The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-07-03
.n .sHMoRrH GLUE rouNp
Police Have a Well Defined Idea That TheJ
are ON the Tria..


are ON the Tria..
0enver. Colo. July 3-Yesterday
Chief Russell sent out circulars 70 var
ious parts Of the country relative 10 the
man VINO is supposed 10 have killed Joel
G. Ashworta. The murderer IS de-
scribed as being between so and 50 years
of age. height 5 feet ten inches, weight
between AS and 155 pounds, complex
ionnedium, dark brown hair, very
plain scar about an inch long on the
back of the head on the right side, short
hair, 10 moustache, erect walk, dark
clothes, shirt with narrow dark blue
striuA, four-in-hand tie, straw hat with
wind string attached
The immediate cause q the prepare
ton OF the circular and its hasty dis
patch yesterday morning was certain in
formation received by Chief Russal
from a man named Stanley, employed
ct the Globe smelter. The latter says
that as he was bathing IN the Platte
river last Sunday afternoon stranger
approached him by creeping steaItnl4y
Through the brush and began 70 cnat
The description Of the man as gwen
by Stanley corresponds very closely 70
that OF the murderer OF joel AsnWortn,
as furnished by Mrs. RosenthaI, VINO
description above given being made up
from both their statements. The stran-
ger. who wore q new straw hat in gen.
eraI ike the one worn by the assassin.
wanted 10 trade with Sta niey for an old
white felt one and Stanley at once be-
came SUSPICIOUS. The stranger then
asked Stanley IL he would go 10 an ad
Joining house and borrow a pair Of scis-
sors for him, as he wanted TO cut OF
his moustache on account OF the heat
Stanley replied that he didn't know
where there was a pair. The man then
left
When the bather had tired OF the
sport and had dressed and started away
from the river. he met, the stranger,
who in the meantime had cut of his
rnoustache, declaring that 1t was much
cooler with a smoothly shaver face
during the summer He told Stanley
that he was on his way to Pueblo, and
as the police wanted 10 arrest him for
being drunk recently, h would ike 70
know the most secluded road 10 take
for that place.
While Stanley was somewhat curious
70 know why the stranger had talked
and acted the way he did, the thought
that he might in any way be connected
4
10 him till more than twenty-four hours
later. When it did he went 20 Chief
RusselIs Office without any further de-
lay and related all the details. together
with a good description Of the man CIV
en- by Mrs. RosenthsI. The chief con-
sequently prepared the circular and ne
hopes by it 70 have the man taken into
custody before he gets very far. De-
tective BuUlew also telephone6 or tele-
graphed the mans description 70 all
the stations between Pueblo and Den
yer. in the West Creek and Cripple
Creek districts and along the line OF the
South Park road
There is a theory that the man who
killed Ashworth meant TO kill his double,
who was a friend of the dead man >
ard lived in the same block The double
himself has been the most active in To-
lowing up tbs theory, ha Gng given
Chief Russell certain facts which,
though interesting. are withheld by the
police until further investigation can
! establish tn probability Of the theory.
The other theory, and the one which
seems TO be sustatr.1 by the circuEn-
stances of the shooting, is that It was
an attempt 10 hold up Ashworth- Sew
eraI circumstances argue decidedly
against the assassination theory and
for the hold up theory. Ashworth
came up Curtis street whistHng and
swinging his cane merrily. He was
not in a bad humOr, he could hardly
have had a quarrel. He was met at
the corner, more than three blocks from
his home. It is hardly to be considered
that an assassin could have known that
he was going TO pass that corner at
that time He might have gone a dozen
different routes from Twenty-first and
! Welton, each as natural as that which
he chose. An ASA SSH would have been
more certain 10 meet ASllworth at his
| own gate or n the shadows along the
block IN which he lived. Besides an as
sassin would scarcely have called halt
| before he shot. II he must speak there
are many words more to be expected
from the lips OF an assassin.
HoTb-ups. especially If they are new
TO the business, often get nervous and
shoot when they did not mean 70 shoot
Ashworth was shot in the head An
inch farther 10 the left and the bullet
would have missed him clean. II looks
Ike wild shot. An ASSASSIN determined
ID kill might have aimed a the head
but the body would have been a much
easier and more IA tuTal mark. And so
many things point 20 the hOId-Up theory
the absence Of motive for ASA ssina-
tton; the place where they met; the cry
Of ''haltr' the bent cane: the bullet that
almost missed; the entire aspect Of the
affair
Chief Russell himself is inclined 10
favor the hoi5d-up theory and IS giving
IL most OF his attention.
The inquest on the body OF Joel CT.
Ashworth has not yet been finished. the
coroner desiring 10 give Chief Russell's
men more tine 70 collect evidence The
jurors VIII meet again mis- afternoon,
but Il IS uncertain whether all the evil
6ence which IS necessary for the COM
pleriOn Of their labors VIII be at hand