The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-26
CROKER ON TRIAL
OPENING STATEMENT TO JURY BY
The PROSECUTOR

Trial-County Attorney Hamm Detail
at Length the Evidence He Expects t.
Present Connecting Croker With tn
Booth Murder in Wyoming.
1 Cheyenne, Wyo., June 25.-In tht
9 Croker murder trial in the distric
r court this morning the prosecution and
] defense both announced that they were
ready to proceed with the trial CLERK
Of the Court Swan administered the
oath TO the jury to well and truly try
and true deliverance make between
, the state Of Wyoming and the prisoner
at the bar" and E. S. Croker was
once more on trial for his life.
The defense Immediately asked for an
| order excluding all witnesses save the
one on the stand from court room dur
ing the trial, and Judge Scott directed
that all witnesses should remain out
side.
Mr.. Hamm, county and prosecuting
attorney for the county Of Uinta, made
the opening statement TO the jury. He
began by reading the indictment charg-
ing Croker with murder, an instrument
which, in this case, was extremely brief
|
jury the location of the town of Evans
ton, in which the crime was committed.
This little town, he said, was situated
in the southwestern part of Wyoming
near the Utah line. The Bear river
runs through 1T in a. northerly direction
a river which meanders back and forth
an the two states of Wyoming and Utah
The river is favorably situated for ran
] ches, and along its banks are a great
| number of them. At a distance of 20
miles from Evanston is one of these ram
| ches. which was owned jointly by Har-
vey Booth the decease and E, 6, Crock
| er, the accused. These men had been
1 engaged in tn business of stock raising
and in growing hay, used for feeding
stock. Their homes We're in Evanston,
! There they lived, and had lived for a
| number of years. Mr.. Booth lived there
with his family up TO the time of his
death, and Mr.. Croker and his family
stal live there. In the town, and own
ed jointly by Booth and Croker, was a
large barn, known as the Booth and
Croker barn, situated about 12o feet
from the main street of the town. Mr..
Hamm then described at length the ex-
act location of the barn, and the man
ner IN which he building is constructed
inside
Crocker dived about two blocks dis
tant from fhe>barn,. About one block
distant from the barn IS an office which
was used by Booth and Croker.
EVENING OF THE MURDER
On the evening of the 26th Of January
A. ID. 1886, the weather was cold. On
that day there came to Evanston an
amateur theatrical troupe, which had
arranged TO give an exhibition in the
evening Up to the time set for. this
exhibition nothing had occurred TO dis
turb or excite anyone in the town. How
ever, there was in the town one anxious
woman. Harvey Booth usually came
home at $50 or O'Clock in the evening.
but up to O'Clock on this particular
day he had not put in an appearance. |
and Mrs. Booth commenced to get wor-I
red 1t was not likely that her hus- |
band had gone out of town on a train. |
as ne no doubt would have first inform /
ed his family of this fact. When Q |
O'Clock mad arrived, and her husband |
had not come home Mrs Booth went 10 |
the opera house to inquire whether he
was there. On finding that he had NOT
been there, she continued the search
ana later IN the evening. PROBABLY about
lV:So, she secured the help of a young
man VINO was an employee of the firm |
Iney started for the barn. taking a
lantern with them. When they arrived
at the barn the young man looked
around and finally turned his lantern so
that the light would shine through into
orom in the barn known as the b,lnl,
room. Here he saw a PROSTATE form
lying ON the floor. He became fright
ened' and Immediately suggested that
they go for help. They then went |
straight to Crocker's house. Crocker
came TO the door, and on being told they
desired MN TO go down TO the barn with
them as something was wrong, he called
MS wife, She called a man who worked
for them, and they proceeded TO the
barn. The defendant led the wav. nv
himself, he having a lantern in his hand
Afterwards, Mr.. Croker stated that he
walked 70 the barn arm in arm with
Mrs. Booth.
THE DEFENDANTS CONDUCT
The evidence would show that as they
came 10 the barn door the defendant
evincing knowledge, kept Mrs. Booth
back He went IN towards the part Of
the barn where the body lay, handed the
lantern TO some one. and then crawlt-d
through the window where death was
Immediately upon getting through a
little window, he took the lantern. and |
almost at once said: He has been
murdered and robbed" He then Went
10 a door of this room and without a |
moments hesitation he unscrswed a
bolt which fastened the door. without |
? monkey wrench or anything but his |
fingers; a bolt which had not bee. IN
screwed for months. and which the evil
fence Will Show must early in the dav
nave been in such state that Il could |
lot have been loosened without the aid |
If wrench. When the door was open-
ID the others came in ana looked around /,
They then started out 10 look for the
sheriff. Here again the defendant !
made one OF those statements which a
nan makes without reason when he has
committed a crime. He stated after
wards that they went TO the city mar
hats office first, when the evidence will
disclose that they never went near the
,ity marShal's Office, but went direct I
. the sheriff. When they arrived at
he sheriff's Office the first words used
" the defendant in response 20 what
he matter was. were: Harvey has
zen murierd and robbed" They then I
eturned 70 the barn, and on the way Q
ne defendant insists that Booth had .
zen robbed a
EXAMINED THE BODY.
They finally came 10 where the body =
vas and made an examination. Har- !.
ey Booth had been dressed warmly. :
Il had on his overcoat and his nlt:ens =
Eere on his hands His overccat. his =
cat and his vest were IN hut-one-5. and =
Ne pockets were all partly turned out.
superior to Cop4iba. Cuaebs. Injections i