The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1896-01-22
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NinncNacta 5fln,iay morning VIII In
iitn Johnnie Buster, the confessed muir
lcrcru Of Frank M1sser ana Frank Jones.
Monaco Eeh,eVertia is also in Jail, haY-
ing been heli to answer to the grand ju-
ry for the murders committed by Bus
ter. As there is no grand jury called for
this term Of court, Echeverria may have
TO remain in jail until the February
term OF court. though it is possible step
will be taken to secure his release,
which, under the circumstances, would
simply be an act OF justice.
Buster made "a clean breast of his ter
rible crime before the Lovelock justice
If the peace. At the examination All
Indian squaw, the widow OF Frank
Jones, wa pat on the stand. She said
Buster was the murderer. Buster was
then questioned and made a statement
confessing to the killing.
The whole story, as made from Bus
tors confession and other facts known to
the officers, is as follows: Buster and
Frank Jones' wife had been intimate
AMI they planned to pnt Jones out OF
the way and get married. Buster was
to do the killing and after the excitement
blew over vas to 90 away. She was to
follow and they were to be married.
He fulfilled the first part of the contract
but not the latter. Alter the killing he
went back to the reservation and be-
came smitten OF another woman and
sealed his doom. The scorned Jones
woman vowed vengeance and told to
Constable Cozzens OF Lovelock the story
of Busters terrible crime.
Buster says he killed Messer and
Jones about noon on the 2lst OF Novem-
Der, shooting them with a 44-calibre
rifle he stole from a cabin. He shot
Messer first and then Jones. firing four
shots in all. The other details OF the
homicide as to the dragging OF the
bodies and putting sticks in the wounds
are we'll known.
Buster carried the rifle back to the
reservation and hid it. He told Sheriff
Hadley where the gun was and it was
brought up on the train yesterday.
The Wadsworth DrsPATcH goes out Of
its way to give the Humboldt authorities
"A dig for not arresting Buster sooner.
He was closely watched by the Indians
and the reservation authorities, and
could not have gotten out OF TIE country.
His case was to have come before the
grand jury, which does not meet to-day as
stated by the DIspATcH. Undue haste
would have defeated the ends OF justice,
for If he had been arrested sooner, he
certainly would not have fallen out
with the Jones woman, and caused her
to give him away. Without her testi-
mony and Busters confession, circum-
s%tantial evidence would have been
stronger against Echeverria.-Silver
State.
The DISPATCH does not go out of the
way to dig anybody who does not de-
serve it. The statement that the delay
caused the crime to come out, is all rot.
There wasn't a stockman here who went
into that country after the murder, who
didn't go fully armed and was watchful.
After the DISPATCH got the evidence,
the sentiment here was that Buster
should be taken ont of harms way at
once, and our desire was to get things
moving. The Winnemucca officials
were derelict in their duty. We cannot
explain how Echeverria became pcs
sessed of his knowledge, and thought
he met Buster when Buster returned
after committing the murder. Echev-
erria should he able to make things clear.
We congratulate Constable Cozzens and
Judge Young for their promptness and
the results.
The DISPATCH published Busters con-
fession verbatim, as taken in Judge
loung's court, AMI it Is explicit to any
body familiar with the Indians mode
OF expressing himself.
From what Constable Cozzened worm
ed out OF Buster at lovelocks, and what
Constable Lothrop got from the Jones
squaw at Wadsworth, the story is:
Buster and Frank Jones' squaw were
intimate and the squaw told Buster if
he did not kill Frank Jones she would
do it herself. Buster made up his mind
at Wadsworth on sunday to do the deed
IA 1t was here on that day Frank Jones
gave him the key to che cabin where
the rifle was. Monday Buster went to
the reservation and got the rifle. Tues.