Arizona republican., 1896-03-19
j CONFLICTING STORIES.
Several Versions of the Murder Of Walter J. Smith.

Walter J. Smith. Fitz Miltendorf, a teamster who was in the employ of Waiter Smith, the murdered storekeeper at Mime haha Flat, arrived In the city yester- day with the full and complete details of the murder. He was member Of the coroner's jury that investigated the killing, and gives an account or the affair as follows: Smith and the miner, Lappan, were seated in the rear of the store with the stove between them, Smith facing the door and Lappan with his back to it. A dog was heard to bark outside and the next instant the door was violent ly opened and Lappan heard some shots and dropped to the floor, having been struck over the head. One of the men stood over him with drawn re- yolYer ready to shoot if he showed any signs of life while the other ran sacked the money drawer.
 At the inquest it was discovered that Smith had been shot twice. One of the bullets struck him in the left loin and dropped out Of his clothes when they were removed. Miltendorf says that Lappan's story is discredited by many. There is a good deal of mystery about the affair and no two versions are alike. The following fran the Journal Miner gives yet an- other version:
 Here is the testimony of Lappan: "At about 8:45 Smith and I were sit ting in the store conversing when of sudden the dog parked and the door was thrown open with crash and two masked men rushed ill. I was sit ting with my back to the door and one of the men as he came in showed his gun against my head, but the force of the shove bent my head forward and the gun went off, but the bullet struck the ceiling. Smith jumped up and started for the front door, but three shots were fired at him before he reached it. He got out of the door and while one fellow held me down the other followed Smith out, firing twice at him.
 "In a short time he returned and went back of the counters to empty the cash drawers of their contents Then they dealt me several blows with the butt of their guns and went away.
 AS SOVu do l sUCCoIIlt CUuSCIUuS went out the back door and sat for about five minutes on the back porch when I went to my cabin and got my rife and came. back to find Smith. called several times, but no answer came. I then went to Holders, where I got Holder and his father-in-law tc come down. AS we came near the barn, which is about 125 feet from the store, we found Smiths body lying ir the road dead. He was shot through the center of the body. The shot en. tered the right side and came out or the left,
 Three men are supposed to have taken part in the terrible deed. One horseman was heard to ride very fas in a southern direction. Two, tn. principals, perhaps, are supposed tt have gone in the direction of tht Crowned King. And this suppositior is borne out by the fact that track. were found in the road by Miss Kati, White who is considered quite a goot tracker. She was riding up the roat towards Crowned King when she no ticed several tracks in the road whic1 were over those of her mothers Wht had been walking there that after noon. A roll of papers was fount about mile up the road The paper belonged to Smith. His purse wa! found a few hundred feet from tn store.
 Tt is supposed that the murder wa committed for spite. The assassin were after Smith and they surely go him. They didn't try very hard t. kill Lappan. If the real motive wer robbery the robbers would surely no have left the safe where Smith keep his money untouched. The taking o the small change in the cash drawer was to conceal the real motive-spite.
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