Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1896-09-04
GECAUSEOF ANERROR
LIFE imPERlLED THROUGH MISTAKE
IN IDENTIFYING a CORPSE.

Af'a~efnS on W bknr1uetn Iht4biMh<
HIs idcntity-coiusnbus ID. Sykes servin
Life Sentence Through CIrcumstsntIa
Evidence.
A most remarkable and romantic cas-
of mistaken identity by which tho lif'
of man was almost 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 package of let
tiers and afildavits from Florence, Colo.
and they all relate TO peculiar state ~
affairs which was responsible for l.
'umbus B. Sykes being in the peniteib
,ary under life sentence for murder
~ the second degree, the second degree
tong only changed from first degree by
slight doubt which existed in the
minds OF one or two jurymen.
March B, 1894, oharred and burned
body was found in the ashes Of a hay
rack ON the ranch of William Smeideth
80 the little town of Dallas. near Ouray.
Smeideth conld not BIO found, and il
was believed that he had been murdered
and his body placed under the stack,
which was then set afire. An examina-
ton Of the corpse showed what was
deemed sufficient proof for believing
that 1t was Smeideth'a. A peculiar scar
un the left side Of the head and badly
twisted log from poorly set fracture Of
the bone which had been broken were
identified as the same peculiarities
which had boon noticeable in the missing
man. There were hundreds of people
who were willing to swear and did 80
swear that the body was that Of the dead
ranchman.
Suspicion Of foul play was at once
confirmed by other marks on the body, |
and ii 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
IL. Sykes Az the murderer, and he was
arrested. Circumstantinl evidence was
gathered which seemed to prove beyond
"A doubt that IL the body was that of
Smedeth Sykes was the murderer, but
N the body was that Of some other man
then Sykes was innocent.
The trial went on, and witnesses were
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
uument for life. He protested his inno-
oence and made application to the board
Of pardons for an investigation into the
case. maintaining that tho body was not
that Of the man whom he was accused
u numbering The case was investigat-
I'd 10y the board, and relief was refused
he imprisoned man.
Several days ago n laborer arrived in
Florence looking for work. and to q
umhor of newly found companions he
hitel peculiar tale. He said that
'wn in Oklahoma he had met man
ho. ono night while drunk. had boast
i that out in Colorado there was man
IA prison for killing him. The man
thought II was such funny joke that a
nan should be accused of killing him
when no was alive and bad his hide
'huck full Of tanglefoot. He refused,
iowever, to give his name or gave "A
alse ono. More about the circumstance
70 also refused TO relate. and therefore
fat ANihakhcN III tilb IiiDuc a.,
4 his hearers.
On reaching Colorado the man thought !
10 would investigate the matter little. ,
nd ke told some people about it and :
lso described his informant. tho de- :
cription tallying precisely with that Of !,
Sykes brother lives in Flor =
nee. and the matter came to his atten- .
ON. He looked up the man and found =
nat the story was apparently true, and 4
Q at once took steps to lay the matter T
aforo the governor. But while he was :,
wing out his plans no came into posses =
on of another important bit Of infor-
alton.
At Brookside. near Florence, lives -"
RS. Bumford. lady who knew Smell
'th very well and the Sykes boys only -,
cidentally. This lady bad never heard Al
the murder and the disappearance of
neideth, and she was very much sur =.
ised when she learned that Sykes was - -
Jail. Then she recollected an impor- ~. ~
III circumstance. During the latter ~
rt Of March, 1894. her boy had run ="
my from home. and she had gone 10
mon City and brought him back. o'
e had remained at Canon City until ~
,ril ls, when she finally induced tho
ung man TO accompany her home. 1o
soon after she entered the house a -
1ck came at the door. and she found "
nam there whose appearance was IA s''
iaI, yet she did not at once recognize
n. After he had called her by name ue
found that il was William Smeideth, ~
2 that he had altered his appearance ="
letting his beard grow and cutting his ~ =.
stache in peculiar manner. Smell -,