The Dispatch. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1891-08-12

Sad and EouI Affair-Sherif Fowler IS
On Track OF the ? Perpetrators Of the Ayv-
ful Crime, But they are not yet Caught
as so many inquiries have been
II ade at this office Iur more IU.l par
tieulars OF the iOul murder of Ben.
BuehaHau, " hlcn occur. q at Price at
about the mldclo Of july last, news
of which We hrsU exclusively published
| by this paper IN its issue of August j,
epOrter was put upon the cosz tn
instructions 10 look INTO Ihe matter
and obtain all he pan ticuldrs posS ble
for our readers. This has been done.
and although the additional Iuiorma-
ton received by the reporter is mragrr
and unsatisfactory, it Is here given:
MIR. Buchanan, or" Ben as he was
familarly called, was all old time resi-
dent of Span sh Fork, but tor the past
few wears has been living alone on a
farm near Price. Although somewhat
OF a reciuse, and his HABITS sOmeN hat
mlserly, he was an honest and lnduSt-
r,OuS man, and we'll respected by all
who knew MIN. He b many relatives
ald friends in Spanish FOrk, and the
sad news OF his death mas cast gloom
over that city.
1t appears, from al that can be
learned. the crime was committed Tor
money,,as he was supposed to have
considerable OF il hid about his house
or buried in his rancl somewhere, and
by clever hands, as no trace of blood
was found anywhere, and had the MUIR
dererS taken pains to have urrIed
their victim deeper, the fate of Ben.
BuchanOn would still be unknown.
The first clue TO his disappearance
was discovered by neIgLbOrs. on Aug
18th, passing his ranch and seeing cattle
grazing on his hay had began to make
inquiry as to his whereabouts. but to
their surprise they found Mr.. BuchauOn
and his team were missing. Search
was made throu h tie canyons ut once,
as 1t was thought he had gone there Tor
posts aud had met with some accident,
but all TO no effect.
A young man residing near Cedar
switch, hearing OF the atIai reported
that on or about the 18th OF July he had
seen BuchdnOn's team about twenty
miles below Price, being driven
by two strangers, one smooth faced,
active young Daue, the other a miJdle
aged man with q sandy gUdtee. They
were seen to cross the ferry.
This aroused suspicion that some T
thing was wrong, and JWO brothers, T.
William and Frank Warren, began dil- /
ligent search at once near his house. n I
disagrseabie smell in d small rayine
about ten rods from the house caused [
them to look in that direction. when it /
was discovered that d few greasewcod /
bushes had been piled up in narrow /
ravne, which was about eight feet I
deep, under which was pie OF loose (
dirt. They were soon convinced that /
something was buried there, as the flies
and the insects were crawling out and [
i'll the dirt \ Jury was summoned I
that evening. but did not appear until .
tile morning OF the 9th, on account OF I
It's being so late. Early Oh the morn [
ing Of the 9TH. the jury, with number
ut spectators, were on the spot accom- (
panied by Sheriff Fowler. OF this city.
who had been sent for.
Steps were at once taken to remove
the loose dirt, when a most Sickeniug
sight met the eyes OF all which can new
er be forgotten. Under about "a foot Of
dirt were found three uf his dogs and /
under them WAS found the body of
Ben Buchanon in d decayad con|ition.
The body was lifted from tie gutter
and examined by the jury. The trac-
lure WAS found on the left side of the
face, part OF the cheek bone being brok-
EN- and also some of the tee b on the
same side. An empty pocket book and
a bunch of letters were found buried
at his feet. His gun was still in the
house with an empty shell in it, The
team and wagon were gone, the dogs
buried with their master and things
left in such shape as to make it APP
pear that he had gone TO the canyon
The jury returned verdict that Mr..
BuchanOn was wilfully and brutally
by some unknown party or
parties on or about the middle of last
July.
In searhing for the two strangers
who We're seen crossing the ferry with
team and wagon, it has
been learned the same outfit was seen
later than the 18th Of July passing
Thompson Springs and all traces seem
to Indicate that the murders have gone
north into the Wood River country. T.
1t is to be hoped that Sheriff Fowler's
Efforts will be rewarded by an early
capture of the fugitives.