The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-22
BELDEN TALKS.
He Makes Statement which if True will Clear
Him. Why He Remained Silent.
New Developments.

Belden has made statement to his law
yer The entire statement was offered us
but on account of its length it is not pub
lished, as the story as he tells it, has
numerous repetitions and the value of it
does not warrant the space. The gist OF
the matter is given below.
Belden starts out by stating that he
came to the territory with S125 in his
pocket. He found upon his arrival all
claims taken and in looking around
to buy one was told of the claim
owned by Charlie Grant, who he
is charged with numbering, by Bob
Galbreath who said he would sell it to him
for $500. After looking around at other
Claims which were for sale, butsconcluded
that the claim owned by Grant suited hi m
best and made up his mind to buy it. He
saw Grant but he wanted S409 for the en-
tire claim and outfit. On December 20,
1889. he spaid Grant $50 to close the
bargain and sent TO his folks in Illinois for
more funds. His parents answered him
and said they would furnish him sufficient
money in addition to his TO enable him to
| buy the claim
Belden says he next saw Charlie Grant
on the 3lst Of the same month at his home
on the claim. Grant said he would go
out and show him where the lines were
which marked his possessions. Grant
said that he and the neighbor,
one John Foster, had had dis
pute in regard to the boundaries
When they had been nearly around the
claim and got to the line in dispute
Foster came to where they were standing.
After common place remarks, Grant told
Foster where the lines were. Foster said
he was wrong. Some hot works were
passed between the two men but they
soon got quieted. Nothing at the time
was said of the sale of the claim. Belden
and Grant finally left Foster who was in
rage. Grant told Belden Foster was a
dangerous man and feared him. After
walking some distance where they came to
a.log and before separating sat down tohave
a chat. Belden who had his rife with him,
set it against a tree some 10 feet from where
/ they sat down. While they were talking
! Foster came up again and the two men
| got into dispute again over the correctness
Of the lines. Belden asked them not to
! quarrel, but Grant made movement at
Foster as if to strike at him. Foster at
this moment espied the gun and taking it
up fired at Grant, killing him instantly.
Belden was very much frightened and
started to run away but Foster raised
his gun at him and ordered him to stop,
threatening to shoot if he did not stay.
He took all the cartridges which Beiden
had and then told Belden if he told on him
! he would kill him. Besides that if he
said anything that he (Foster) would
swear that Belden had done the killing
| That it would be so believed as, Belden
was seen with Grant and Belden carrying
a rife So the jury would readily con-
Wet him. Belden plead with Foster to
let him go home, but Foster informed
| him that he would have to help him bury
! Grants body.
Belden told Foster that he had given
! Grant $50 on the claim, but that he had
not yet relinquished it. Foster told him
! that he would fix everything up for him so
! that he could hold the claim. After some
| further deliberations Foster decided to
/ bury Grants body under manure pile
and compelled Belden to help him carry
the remains and throw dirt on them when
they covered it with manure. Before
burying Grant, Foster took his pants coat
and shoes off and took the $50 Belden had
given him out of the dead mans pockets.
which Foster kept.
Before leaving the boy that night, he
again gave him to understand that as the
bullet y hjch killed Grant had come out of
Belden's rifle and that as he helped to bury
him, he was as guilty as Foster. Foster
later told Belden to feed the stock at
Grants claim every day and to tell every
one who inquired that Grant had gone to
/ Winchester. He met Foster often after
that and it was arranged that they go to
Guthrie together to get REIMBURSEMENT
papers, which Foster said he would get
arranged with a lawyer at that place
Foster said ne would sign Grants name to
the papers and all would be o. k. Belden
hesitated. but Foster told him it was the
only way to keep people from finding out
that he had killed Grant. He returned
home and was arrested at his uncle's house.
Here Belden says:
when / was arrested at my uncle's
place l felt that had committed no crime
and would have told VINO did the deed, but
was afraid that if did tell how it hap
pened that Foster would do as he told me
he would at the time Grant was killed,
that is, throw the whole blame on to me,
and that / would be convicted of killing
Grant, while he would escaped. l thought
that by keeping still and saying nothing
might not be convicted, and, while was
aware that it was not right TO not tell, yet
l was afraid to do so, for Foster had
threatened me that if l told that he
would see that l got the worst of it and
that he would kill me if he had to, in or
der to escape himself It seemed that the
longer | kept the secret the harder it was
for me TO tell it. had never been in any
trouble of any kind and knew nothing
about law, and, while | knew that I was
innocent of killing Charlie Grant. yet l
was led to believe from what Foster told
me that if all the facts were known that
would be held equally guilty with him in
the eye OF the law"
He stated that be never signed Grants
name to any legal papers. Later, at the
trial, he says that when his attorney, Mr..
Prince. came to see him in Jail, Il told
him was innocent" He asked Belden
why he had signed Grants name to the
REIMBURSEMENT, when be told him he did
not. Prince did not believe him, so he
say he told him no more about the crime
because he wouldn't believe what he said.
Belden further states that: When on the
witness stand, giving testimony in behalf
OF myself, | stated that | did sign the
name of Charles W. Grant TO the relin-
punishment l said it because I knew my
attorney expected me to so state. but de-
sire to state here now that
never did sign the name of Charles