Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-27
KILLING or JAMES CIER
William Lewis on Trial for the Shooting Of a
Barber at Sandy, 1
THE TRAGEDY OCCURRED MAY, 1892.
Examination OF witnesses Prosecution
Rests Insanity is the Defense
Court Cuttings.

The trial of William Lewis for the
killing of j. a. Gier. a barber. at Sandy
on the 26th of May, 1892 was com
mencod in the criminal branch OF the
Third district court today with AS
sistant County Attorney Graham f.
Putnam in charge of the prosecution.
and Attorneys Brown and Wells de-
Tending.
Lewis was arraigned on the 10th inst.
and pleaded not guilty
But little time was wasted in Sc
curing jury. The defense excused
three and the case proceeded with the
following named jurors; Samuel IL.
Conely. Andrew S. Gray. Thomas A,
Smith, Edwin d. Crowther, Nephl
Huskinson. p. C. Hoffman, Samuel
Seldom. John Watson. Robert w.
Campbell James Taylor, Charles a.
Harper Jr. and Archibald Erskine.
Attorney Putnam made brief state
ment to the jury, reviewing the tragedy
and part Lewis played in it.
The defendant. he said, was formerly
a deputy sheriff at Sandy.
Gier ran barber shop. He was
known as a peaceful and inoffensive
man. On the day named he was seated
in a chair, reading Il paper. when he
was startled by the report of gun.
Turning around he saw Lewis stand
ing in the doorway. Before he could
speak Lewis fired again. Gier begged
him not TO kill him. Four or five more
shots were fired, when Lewis quietly
walked off. Gier was removed to his
home and upon examination two of the
bullets were found to have entered his
body. He died the same day on his
way to Salt Lake.
JUDGED HE WAS INSANE.
w. w. Wilson, postmaster at Sandy.
was the first witness called. Knew
Lewis: had known him for number
Of years; was slightly acquainted
with Gier. On the morning of the 2Gth
of May, 1892, Lewis called on witness
and told him Gier had loaded n gun to
kill him. At the time of the shooting
witness said he was justice OF the peace
for Sandy.
In answer to Attorney Brown, Mr..
Wilson said Lewis looked very wild
and according to his judgment was in
sane.
ACTED LIKE A CRAZY MAN.
Mrs. Minnie Smith testified that
about an hour end half before the
shooting occurred she saw Lewis in
the act OF throwing a number OF trunks
down a cellar. She asked him why he
did that and Lewis replied by saying
that he didn't care to carry them down
the cellar Witness was in Morfis's
butcher shop, about a block away,
when the shooting occurred. She
heard two shots and In n few minutes
she saw Lewis come out of the barber
shop with a pistol In his hand. Witness
further said that she did not know
Geir, but saw him as he was being
carried out of the shop about an hour
or so after the shooting.
On cross-eXamination Mrs. Smith
said Lewis acted like n crazy man
SAYS LEWIS THREATENED HIM
w. T. Vincent said he resided u,
Sandy. Had known Lewis fol-. twenty
years. Knew Gier too. First saw
way OF cellar. This was about s
o'clock. An hour and half later wit
ness said he saw Lewis come out OF
Gier's shop. Lewis said "Ths man has
come from Montana to kill the sherif
OF Salt Lake county: that Is mel"
Under cross-eXamination witness said
he would object to Lewis coming bach
to Sandy to live.
Mr.. Putnam objected to the question
when Mr.. Wells said II was for tn,
purpose OF showing the witness to b,
biased The court allowed the ques.
tion to be answered.
Mr. Putnam then asked the wltnes.
why he would object to seeing Levi.
back at Sandy. Because" answered
Vincent, The wrote me from the count,
Jail threading to kill me-" Continuing
witness said his relations with Lewii