The San Francisco call., 1896-08-08
Detective Adam Paul Declares
That the Convict Was Not
Guilty.
OTHER MEN WERE ACCUSED.
Suspicion at One Time Directed to
Two of Kelly's Industrial
Army.

SALT LAKE. UTAH, Aug. 7.-Charles
murder of his wife over two years ago. He
walked to the scaffold with a steady step,
and when asked by the Sheriff if he had
ANYTHING to say replied with quivering lip
and trem bling voice:
"I did not kill my wife. For the last
time on this earth, 1 pronounce my in
nocence."
The signal was given and the condemned
man was ierked into the air, but his neck
was not broken and he continued to hang
while slight tremors passed over the body.
Fourteen minutes elapsed before he was
prone nounced dead by the attending .physi-
clans.
The execution was private, only the
officers of the law, physicians and repre-
sentatives of the press being present.
The crime for which Charles Thiede
paid the death penalty was an atrocious
one. 1t has been noted case in the his
tory of Utah, every effort having been
made to save his life.
Thiede kept q saloon at "The Brewery" !"
place which had acquired the name of
being "tough" in more ways than one.
It was some six miles below Salt Lake and
received its support from the neighboring
smelters, besides being favorite resting
place and roadhouse for certain ele-
ment of the city. On the night of April
80, 1894. Mrs. Thiede was found dead near
the saloon. She had been beaten and her
throat was cut from ear to ear.
The circumstantial evidence that con-
victed Thiede was the fact that he was
found that night with his hands and
shirt covered with blood.
Kelly's Industrial Army from California
was at that time camped at the deserted,
haunted smelter across the way and an
effort was made to shift the responsibility
to two members of the army" In fact,
at the eleventh hour, only three weeks
ago, Salt Lake lawyer wrote to Thiede's
sister that he could find the real murder
ers, one OF whom he said was in Nevada
and the other in Nebraska.
Detective Adam Paul of Salt Lake claims
that Thiede was certainly not guilty. His
evidence is based on the testimony of one
Thomas Knight, deceased, who was sand
bagged near the saloon by q man known
TO all the persons interested. He recov-
cred from the blow, and on April 80, 1894,
he met Mrs Thiede.
She warned him that his life was in
danger, and just then Thiede and the man
who assaulted knight stepped out and an
alteration ensued with the woman. That
night she was murdered.
knight was an expert chemist and the
others had endeayored to get him to be-
come the chemist in charge of moon
shine" still which they were to establish,
and Thiede's saloon was to be the place
for the distribution of the liquor. De-
tective Paul's theory is held by many who
were friends of Knight and who heard his
story direct from him.
Thiede's sister and brother-in-law, in an
affidavit to Governor Wells on behalf of
Thiede, recited these facts and openly
named the man who was alleged to be the
one who sandbagged knight and who was
to run the still as one Maxfield, a we'll
known character on the State road.
Nothing could be proved, however. and
the sentence of Thiede was carried out.
There is still doubt in the minds of
many that he was the murderer OF his
wife.