The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-22
Three PELICAN
POINT MURDERS
Continued from Page -


by several of the thinking ones among
them 1t was at first generally though
mat the young men had been killed b,
Gus Slade. a rancher whose propert.
ad1o1nS that Of the Hayes family anC
with whom the latter some time ag,
had serious difficulties and difference
regarding the title to several pieces o
the marshy land which borders tn
west side of the lake. but that theory
has been practically abandoned, for
in SHADES own words. What would
kill them. for? My disputes have al
been settled by the court and in every
instance l came out on top. By judi
cial decree / was given title to the
lands in dispute. and 1 have been il
peaceable possession of them for sew
eral months. / have not seen the boys
since early in February and know
nothing regarding the cause of Their
deaths or who are the parties respon
sible for their terrible taking off,
Mr.. Slade declared that he was pre-
pared to show where he was every
hour of the day and night during the
month of February and requested that
he be allowed to make his statements
openly before the coroner's jury. He
will be given that opportunity on Mon
day.
Something on the Contest.
It seems that the Hayes people con-
tested SHADES location of the small
strip of grass land directly adjoining
their own ranch. and considerable bad
blood was engendered in consequence,
the case finally finding its way to the
court at Provo, where the judge de-
cided in favor of Slade. and the prop
erty was officially turned over to him.
Everything having come his way, 1t
seems hardly possible that Slade would
have deliberately murdered the young
purpose. In fact. the entire stretch Of
land on the west side of the lake is
not worth the life of a chicken. in the
eyes of the thrifty people on the other
side of the lake. There is simply a
little strip of salaratus land. dotted
here and there with marshy grass
patches. suitable only for light graz
ing. 1t is true, however. that there are
a few places where a little wild hay
of Indifferent quality is cut occasion
ally. But as before stated. the entire
acreage is hardly worth sufficient
money to move an ordinary citizen to
the slaughter of a dumb animal, saying
nothing of three young men just bud
ding into promising manhood.
SHADES Guilt Hardly Possible.
Having taken all these facts into
consideration and weighed carefully
all of the evidence in their possession,
the officers have practically agreed
that Slade was not the person who
either committed the triple headed
crime or even assisted in the per-
petration of the dastardly deeds. Yet
they will maintain a quiet vigilance
until the case has taken another de-
cided turn, to all of which the ranch
er takes no exception.
Suspicion Attaches to Hayes.
Now comes another phase of the
case. 1t is well established fact
that Hayes and his stepson, the muir
dered boy. never got along together
at all easily. In fact, they are said
to have been always quarrelng. The
boy was his mothers only heir, with
the exception of her husband. and the
lady is said to be the possessor of
some means. These facts are those
upon which the people who have ar
rived at the conclusion that Hayes
knows something, if not everything,
regarding the murder, base their the
cries. Although he has not been
openly charged with the crimes,
Hayes seems TO have received an ink
ling Of the suspicion against him and
has already made the statement that
he is entirely innocent. In conversa-
ton with a Herald representative yes
terday morning, while the party was
making the preparations for the re-
moval of the bodies from the places
of discovery, he asked the question
why he should be looked upon with !
following it up with the |
declaration that he knew nothing of |
the crimes, in fact, that any crimes |
had been committed until after the |
discovery of the bodies. He was also |
ready with theory to the effect that |
some of the people Che made no open |
charge against Slade) who have been |
interested in the lands on the west |
side of the lake, must have done the |
thing out Of pure revenge. Of course, !
revenge could have had nothing in |
common with JEhnson and Nelson, |
for they were not interested in the |
lands in dispute, but their murder
was for the purpose of covering up |
that of young Hayes. In explanation
Of their presence in the lake and the
of the team and wa
gon which was in the possession of
the boys at the time of their deaths,
Hayes says he is Of the opinion that
the bodies were weighted down.
placed in the wagon, the horses at
tached and driven out on the ice for
several miles TO a hole previously cut
and there dumped into the waters of
the lake. Just how the bodies were
Ioosened from the weights and the
stand. Others, however, take the view
that the horses and wagon never
found a resting place in the lake, but
3n the contrary were driven away inn
nediately following the murders.
Explains His Silence.
How is it, Mr.. Hayes, that you
never gave a public alarm when you
discovered that the boys were mis-
sing, but on the contrary instructed
several of your Eureka friends who
mentioned the matter, and commented
lpon tine mysterious disappearance,
lot to make any further talk on the
subject? was asked by the reporter.
THAT was simply for the purpose
If preventing the guilty parties re-
,eiving any inkling that we suspected
oul play" he answered. There was
10 desire on my part to conceal any,
hing, but on the contrary I set on
DOT an inquiry to ascertain where the
boys had gone"
Hayes did not say, however, why he
i'd not give the officials of the law no
ice of the fact that his stepson and
wo of his friends had disappeared to
omewhere, no one knew where. These
re facts upon which many stories are
eing builded.
mother Son Appears on the Scene.
Then again, the fact is mentioned
hat some time last year son of
Hayes made his appearance for the
rst time in years, hailing from Cali
ornia, or the extreme west somewhere,
emaining at the ranch on the west
ide of the lake. and at the Eureka
when he disappeared as sud-
aplx- he bad carna nd has NOT