Las Vegas free press. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1891-1???, 1892-05-05
SENTENCED.
TEap FAULKNER TO HANG JUNE 8.
1892.

Fred Faulkner, who was today sem
fenced to be hung on Friday, the Sd
day of June, is one of the most noto-
rious criminals who has been in New
Mexico. He is a man of about 80
years of age, feet inches in height,
weighs about l9O pounds, dark COM
plexion, married, and is known at diff
ferent places as Fred Faulkner,
Frank Woods and Frank Decker.
His record is about as follows, as far
as known:
AT Oxford, Kas., there is out re-
ward Of 5000, dated August 4, 1890,
for his arrest on the charge of alb.
Quoting girl, whom he took to Wfch-
ita with him, and there deserted her
and left her to make her way the best
possible. He is also charged there
horse stealing and obtaining money
under false pretenses, on all of which
charges the authorities claim they
have evidence enough to convict
him, and if released here they are
anxious for his arrest and return to
them.
At Ouray, Colorado, he was mixed
into horse stealing scrape and held
by the sheriff as a witness, but was
taken to Pueblo on the insane racket
and managed to get released. Here
he went by the name of Frank Decker.
At Denver he went by the name
of Frank Woods, and was watched
very closely by the police as danger
GUS character, Though as far as known
he had no trouble while there. He
claimed while in Denver to be law
yer. From Denver he went to Provo,
Utah, to meet his wife. Her sister,
Clara Stewart, was a resident of
Denver while he was there, but
whether still there is not known.
In some places where he has been
he has appeared as a member of the
Salvation army, but while undoubt-
ly well known to the officers of the
law in many other places, the above
are the main facts so far as known
here. His parents are said to be res
idents of Rochester, N. Y.
The crime for which he was con-
victed was the murder of a man
named Lannon, an ex-union soldier,
who came from Bradford, Ill. They
had started from Trinidad together,
with Lannon's team and outfit to go
to Oklahoma. They stopped and
made camp near Folsom, and the
next day the mutilated remains of
Lannon were discovered at the camp
ing place, having been murdered
while peacefully sleeping, while
Faulkner had disappeared with the
outfit. The tracks were still visible,
however, and parties started in pur-
SUIT, following the track until night,
when, at a distance of over 40 miles
from the scene of the murder, Faulk-
ner was overtaken and made prisoner,
near Springfield, Colo.
At the time for holding the fall
term of the Colfax court the wit
nesses were all on hand and Lannon's
brother came from Illinois to attend
the prosecution, but Judge O'Brien
adjourned court and the case went
over until March, when the prisoner
was indicted and arraigned. He
pleaded poverty and Messrs Leahy
and Salazar were appointed by the
Judge TO defend him. They took
change of venue to this county. The
evidence was purely circumstantial,
no one having been an eye witness
to the act, but the facts were as
plain as though the jury had wit
messed the murder. The accused had
his victims watch and memorandum
book on his person, and he had his !
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