The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-04

William S. Edison is back at his old
quarters in the county jail and will be
tried on the charge of assault with in
tent to kill Miss Lille OFT and Mr.. VIII
McCabe.
A large crowd was about the depot
at 1:25 when the Rio Grande Western
train pulled in. 1t was known that
Sheriff Belnap and Edison would be
aboard the train, but the sheriff's depu-
ties had rather encouraged the belief
that Edison might be taken off at
Twenty-first street or Twenty-fourth
street, and hence the crowd did not
mass much in any one place until they
actually saw Edison and the sheriff.
About half the people in the crowd evil
IDENTIFY expected to see a handcuffed
desperate and a sheriff armed with at
least a pistol for each hand, but in
stead they saw young man very much
tanned and with his coat over his arm
get down and walk quietly with the
sheriff through the depot. when the two
entered a cab with Deputy Sheriff
Ballantyne and started up town. At the
courthouse another large and curious
crowd was present. Edison spent a
few minutes in the sheriff'S office and
then went on down to his former quar-
ters. He talked freely to The Herald
about some things. but for the most
part refused to talk. He stated that
the report of his being in California
was a mistake. He left here just as
soon as possible and went to Chase's
Crossing, where he boarded a train
and went north to Pocatelio. thence to
Idaho Falls and thence TO Montpelier.
This latter stage was a tough trip, he
said. From Montpelier he made his
way to Granger and thence down to
Park City. At the latter place he re-
ceived aid in the way of meals. ETC..
from a friend but he will give no hint
of who that friend was. Next he made
his way to Salt Lake, but feeling in
secure in Utah. he went southeast to
st. Louis, thence down into Old
Mexico about 500 miles He did not
like that country, saying it was far
worse than the Weber county jail. or
worse even than a place not often
printed outside of theological works
Then, too, he thought the officers
would not be chasing him, and he
would be safe in coming back to Texas.
He secured work on a railroad for
about three weeks. and then went over
to Smithville and got work in the
car department under the name of
Steve Ahern. Ahern had a good rec
ord and he had no trouble in getting
a job and no trouble in holding il. he
was getting along well when he was ar
rested by Marshal Jenkins. The mar
shall located him by means of the aid
given by the marshal of FL Paso, who
had received q letter and picture from
Sheriff Belnap. The letter stated that
Edison would likely apply for work as
Steve Ahern, because he had used that
name before in that locality. The
marshal of Ell Paso applied to the
railroad officials. and when the pay
roll came in with the name of Steve
Ahern as an employee at Smithville
Smithville. where Marshal Jenkins ar
rested Edison and notified Sheriff Bel
nap.
Edison stated to The Herald man that
he thought a former acquaintance
whom he met in FL Paso must have
inadvertently mentioned that he was
there, when writing back to ogden,
and thus it came to Sheriff Belnaps
knowledge. He remarked that he had
done better than the other boys who
got out, with the exception of Earls-
court, whom he thinks they will never
recapture.
Soon after being lodged in Jail he
was visited by number of relatives
and other friends. One of them asked:
Edison replied, laughingly, that he
thought 5000 miles of a journey with
no money was not a bad record. He
wished his relatives to see his attorney,
Maginnis, and to arrange for his get
ting out on bonds. His bonds are
SIS, 600 on each of the two charges. He
does not seem to fear trial, and when,
on leaving him, a caller admonished
him to mot get blue" he said: IF you
knew the case I have you would know
/ have nothing to make me feel blue
SHERIFF BELNAP
said Edison consented to return with
out requisitiOn papers and gave him
no trouble after he had shown his
authority Edison had good counsel.
VINO advised him that the sheriff's
papers were in due form.
Edison has not an exalted opinion
Of Texas justice. At Smithville he
said. the marshaPs Office was in the
front part of a saloon. After his ar
rest he was chained to a staple in the
floor and kept there like a wild beast. |
The citizens of Smithville evidently !
thought he was famous criminal and
that rewards aggregating several hun
bred dollars We're out for him.
The story is repeated in some of the |
Texas papers that Edison, on the day |
after his arrest, and while confined in |
the marSnatS ornce, received a tele- /
gram from some prominent Ogden citi- |
zen, tel'ing him 10 get out by habeas |
corpus or some other means before the |
sheriff got there. At first Edison re-
fused to take the dispatch, maintaining |
that his name was not Edison, but |
Ahern Finally. however he received it |
and signed the receipt as W. S. Edison. |
This convinced the Texas authorities |
that they had the right man, and in |
addition to the rumors of big reward, /
determined them to hold him. although |
their authority was none of the best
The marshal and two or three others
made oath before a justice of the peace |
1t Smithville that Edison was the man
wanted. and by some workings of |
Texas courts he was sentenced TO 80
laws in jail on the charge of being a
suspected fugitive from Justice.
The telegram sent from Ogden can
1ot be produced against Edison at his
rial, for the reason that he chewed
I up and swallowed it, battling the
Efforts of the officers to take 1t from
lis mouth.
In spite of Edson's denial that he
vas in Colorado, there is report con-