The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-13


witness called was Nathan Beck. who
testified to seeing Whist on Saturday
previous to his death Deceased was
in good spirits at the time, and asked
him for work, but further than few
general remarks and some more con-
Versation on the subject of a JOB,
nothing was said. Nv. S. Wearing,
colored man, was called, and testified
as to hearing GroanS in the Lyceum
and of calling for an officer. His tes-
timony was not different in any par
ticular than what has already been
published
The next witness called was Miss
Hannah c. Hansen. Miss Hansen was
clothed in a black dress and wore
black veil which partially hid her fea
lures from the gaze of the curious. She
was in mourning for Whist. and her
eyes were red and swollen from Weep
ing. Her testimony was given IN a
clear. distinct voice, but occasionally
trembled and was interrupted by brief
fits of crying. 1t was a pitifui scene
to see her as she sat as a witness at
the inquest over the body of the man
whom she was to have married. and
instead of the wedding dress she was
to have worn yesterday, she sat in deep
mourning. Miss Larsen, a friend Of
Miss Hansen, sat beside the heart
broken girl during the whole of her
came over Miss Hansen she placed her
arm around the girl and gave her COM
fort
Miss Hansen testified to having been
engaged to MARI? deceased, and the
wedding was to have taken place at
noon yesterday. Deceased had spent
the evening previous to his death in her
company, and that of Miss Larsen. The
three had gone TO the church together.
and made arrangements with the Rev.
Mr.. Taylor TO perform the marriage
ceremony. They then returned to her
home at 262 East Second South street,
and remained there until shortly after
1890 o'clock. They then left the house
and took Miss Larsen to Main street.
where she took the II o'clock car to her
home. Miss Hansen and deceased re-
turned to her home, where he left her
at the gate, promising to return in the
morning at 10 o'clock to make the final
preparations for their wedding. When
he left he was in very good spirits,
and had been all evening" Besides tes-
Trying to deceased saying that he had
received some money from his sister,
and Identifying some of the property
of his. nothing new was brought out in
her evidence.
Miss Larsen was next called and tes-
titled to having been with Miss Han
sen and Whist on Sunday evening,
and to going home as stated by Miss
Hansen.
DIR. ROOT.
DR.. Roots evidence was mainly as to
the effects of morphine poisoning, and
the condition of Whist when he saw
him He also stated positively that
deceased met his death from poisoning
by morphine, and no signs of violence
were visible upon the body.
= A. Gibson testified that he was
acquainted with deceased during his
life time, and that he had seen him in
the gambling house in which he Glib
SOM is interested. On the Friday pre-
vious to his death Whist was in the
house and gambled at faro and won
from $40 to $40. This was before )
o'clock in the afternoon On Saturday
deceased was again in the house be-
tween the hours of 10 a. IN. and p.
m. and gambled there, losing about
$40. but not exceeding that amount.
witness did not think that Whist
went 10 any other gambling resort in
the city.
THE VERDICT.
At the close Of his testimony the case
was submitted to the jury, who were
out only a few minutes, and returned
with q verdict that said Carl WHIST
came to his death By morphine poison
ing. the same being administered by
some person or persons unknown to
this jury" The verdict was signed by
L. w Duncan, o. J. Salisbury and Jo
seph Baungarten, jurors.
There are some conflicting opinions
as to the cause OF Whitsit's death.
Some cling TO the belief nat II was
suicide These people say that 1t
would be impossible for Whist 20 have
been drugged while sober. and 1t was
testified that he Was not drunk during
the evening, and the facts seem to |
point out that he had not even taken |
a drink during the evening. But even
should he have been drugged these /
theorists say that it would have been
almost impossible to have carried him /
into the place he was found, on ac- ]
count of the number of people who I.
would certainly have noticed the act /
and also because the place was so
Uttered that they could hardly have /
carried him through it. Then they ad- /
vance the theory that as he lost all of |
his money gambling (Which has not |
been proVen) the perpetrators of the /
crime ceuij have had no object in
drugging him. Also that after losing Z
all of his money he committed suicide /
on that account.
THE MURDER THEORY.
But the theory which has the most |
supporters and the one which seems |
more likely is that he was murdered.
He had everything to live for the
knowledge that he was to marry the
girl he loved, being enough to make
him wish to live Then everything /
points to the fact that he had over
5000 and no evidence has been given
that he lost over $40. which was won
the day before. and he was as well off |
as when he started. But even If he
had lost all of his money that gave 10
motive for suicide. 1t is certain that
the men who robbed him knew that
he wore a money belt for they did not
hesitate about where to find it, and no
thieves have yet looked for belt on
their victims as far as can be learned
in the history of crime in Salt Lake.
It is very improbable that he would
Chave carried money belt unless he
had money to put in it and even if he
Gid not have any the murderers would
not necessarily have known about il.
If the case is a suicide il is one of the
most deliberate in the annals of crime.
He must necessarily have arranged his
plans of death beforehand ana after
calling upon his fiancee, had taken the
morphine with q heartlessness that
cannot be equalled. Every detail was
perfect His pockets were turned in
side out, the money belt torn from his
waist with such force as TO break the
leather, his watch torn off and the
chain broken in doing SO. two buttons
of his vest torn off in the effort to
open It and take the money belt. and
the contents of his pockets put in such
a position as could have only been done
by other hands or the most studied
care on his part Everything taken
I