyOman's clothes.
Cross examined didn't find any of the
shot. Don't know the size of the same.
Didn't notice any tracks around the !
wagon. Christensen was usually called |
''Old Soren." l told defendant l wouldn't |
let him have any powder if he wanted to
Kali anyone.
T. w. Cropper-I was at Deseret on the |
day of the shooting. | was irrigating that |
day. / saw Mr.. Wright. He came near |
where ] was irrigating. He had a double !
barrel shotgun in his hands. He was |
standing near the road. His son was with !
him ] said, Hello Wright, hunting rab-
-Sits?" He answered, Sometimes; but Old !
Soren has threatened my life and called me
a s. of a b" l saw Christensen COM
ing, and soon afterwards heard high words
between the men, and soon there followed
shot. 1 then saw Wright and told him.
Going back a minute, just before
the shooting. 1 heard Christensen
say, ''ShootI Shootl Shootr' Then
the shot was fired. l went and told my
brothers that Wright had bowed "Old
SOren's" head off. | went TO see my other
brother and on the way we met him with
Wright. We then went to the wagon and
found the dead man, as has been described.
To the COURT was about one hundred
and twenty five yards away when Christen-
sen was waving his hand
To Evans was on the west side of the
street; so was Mr.. Wright, and Soren was
on the same side of the wagon. His wife
was on the opposite side l saw no pistol
when | first went up. ! saw Lee spread I
quilt down. heard but one report.
To Mr.. Thurman-When Soren was call {
ing to defendant, they were about twenty {
feet apart. Wright was in the trail and
in the road. Neither had deviated i
from their regular route. When l ex- |
amined the body the right hand was swing /
ing in the wagon. think it was three or |
four minutes between the time of the dem 6
onstration and the shooting. when
watch was held on him, witness called time {
in eight seconds) Didn't know whether {
deceased was sitting or standing when he I
was shot.
Willard Rogers-I first heard of the
shooting at Thomas Choppers place in the t
afternoon. Wise Chopper was with me. I
We went up to where the body was.