Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-01-16
BECAUSEOF ERROR
LIFE fmPERiLED THROUGH MISTAKE
 IN IDENTIFYING 4 CORPSE.

Boosting of William smeidsth Establishes
 His Identity Columbus B. Sykes Serving
 Life Sentence Through clrc1mstantiaI
 Evidence.
 4 most remarkable and romantic case of mistaken identity by which the life Of 2 man was atlost placed in the moose has been brought to the attention of Governor McIntire Of Colorado The matter was brought to light few days since by the receipt of a package of let ters and affidavits from Florence. Colo, and they all relate to q peculiar state of affairs which was responsible for Co- lumbus D. Sykes being in the peniten- .iary under a life sentence for murder sn the second degree, the second degree icing only changed from first degree by slight doubt which existed in the minds Of one CT two jnrymen.
 March 3, 1894. eharfad and burned body was found in the ashes of q hay stack on the ranch of William Smeideth t the little town of Dallas, near Ourav. Smeideth could not be found, and t was believed that he had been murdered and his body placed under the stack. which was then set afire. An examina- tion of the corpse showed what was deemed sufficient proof for believing | that 1t was Smeideth 's l peculiar scar on the left side Of the head and badly twisted leg from a poorly set fracture of the bone which had been broken were identified as the same peculiarities which had been noticeable in the missing man. There were hundreds of people who were willing to swear and did so swear that the body was that of the dead Fanehman.
 Suspicion of foul play vas at once confirmed by other marks on-the body, and it was found that the man had been murdered by stabbing. and that his body had been placed under the stack The evidence seemed to point to Columbus 1 B. Sykes as the murderer. and he WAS arrested. CircumstantiaI evidence was gathered which seemed fo prove beyond doubt that if the body was that 0f Smeideth Sykes was the murderer, but l if the body was that of some other man l then Sykes was innocent.
 The trial went on, and witnesses wers I plentiful who wanted to swear that the body was that of smeideth. and Sykes was finally convicted of murder in the second degree and sentenced to impris- onment for life. He protested his inno- eence and made application to the board Of pardons for an investigation into ths case. maintaining that ths body was not that of the man whom he was accused of numbering. The case was investigat- ed bY the board, and relief was refused the imprisoned man.
 Several days ago a laborer arrived in Florence looking for work, and to a number Of newly found companions he related q peculiar tale. He said that down in Oklahoma he had met 3 man who, one night while drunk. had boast ed that out in Colorado there was a man iii prison for killing him. The man thought II was such q funny joke that & man should be accused of killing him when he was alive and had his hide chuck full If tanglefoot. He refused, however, to give his name or gave a false one. More about the circumstance he also refused to relate. and therefore the circumstance remained in the minds Of his hearers.
 On reaching Colorado the man thought he would investigate the matter little, and he told some people about it and also described his informant. the de- scription tallying precisely with that of Smeideth. Sykes brother lives in Flor enoe. and the matter came to his atten- ! tion He looked up the man and found that the story was apparently true, and he at once took steps 10 Jay the matter before the governor. But while he was laying out his plans hec came into posses sion Of another important bit of infor- nation.
 At Brookside. near Florence, lives Mrs. Bumford, lady who knew Smei- deth very well and the Sykes boys only incidentally. This lady had never heard of the murder and the disappearance of Smeideth, and she was very much sur prised when she learned that Sykes was in jail Then she recollected an impor- tant circumstance. During the latter part of March, 1894. her boy had run away from home, and she had gone to Canon City and brought him back. She had remained at Canon City until April 13. when she finally induced the young man to accompany her home
 Soon after she entered the house knock came at the door. and she found man there whose appearance was ia milar, yet she did not at once recognize him. After he had called her by name she fonnd that 1t was William Smeideth, and that he had altered his appearance by letting his beard grow and cutting his mustache in q peculiar manner. Smei- deth told her that he had been living at Dallas for some time, and that he was then on his way south, where he would not tell, as he did not seem to feel very communicative. Mrs EumfOrd gave him dinuer, and he remained in the house possibly ha,f an hour, when stranger came 10 the door, and he snd- denly took his departure. saying nothing
 rf~s .E.