The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-01-23
CASS HlTE TALKS.
He Tells Reporter About the Killing Of
kOehier

kOehier.
Cass Hite, who shot and killed Koehler
at Green River last summer, is at Denver
and he recently gave NelUs reporter the
following account of the killing:
''As you know, the inquest at Green
River before Justice Valentine resulted IN
my complete generation. The next day
Sheriff Tom Fowler, of Provo, arrested me
again. He didn't have any warrant, for
that matter, but OF course that didn't make
any difference to me. Attorney Balllneer
came down with him and examined all the
witnesses. Then he gave it as his legal
opinion that | could not be held and that
the verdict was just
s'He advised the sheriff to order release
so that the county might not be put to
needless expense. This you see was prac-
ticallv two trials. Three or four weeks
after, while was 300 miles from Provo
down on the Colorado river, the grandiury
indicted me on evidence that was concocted
by my enemies
81 knew very well what they would do,
but could not remain at Provo TO watch
their operations before the jury. As soon
as | could get away l started for Provo,
! and sure enough, | met the marshal coming
! for me. | went up and pleaded not guilty
| and my application for bail was set for
November IA. My witnesses were all far
away, so | could make no showing and bail
was refused.
"At this hearing the trial was set for
| February go At the second hearing for
| bail on December a. | showed just about
| half INV hand and was admitted to bail in
! $50 600. | had no trouble in getting securi-
ties, of course. United States Justice
Blackburn said the shooting was either
murder in the first degree or justlhaole
homicide, so | consider the admission to
bail as good omen, and that he did not
think the evidence justified a charge of
| murder"
MIR. II tie was asked to tell something
about the men with whom he had the trou-
bic, and expressed himself in the most open
way. Said he: They were a crowd of
outlaws, desperadoes and stiffs, genuine
stiffs." 'Suffs" is Utah for raud and
swindler. He continued Drake and
| Koehler were the head of the concern, but
were backed by others. They had been
running doggery or dance house at Green
River and were badly in debt. Koeher
had so few friends that his funeral ex-
penses are still unpaid, and Brakes ex-
penses at the Holy Cross hospital are not
} paid"
, Mr. Hite was asked who was putting w
for the prosecution, and said: ''kohier had
been associated with man named Mans
field at Telluride / claim that these mer
) were not actua,ed by any love to kohler
that was no consideration. 1t was enmlty
, TO me and the opportunity that the sac
affair offered to enable lot of stiffs II
, work money out of Mansfield and they
! succeeded too well, to my sorrow. Tht
> principal part of 81 ,000 or 81, 800 was sen
to Kohler's friends at Green River. Tha
man who got the money had not clothe
enough to flag hand car, and 1t was
| favorable thing to me that he got hold o
the money. He shook mosU of his pals il
the conspiracy, went to Salt Lake, got int
0 clothes such as he had never saw befor
and dropped the cash bucking faro. | un
derstand that the Telluride parties hav
o quit, and the gang is now at Green Rive
n fiat broke. I am assured the prosecute
has burst, but shall not trust TO that i
q the slightest. / shall show the full strengt
of my case and justify the faith of thos
who have stood by NE from first to last"
% Mr.. Hite said that he had nine eye wi
nesses to the affray, and felt perfectly col
n tident of the result. After some persua
the incidents that led up to it with fore
} that is impossible to reproduce.
''In Denver l was warned that l woul
o probably be killed by the gang. At Gran
Junction my brother Johnny came to N
10 at the hotel and sat on the edge of the be
and actually cried. He is not long OF
20 from the states you know, but told hil
that it was not so easy to kill an old tim
10 western man."
NJ Everyone told me would be killed,
~ continued Hite, ''but l was not so sure {
it. The next day Koehler paraded tn
= town with Winchester, announcing ths
n he would kill me on sight. WE'LL whs
could do? 1 had to see him and settle
RI or leave the country. never ran avs
4 yet, and don't know what kind OF gait
could strike / called Shafer, who worke
for me, and says L: Billy, come along an
hear what is said, so they can't get out {
it afterwards Koebler could have sht
10 me at my cabin from his, so l could not pl
;" off going to see him.
r II don't deny that l had no vest on an
e. that I had 45 Colts buckled around m
{, waist. Baker and Koehler were standir
le in front of the cabin and saw me comm
r Koehler whispered to Baker and wei
inside and got Winchester down off tt