The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-23

PROVO, March 22.-The trial of one of
the most noted criminal cases in the
history of Utah will begin tomorrow be-
fore Judge McCarty.
1t is now more than one year since the
supposed triple murder occurred at Peli-
can Point, on the western shores of Utah
lake, and about. due west from Spring
Vile. The scene of the supposed homicide
is a most dismal one. A small, one-room
frame house, together with an old shed
and stable combined, one or two small
pens and a broken down corral, all sit
uated on a very few acres of salt grass
meadow, constitute the habitation or
ranch of Harry Hayes and his family
The background is formed by a few
dry sage brush hills, surmounted by a low
range of barren, rugged mountains. All
the east for miles extends the muddy
waters of Utah lake. There are no habi-
tantS nearer than half a mile, and then
only one or two fishermen and their famil-
les reside there.
PELICAN POINT,
from its loneliness and seclusion. is just
such a place as the imaginative ones
might select as the scene OF horrible
crime.
But few travellers pass this dreary,
desolate place. A death cry or the re-
port from rife would not arouse
oVIlIdly person, am DdItle Tor lie
could with ease be carried to a horrible
and deathly termination without a wit
ness, save the Invisible, wl.hcut Judges
or referees save the principals. And for
aught that is now known by the public
this is what actually occurred at this
secluded spot on the night of the 18th or
18th of February, 1885. During the after
noon of the 10Th of February-a cold,
stormy day-four young men occupied the
cabin, and whiled the hours away at a
tri9n0iV Of r6c (lna of
young men
WAS A VISITOR
from neighboring ranch. and he alone
now lives to tell of that social game,
or of the appearances and circumstances
of his companions at that time The
others are dead. Their names were AL
bert Ernstrum Hayes. a stepson of the
son and Alfred Nelson. nephews of Harry
Hayes. AS far as is now known nothing
more was ever seen of the victims after
the afternoon of the 18th of February
until the body of Albert Ernstrum Hayes
was found in the edge OF Utah lake about
one and one-half miles south of the
Hayes ranch on the 14th day of April
following, and the bodies of his two
companions We're found four days later.
but about one mile further south. This
TERRIBLE DISCOVERY
startled the entire community of Utah
county. The realization that a most
brutal murder had been committed within
twelve miles of the county seat of one
of the most populous counties in the
then territory, was shocking to the sensi-
bllltles OF law-abiding people The
oulcers at once commenced an investiga-
Sheriff John A. Brown with his aids
worried on the case. The supposed crime
having been committed. as circumstances
toid them. for several weeks, the evil
oence pointing to any one individual were
very meagre, and all progress in the
investigation was extremely slow.
coroner's inquest was held at Lehi. and
few facts were elected, sufficient to
A SLIGHT CLUE,
and md, on these the officers worked incess-
learned that Ernstrum had been
shot twice. both balls taking effect i'm his
breast. johnson was shot from behind
the bullet striking above and behind his
rlght ear and came out above his left
Nelson, too. was shot from behind the
puliet entering about in the centre of the
PACK OF MS mead, and came out between
me me eyes the ball lodging just beneath
the boys were shot with the same gun.
and that the gun was about a 44-calbre
rifle.
1t was soon found that the defendant
Hayes had had troubles over his Peli-
can Point ranch with a I.ehi man nv
the name of Slade, and suspicion first
pointed to him, but his accounts of his
acts and presence at about the time of the
supposed homicide. soon convinced the
officers that he had no hand in the kill
ing.
1t was learned that Henry Hayes was
living at that time with his wife in Eu-
reka. and that his stepson Albert was
spending the winter on the ranch caring
tnrry hoo 1f e-40 L:
were working there with him. When the
bodies were found and the Investigation
was under headway-it was learned
that wagon and team was missing from
the ranch. The officers labored, but in
vain to find the team and wagon, Harry
Hayes, it is said. stated, after it was
discovered the boys were missing and
before their bodies were found. that Al
bert had some relatives in Arizona and
that he supposed he had become dissat-
isfied with living on the ranch and had
STARTED FOR ARIZONA,
and his cousins had gone with him. This
theory as to their absence was exploded
when the bodies were found. and it was
then contended by some that the boys
had been killed, perhaps by tramps, and
the wagon and team had been stolen by
them to get out of the country. This
of hunting the missing harness was found
buried in manure pile in the corral
The lake was dredged for days in the
hopes that perhaps some trace of the
missing team and wagon could be
gained, but thus far no clue to these
things have been obtained. After the
had been carried on until
the following November, the fragments
of accumulated and
CIRCUMSTANTIALs EVIDENCE
was submitted to the grand jury, and
after investigating the case and exam
ming witnesses for eighteen days, they
on the 4th day of December returned in
charging Henry Hayes with the murder
of Albert Eustram Hayes. A few mo-
ments after the Indictment was reported,
a warrant for the arrest of Hayes was
placed in the hands of Deputy Marshal
Fowler, who shortly afterwards arrested
Hayes in the saloon of Wilson and Mel
for, while he was quietly enjoying.
game of stuff Hayes made no resist
ance and was apparently expecting the
action of the grand jury, and was ready
at once to accompany the officer. On
the afternoon of the 9Th day of Deem
her, accompanied by his attorney, J.
W. n. Whitecotton, he was arraigned in
court. and two days later entered a
plea of
Attorneys Thurman and Wedgwood,
then acting as assistant United States
attorneys and assisted by County At
torney A. D. Cash, presented the case
to the grand jury, and now under the
changed conditions, Thurman and
Wedgewood will assist Mr.. Cash in pre-
senting the case.
1t is supposed the trial of the case
will REQUIRE from two to four weeks. and
that from rs 10 100 witnesses will be
examined by the prosecution. The case
will be holly contested and will be de-
interesting. as 1t will rank with
the famous cases of circumstant.ai evil
dence of the west, and the outcome will