The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1891-11-14

AAoAuo, co"oOy ana resident OF
Louisville, Idaho, while drunk,
made the startling statement to
William Ayers and others that he,
in company with a young fellow
named Reed Hake and a cowboy
named Tex, had been sent to Will.
low creek, a wild and desolate
place sixty miles from Louisville,
to look up some stolen cattle, and
on arrival there found the BODY of
man with a bullet hole in bis
back made by forty-four calibre
gun and his face partly eaten away
by coyotes. No attention was paid
to the story at first, it being looked
upon as the imagination of a
drunken man. Ayers, however, on
considering the matter, thought
THERE WAS SOMETHING IN IT
and told w. w. Green, a deputy
sheriff, what he had heard, and the
two went to work on the case.
developing enough evidence to i'm
plicate at least three of the largest
cattlemen in the state.
Williams story, as told Ayers
and Green, is substantially as fol-
lows: That he was sent for by one
of the cattlemen, who is also doing
a general business in Louisville,
who said that he wanted Williams
to accompany Tex and his nephew
on trip Of investigation in the
matter Of stolen cattle, saying that
ne was to act as body guard to
his nephew, as he was afraid to
have him alone with Tex.
On arriving at Willow creek, Tex
went to a half-decayed log, and
drew from under it coat, hat,
gloves and handkerchief, saying as
he did so: II now know where
am" And before riding hundred
yards further, a dead body was
found, which was recognized by
Williams as that of one Dutch
John,
A NOTORIOUS CHARACTER
and former cattle thief. Williams
suspicious of something crooked
was at once aroused, but he said
nothing at the time, but the three
returned to Louisville, without fur
Their search being made for the
stolen cattle. Here Williams says
they went to the general store men,
toned and deposited the clothing
with the proprietor.
Later developments show that
Tex afterward went to the store
keeper and told him there was a
mortgage on his brothers farm,
which would be toreclosed unless
the money was raised, whereupon
he was told to bring the papers to
the store and he should have the
money. This he did and received
$500.
The suspected cattleman had in
the meantime heard that Williams
was talking, and had
SENT HIM WORD TO KEEP STILL
till he had seen him. This Ayers
and Green prevented by keeping
him out of the road. All the evil
dencs points the cattleman being
behind the devilish business, it
being the prevalent opinion that he
first hired Tex to do the killing
and then not being satisfid that it
had been accomplished, sent Tex
back with his nephew and Williams
as witnesses.
The three cattlemen implicated
are said to have claimed that
Dutch John had threatened their
lives, and on this account and the
superstition that John knew more
of the inside workings of the cattle
mems business than wac conducive
to their interests, it is thought that
they put him where he could not
harm them.
Sheath Smith went to Louisville
this morning with five deputies
and after finding the clothing on
the cattleman's premises,
| ARRESTED HIM AND HIS NEPHEW
to be held to await the verdict oil
the coroner, who, with three depu-
ties, went on to Willow creek to
secure the body, and from there to