, 1889-05-24
THE MYSTERY DEEPENS.
Darkening Light on the Manville
Assassination.
A Man in the East Was Offered
Money to Do the Killing.
He Tells Who Wished TO Get Sell
den Out of the Way.

500 ~ "1NAS
fer was recently tried at Douglas. Shelf
fer was acquitted.
The communications are addressed to
John A. Shelter and Judge Melvin
Nichols, his counsel. They are dated
New York and L~eavenworth. Kans., and
were written by VIM. p. L. Harris, alias
Peter Leil, alias VIM. Richmond during
March OF this year and bear the stamp of
genuineness. The writer of course claims
that he did not commit the murder.
Harris learned of the arrest of Shelter
from a Chicago paper. In the hope of
saving from punishment a man who was
probably innocent he made substantially
this statement:
In the spring of 1857 left New York.
going first to Chicago, illinois, then to
Kansas City, Missouri, and lastly to
Omaha, Nebraska. arriving there in the
latter part of June (ab6ut the 20th). l
am a graduate in pharmacy; but at that
time was such a slave to the morphine
habit that | could find no employment
and consequently soon driited down to a
very low level, mentally, morally, physi-
cally and financially. At this period |
became acquainted with two persons. a
Miss Lottie Richmond, a variety actress,
and one George II. Baker. They were
both "fends' (%morphine e~aters), and as
they could furnish the money and | could
procure the drug we soon became fast
friends (saye the mark. There was moth
ing bad about Richmond; she was
only a poor. weak, misguided lit
tie fool. Baker was a schemer though.
One day we went over to Council Bluffs
(~across the river) and at a saloon kept by
a man named Nelson met a man who
Baker had an appointment with. He
was introduced to me as Mr.. Kelly. He
was a short, h~eavy-set man. with sandy
~moustache, dressed rather rough, but
seemed to have plenty of money. To
make a long story short, it came to pass
that Kelly wanted me to get him some
poison thai would act quickly and leave
no trace. After we had returned to
Omaha Baker teld me that Kelly wanted
a certain man that lived at Cheyenne.
Wyoming, put out of the way and that
he would pay a good SUN to have it done.
| had become, as | said, almost a wreck
from morphine, and | suppose my moral
sense was sadly blunted. L wanted to
keep Baker quiet so | let things run and
agreed to everything. First it was
decided to send me on to
Cheyenne alone; then Baker was
to go-but it ended by Kelly accompany
ing me. We went to Cheyenne via the
Union Pacific railroad and then took a
branch road to a place called q think
Wondover. THIS was on the 9th or It'll
OF August, 1887. We walked down by
the river bank, and here Kelly told me
Just what | was to do. Here are
his " words, as near as l can repeat
them:
There is a town named Manville not
far from here. There is a man living
there named Sclden. Now | want you
to fix this man.
He gave me a full description of the
man and his house so | could by no
| possibility make 4 mistake. He told me
the best way would be to keep out OF
| sight; let no one see me at Manville; to
walk into the own after dark and go to
his house and ask to see him at the door
and then shoot him, or else to go boldly
into the town and pretend to be looking
for land and watch my chances and either
shoot or poison him. Now, sir, as [ told
you, | never for one moment intended to
do this thing. | had found out that
Kelly himself was afraid to go to Man
vile, so [ agreed, intending after l left
him to take another direction. He gave
me $25 to pay my expenses. | was to
meet him at Cheyenne afterwards and
receive $500. | left Kelly with this
understanding and walked to Manville,
stayed there one day. saw Selden on the
street several times. That night [ went
to Douglas, from there to Dakota juno
from there wrote to my friends and got
the means to return east with. [ never
heard of Kelly, Selden or Baker alter
wards, and had, | hoped, turned down
forever that page in my past life.
Chl . bhio III AL way gou Nioh
only remember and use me as you would
wish to be used under like circumstances.
| will do anything in my power to serve
Mr.. Shelter if he be innocent. If | had
the time and money to spare | should
have come to Wyoming in person. You
can put these facts in the form OF an
affidavit and send them on, and | will go
before a notary public and swear to them
Mr.. Nichold went cast and interviewed
Harris. He tells the Budget that he
heard the written story from the nuns
lips and much more. 1t seems ne decided
TO go to Douglas, but halted at Lcaven
worth, Kas., from which place he wrote:
81 have found Kelley. lie says he will
go with me to Douglas-in fact he seems
anxious to go. Says he is innocent and
can prove it. l shall take no chances
with him, but watch him constantly.
Unless | zeal from Ottumwa, Ia, 10 day
| consider | have the right to drop this
matter and go to New York. l found
Kelly near Kansas City. Can't get him
to talk. He seems anxious to see Baker,
who is in Denver running A faro bank. |