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

usual supper hour, and after waiting
short time the family had supper
WITHOUT him, supposing he had been
ostained on business. Nine o'clock
came and he had not returned: Mrs
Booth became somewhat alarmed at
his prolonged absence. Her uneaSiness
was caused, OF at least increased, by
the fact that her husband had lately
been complaining Of not feeling well.
Enudring the suspense as long as she
could, she finally started out in search
OF him, calling at his usual haunts
among the business houses. No one
could Civ, her any definite infOrma-
ton. Several people remembered hav-
ing seen him during the day; at the
store where he purchased the glass,
she learned that he had been there
about . o'clock. This was the only
dehN xsGLinfOrmation concerning her
husbWl she was able TO acquire Re
turning home her anxiety became
dread fear, upon learning he had not
returned during her absence, as she
had fervently hoped. The suspense
became uncomfortable; she could not re-
main inactive at home; she appealed
TO a young man who was in the house
TO go with her TO the barn where Mr..
Booth kept his stock, thinking il pos
sible he might have gone there and
been overtaken by sudden illness
They reached the barn shortly after
II o'clock. 1t was cold winters
night; bleak and dreary stood the old
structure before the lone searchers; il
was with grave misgivingS and an
overpowering presentiment of evil that
she entered the barn with her COM
panion an1 searched through its IN
canny hooks and corners.
Every part OF the structure was
sad
esFo1t were Oh the point of leaving,
Wien she noticed a little window to
a small grain room, from which a
board had recently been knocked off;
this little grain room was the only
part Of the old barn that they had not
searched. Fearing to do so herself,
she requested the young man to look
through the window. Holding his
light he peered into the gloomy place,
and there on The floor was the bruised
and lifeless body of the missing man.
The young man was greatly shocked,
nc stood for a moment tranSfiXed,
unaL)o 20 move or utter a word. Mrs,
Booth instantly noticed and sensed the
manner and conduct of the young man,
and frantically demanded TO know the
cause. With a great effort to appear
calm, he told her that Mr.. Booth was
inside, but they would have to call
help Taking her by the arm, they
sought the residence of Mr.. Croker.
who lives on the opposite street corr
neF, only a few rods away, but be-
fortSthey had traversed this short dis
tan > the awful truth dawned upon
Mrs. Booth. and she felt a conviction |
that her husband was dead. They |
made haste to summon SIr. Croker. |
and in a few brief words the young |
man related what he had discovered. |
Mrs. Croker who had retired, was
aroused. as was also Mr.. 4. ". /
q boarder.
They all returned 10 the barn. Mr.. |
Crocker tried, but unsuccessfully, to /
break the lock from the door to the /
grain room, with a piece of wood. He /
then suggested that he could get in /
the window; and while one OF
the party held "A light, he climbed |
through the window into the room.
Mr.. Croker removed a nut from the
door hasp and Mr.. Hinchman kicked
and forced it open.
On the floor. cold in deaths embrace.
lay the murdered body of Harvey
Booth. That the deed had been the
deliberate act of some foul assassin,
there could be no doubt
The grain room is located IN the
corner Of the barn, near the main
doors. It is a small compartment,
about SKIP feet square, and was useci
oy Mr.. Booth exclusively, he being the
only person who had a key TO it.
How the Deed Was Done.
Whoever killed Harvey Booth came
lpon him in this room either by first
gaining access through the little win
Ioke from which the board had been
Znoeaed and by lying in wait for him;
r hE. following him in when ne went
= get feed for his stock
apparently the first blow was struck ;
With some blunt instrument while the
rictirn had his hat on. It was evil
Iently hard stroke, because ii must /
ave crushed the skull and been suf-
icient 10 cause death. This seems to
,e plausible, because there was pool
f blood near the door leading into the
title bunk room adjoining, and because
he condition Of the hat worn by Mr.. {
Booth shows that only one blow was I
truck while ii was On his head. The
at was found just where 1t would :
ave probably fallen had the victims
cad first fallen to the ground where ,
ne pool of blood was located. The pool ,
f blood was SO large as to show
exclusively that the wound from {
vhich it flowed must have been fatal
Me body was not found where it first {
au The murderer determined to make q
IRE Of his deadly work and moved the I
IAN oyer towards the center of the I
oor1,. &fsE wrapping the head in a +
ruLnyS sack; blow after blow was (
=