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

pldceG over the mead Is eVlQeQcSQ d.
the fact that the scalp and small pieces
OF the skull were ground into tn'
m2shes of the sack. With the eXcep
ton of two wounds on the forehead
every blow seems TO have been Strucl
on the back and top of the head.
After the finding of the body on the
night of the murder, Sheriff John WARD
was sent for and took charge of the re
mains and of the stable. Unfortunately
a large crowd of men were allowed t.
enter the barn that night, so that foot
prints and possibly other evidences Of
the crime were obliterated. The sheriff
/ began a systematic search for some
evidence that would lead to the detec
ton of the criminal.
From the condition of the clothing or
the body, and the fact that several arti
cles were missing from the pockets
which were turned wrong side out, ii
was at first thought that robbery was
the object. This was not the object
however, because, had the murderer
( been intent upon robbing his victim
there would not have been SO much de-
/ liberation shown, and the instrument
with which the killing was done would
not have been disposed of so carefully
/ Some other purpose actuated the muir
derer. II was either done in the heat
! of passion or was planned and exc
cuted for revenge Of wrongs, real or
imaginary.
Seeking for the Motive.
In seeking for a motive the officers
began to inquire into the relations of
the deceased with his fellow men. AL
most at the outset one of Evanston S
leading citizens and business men was
named in connection with the murder;
and circumstances surrounding the
case We're thought to point to him as
the possible author of the crime.
z. S. Croker was suspected by many
people from the first. not that his repu-
tation in the community was such as
to lead his fellow men to impute such
a crime to him; far from it, for he was
not regarded as a man of criminal in
stincts or vicious tendencies. The Tea-
son for suspecting him was that owing
to the mystery surrounding the murder
and the want of positive evidence
pointing TO any one in particular, sus-
piciOn would naturally point to him
whose relations with the murdered
man were such that he might have a
motive for doing the deed.
Partners for Many Years.
Booth and Croker were partners
and had been for about fifteen years.
Until recent years they had always
been very intimate with one another,
Booth having boarded for years with
the Croker family. For some years
past the relations of the two men had
been strained. 1t is a, Well-known fact
that Booth did not like Crocker. He
did not try to conceal his dislike, bur
frequently spoke of Croker in the most
deprecating manner. On the other hand
1t is not known that Croker ever made
diSparaging remarks about Booth;
such, at least, is the statement made
by mutual acquaintance of the two
men.
Booth was regarded as a man who
was thoroughly honest. He was a keen
man of. business, open and free, not in
any sense a plotter or schemer in dis
position. He did not hesitate TO speak
his mind freely. If he did rot like a
man he would take the first oppor-
tunity to express his dislike; and if he
thought a man had injured him he was
rather inclined to be vindictive in his
resentment. He remembered his enc
mics and was never known to propose
a truce. With all he had no desire to
take an underhanded advantage of any
one; in fact he would always prefer
that the person against whom he had
a grudge should know that he was
ION his trail" as he used to express it
Something About Croker.
Crocker is of a rather secretive dis
position, not expressing himself freely
On any subject. AS a general rule he
is a conservative not d radical man.
Among his business associates he has
the reputation of being very close in
his dealings. He has always borne a
good reputation in the community and
10 sum up his faults, they do not
amount to more in a. general way than
those possessed by the ordinary man.
He was always looked upon as de-
SRA BILE man to have in the community.
He was not open and~free like Booth,
yet ne was not inclined to pursue his
enemies like the other man.
That Booth did not like Croker and
that his dislike seemed to be deep
seated there can be no doubt. AS has
been said the two men were partners
and it is well known that a suggestion
from Croker in regard to business
matters was almost certain to meet
with opposition from Booth.
It is known that just previous to the
murder Booth had been more active
against Crocker than usual. 1t seems
that Croker had asked Governor
Richards for an appointment, the sal
airy of which is desirable and which
would relieve him from what he con-
sidered petty annoyances from Booth on
account of money matters, Booth hav-
ing done everything he could TO pre-
vent Croker from realizing much out of
the partnership business. When Booth |
learned that Croker was an applicant !
for the appointment, he was very ac-
tive in his opposition, circulating a pc
-ition against him and using every !
means in his power to prevents Croker /
obtaining it. In this he was successful, |
for although it is alleged that Croker |
had been promised the place by the |
governor, Booths opposition, backed |
by the petition which he sent in, was
sufficient to persuade the governor to |
the nomination. Il is said that |
Croker was well aware of this oppo- |
;ition. although some say he was not; |
the weight of the evidence is to the !
effect that he did know it, however, |
and that it seemed to arouse his re-
sentiment more than anything that |
Sooth had recently done. This con- |
-roversy over the appointment in Nues- |
ion took place just few days before
he murder.
The Day of the Murder.
On the day of the murder very little is
Known about the movements of Booth. |
he went about as usual, al |
hough complaining of not feeling so |
veil as usual. Crocker's movements on |
hat day, while not being out of the |
Usual order Ct his daily life, are quite |
clearly defined and the time that he |
vas at certain places can be positively |
proven by two or more witnesses in |
ZACH instance-such at least is the |
act when viewed from the standpoint
# the defense; and as between the evil
ence of the prosecution and the de-
ense, so far as ascertainable on this