The herald., 1898-02-09

Appleman said / ought to be killed any
way. begged for my life, else be
lieve they would have killed me.
"Appleman guarded me with riff
while the others went on 400 yards towar
the trestse. Hatch, Dunn and Kelly wen
to work on the track with big wrench
and hand bar. Barrett and the brake
man were at work close to them. Wheel
er went across the trestle. could no
see what he was doing. In a few min
utes Kelley hollered, All right Thel
the men came back and we got into tn
wagon. 1 took no part in the wrecking
being held a prisoner by Appleman al
the time.
After we had got to the main roat
we heard a loud noise and Barrett said
| There she goes!
"The package of dynamite which wo'
| found in the wagon 1 never saw. On re-
turning to Sacramento left the wagor
and walked directly to the A. r. U. head
quarters. I went to sleep there, anc
was awakened by Knox when he came
in with others. among whom, think, was
Treasurer Parker. Knox asked me If
had gone with the team. and l accused
him of using me. / accused Knox, Null
lin and Compton of knowing what was
going to be done, and they did not deny
it, but said l must have known as well.
Knox said there was nothing to connect
me with the work done on the track but
the boy driver, but that was bad.
After my arrest for the murder of En-
gineer Clark in that wreck, Harry Knox,
who was in the same cell, told me that
Kelly and Dunn had been furnished
money to get away with by the commit
tee, which had also paid for horse and
saddle on which Appleman had escaped.
Hatch, Compton, Mullin and Knox got
out of it, and I never heard what be-
came of Wheeler, Barrett or the brake
man.
mo trouble arose until the close of the
examination, when Hatch accused me of
preventing him from getting bail and
beat me. and both Hatch and Appleman
made my life almost a hell. Claimed I
was talking and making confessions,
until Gen. Hart sent me word that he
could not act for me. was in bad shape.
and my knowledge of the tragedy made
it worse, and it looked to me as If / was
the victim, which subsequent events
proved correct. OF all admissions and
confessions I am credited with making
l do not remember.
my trial came on and witnesses were
promised my attorney by Knox, but
failed to come. Attorney Strong did the
best he could for me, but, receiving no
assistance from those interested. l was
convicted, and, no doubt, my actions,
talk and statements helped greatly.
N < N
wanted me out Of the way. 1 had been
the tool and weak fool, and then my ac
tions, talk and knowledge of matters all
through made me, as l can see now, a
source of danger to all others. My at
torney will state that l wished to go
upon the stand and testify to all the facts
1 have written here and acknowledge
my part in the matter and he would not
allow men to, so, of course, did not, but
1t would have been and is the truth.
ut seems impossible to believe that
what 1 have written is true; that a sane
man would make an order and get
team where he was known, and start
then and go anywhere without knowing
all about it, but as l stand before my
Maker and expect to die and be judged
by Him, it is the truth. 1 had implicit
trust in Harry Knox and all he said to
me, and so made no questions; and,
again, If l had known 1t, it must seem
impossible that l would have taken a
driver and insisted on his going when
the others objected.
Il am, in this statement, making this
evidence against myself true, with the
exception of knowing about the tools
or. y,,if tyhi oil 7
would state as fully as the rest.
May God forgive those Nith whom l
associated as freely as 1 do and as l
hope to be forgiven by my Heavenly
Father when 1 appear before Him for
all my part or completely in this terri
BILE crime. / cannot feel in my heart that
am the cause of nor the means of the
death Of Engineer Clark. and again state
that what l have written of the occur
renee when the wreck occurred is the
truth.
May all forgive me in my completely
i'm this, and / can now go before my
Maker with a clear conscience of hav
ing done my whole duty to society and
made all the reparation in my power
to them by making the true facts known
and all who We're in any manner con-
nected, and without malice to any, made
my peace with God.
"In conclusion. governor. I feel
that l have done my full duty to
society in making this statement, let
the consequences be what they may be
to myself or any one else. l have told
the full truth, and / feel in my heart
that the blood of Sam Clark is not on
my head. / have led a wild, reckless,
and perhaps a foolish life. but with
death staring me in the face, and as
have hopes of hereafter, my conscience
is guiltless of the crime of murder. In
the name of my family. who have always
borne high and honorable reputation
wherever known, I plead with you to
save me from an ignominious death and
my family from everlasting disgrace.
Respectfully
SALTER D. WORDEN.
dated at Represa, Feb. g 1898.
"Signed and acknowledged to be true
in the presence of
CHARLES AULL.
"R. ]. MURPHY"