The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-13

he changed his clothes that evening
is known, but it IS also known that he
made frequent changes during the
week 1t is also thought he returned
to the barn and made sure that every
thing was all right, and that It was he
that was seen coming out of the barn
at 7:30 by a man passing at that hour
1t is possible for all this to have been
accomplished in the space OF thirty or
forty minutes, and forty minutes is
the limit of time. Yet il is doubtful if
all could have been done as thoroughly
as it was done in so short time.
CrocEer Takes 1t Coolly.
If Croker is guilty, he is the coolest
criminal Of the age, because he went
with the sheriff to the barn, examined
the body, assisted in caring for it and
did not evince the least trace of ex-
eitement. He insisted that robbery
TO impress that theory on the sheriff.
Testimony of a Child.
There is one thing connected with
this case that has not been mentioned,
and that is the testimony OF a little
girl to the effect that she saw Booth
enter the barn and that she heard two
men talking, one saying, Here he
comes now The prosecution does nor
accept all of her story as being true.
and SEE seems to be uncertain herself
about it. That she saw Booth struck
as he entered the barn is apparently
disproved by the absence of blood eX-
cept in the grain room. 1t is thought
by some that she may have noticed
Booth enter the barn and may have
heard men talking. At one time she
said she heard quarreling, which
would agree with the theory that the
murder was the result of a quarrel
In conversation with the people of
Evanston. the prevailing opinion is
that Croker is the guilty man. There
does not seem to be much bitterness
against him, because many think with
the officers of the county that he was
impelled to do it by what he considered
to be the unjust treatment of Booth,
which was especially aggravating at
this particular time. They do not JUS
tify the act, but they do not incline to
the belief that it was the result of
vicious determination to kill a fellow
man, but rather the outcome of pas
sion suddenly aroused. Booth did not
like Croker, and from all that can be
learned of the man there must have
been something between them of
which the public generally is not
aware, because he seemed in his recent
references to Crocker to have held him
in utter contempt. Some have limited
that the two men knew what had be-
come of Crawford, with whom they
had both had trouble, and that this
last murder was the result of a guilty
knowledge held in common by the two.
Diligent search fails to establish any
good reason for this suggestion. There
is seemingly no connection between
the two crimes, and yet many reliable
citizens of Evanston have an abiding
% in a xr-h6
murder is cleared up the mystery sur
rounding the other will disappear.
Sheriff Ward.
In the investigation conducted for
The Herald, the correspondent was
thrown more or less in company with
Sheriff ]. H. Ward. He is a man who
seems especially fitted for that i'm
portant office, and this seems to be
the sentiment of the people, for they
have elected him for five consecutive
terms. He is not what may be termed
a brilliant man, but apparently one of
great determination, thoroughly hon
est, slow to form an opinion. but when
once convinced of a thing, will
follow up his theory with bull
dog tenacity. If he should
be wrong. it would not be be-
cause VI ulS4ioIieSt Pun l'o@S' nc
is mentioned in particular because he
is the important factor in the case;
he has followed it to the very bot
tom seemingly and it must be adj
mitted that there seems 10 be no
part of the case as it IS known TO
the public which is at great variance
with his theory. The circumstances
as he has knit them together certainly
point to Croker.
County Attorney Ham.
J. C. Ham, the county attorney, has
given the case the attention its i'm
portance deserves. He, in connection
with the sheriff, has followed out
every possible clue and he is also of
the opinion that everything points to
Crocker as the murderer. There is
some evidence known to the prosecu-