The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-09
HOPE TO CLEAR JOE
ATTORNEY PENNY THINKS HE HAS
A CHANCE TO CLEAR
'sPECK" WHITE.
SLIM. DUGAN'S CHATTER
HAS LEAKED OUT THROUGH SOME
OF HIS MESMATES AT
SALTWATER.
SAID THE QUEENSTOWN KID,
And Not Joe White, Murdered j. II.
Harris-That Is Philip Rice's
Story.
SLIM DUGAN'S CHATTER
SAID THE "JOHNsTowN KID"

''Slim Dugan," the convict, is said to
have made the statement that Joe
White is innocent of the murder of j.
r. Harris, in June, 1893 The story is
that he has stated to Philip Rice, a
fellow convict that the man who fired
the fatal shot was the "Johnstown
Kid
This much r. l.. Penny, who defend
ed White in his trial. got out of Rice
the other day, but Dugan would adj
nit nothing. Dugan was confronted
by White and his attorney, and Mr.
Penny pleaded with him to speak up
and exhonerate his client, but he
turned a deaf ear to all appeals. He
refuses to make direct confession
under oath, and consequently the story
he has told Rice is not available as
evidence in asking for a new trial
However, Mr.. Penny has secured
sworn statements from two longtime
convicts, who declare that the story
of Dugan's guilt and of Whites in,
nocence was told them by the former.
The lawyer hopes that these will carry
their weight with the pardoning board,
which meets next week.
It will be remembered that Mr.. Pen
ny, from the time he first took
Whites case to the present, has al
ways believed him innocent of the
crime, and it was while paying visit
to Saltwater Wednesday. in the hope
Of securing some evidence in Whites
favor to lay before the board of par
dons, that he elected the information
from Rice.
''Speak out" he urged Dugan, land
clear this man. You know he is in
nocent and you know who is guilty.
You wrote Mrs. White before Joe was
tried that you would never see an in
nocent man suffer, and now you keep
still. You wrote me letters during the
trial and before, telling me the same
thing. Since Joe was convicted you
have promised me several times that
you would tell about the Harris muir
der"
You didn't treat me fair" said Du-
gan, sullenly. You withdrew from
the case and left Davis there to try
me-
Il did treat you fairly" retorted the
attorney. You know l could not stay
in and try the case when Davis was
going to try to throw the blame onto
those East side boys, who were under
arrest for burglary and who were my
nelShbors. | couldn't do that Besides,
there were men on that jury who new
er would have convicted them They
would have said you were guilty every
time"
Yes" broke in Dugan, but I was
convicted on the Identification of
White, here. That Wingate boy knew
him, and so did Mrs. Harris If it
hadn't been for that I'd never have
been convicted" e5a,.44. r,s.4s, t..i4.s
Yes, you would answered Mr.. PEN
ny. GU were convicted on your lame
explanation about your wounded arm.
That why yeur-case was weak
Now, see here, Dugan," said he.
you know who is guilty, and you
know that White is innocent Are you
going to keep him here thinking that
some time you may be pardoned? /
have been over here number of times
to see you. Every time you have
promised to tell me, and you get al
most to the point of telling and then
you won't Come, now, do the manly,
fair thing, and tell us who it was If
you'll tell us that, We'll try and get
him and that will help White"
But Dugan's only reply was adj
dressed to the guard: Take me
back"
But Rice was laxative, even voluble
Has Dugan ever tod you who was
lis murder?" was asked him.
Lots of times" came the reply in
stantly. Il guess he's told me every
time we have a chance to get together
on holidays
who was it?" asked Penny.
"Johnstown Kid was the reply.
why, Dugan has told fifty or sixty
men here all about it. He told me Just
where he had been before he went to
the Harris house. He said he was in
the room and the Johnstown Kid fired
the shot that killed Harris He said
the id fool didn't need to shoot for
they could have got out of the scrape
as slick as whistle. He said Joe
White wasn't there at all. He told me
just how they got in, and what they
said and how Harris woke up and how
the Kid fired. He told me which way
they ran and how they got away
"Johnstown Kid figured largely in
the trials. He was the man with the
gold front tooth which could easily
and quickly be removed and another
one made of porcelain or some similar
substance put in it's place, completely
changing his appearance in a moment.
The man with the gold tooth was with
Dugan in Sheridan's saloon the night
before the murder. There were num-
Der of witnesses who testified to it, but
after the murder no one saw him.