Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1898-12-28
THE WILLOW
 CREEK MYSTERY
Ezra Barnes is Arrested in Washing ion for the Murder of Henry
 Hanna Near Prescott.
Sheriff Ruffner TeIegraphs That he will Start Home with His Pris-
 oner This Evening.

The fact of the remains of a man having been found covered with brush in the Willow creek basin a short time since, will be fresh iii the memory of the readers of the JOUBNAL-MINER. An investigation at the time of the discovery revealed the fact that a murder had been committed, and following up cert ain clues discovery also revealed almost unmistakably the identity of the murderer.
 In the interests of justice, in order that the man suspected of the crime might not be advised of the discoveries made, the story of the crime, as indicated by the circam stanc IS at the time, was suppressed, and Sheriff Rufner immediately took steps to run the alleged crim- inal down.
 A telegram received from him this morning by Under Sheriff Dii- lon, announced the fact that be had arrested his man at Colville. Wash ington, near the Canadian line, and would start nome with him this evening.
 The remains were found under brush heap during the month of October. 4 bullet hole through the skull showed the manner in which the deceased had met his death. The condition of the remains showed that death had occurred several months previously, while the gloyed hands and the heavy clothing which covered the skeleton indicated that death had occurred during the winter months. In one of his pock- cts was found bill for goods pur- chased at the O. K. store of Jos. Dougherty. The bill was in bad condition, only the name Barnes be- ing legible. Inquiry at the ahove stoIe revealed the fact that the bill was one made out to Henry Hama and Ezra T. Barnes. and following up the clue thus afforded it was dis covered that the above parties had been engaged in cutting and hauling wood in partnership. That Hanna had mysteriousiy disappeared some time in the latter part of December of last year O. earley in January of the present year. Barnes remained in this vi clnity until some time in March, when party who came here from Nevada with both him and Hanna, maue inquiries about the latter. Barnes told him that be went of prospecting with a man whom he dId n0t know aud he had not hsard of him since.
 Barues evidently became uneasy on account of this inquiry and a few days afterwards sOld his team and left Prescott, going from here to FlagsIad where ne remained for only a short time. and has been drifting from place to place ever since But for the fact that he Is a veteran and pensioner of the civil war, the officers would have had difficult task in tracing him up, but through information re- reived from the pension office his whereabouts were rather easily learned and ten days ago. on in formation received of his being in the stnte of Washington. Sheriff Rufuer, armed with a requisiliou, left for that place.
 Barnes and Hanna, in cImplny with two other parties, left Eiko county, Nevada, in the latter part of OctObei, 1897, arriving in Prescott in due time. The other two men secured employment and Barnes and Hauna went into partnership in the wood business. Barnes owned the team us-d iu this business, but had borrowed $50 from Hanna pledging tbe team m some way f6r the pay ment. Hanna was an indus r!ous man who saved lis moDey ant .t tue time of hIS death was supposed 10 have had $500 or S70O, To secure this money, a. we'll as iO free Iht, team from the incumbcaucc on t due Hanna furnishes the motive for the crime.
 Hauna's psreuts resid, in Me GTegOr. Texas, and the iastie.ier re- ceivei bv them from him was on JaIuan 3. le9S, the letter ha,iag been written a few days previously and it l. supposed that the murder was committed about that time.
 Hauna owned a watch with miniature gold locom otive on one side, and had other tIiukets which could be recognized if found. and from the fact that Sheriff Rlffner in his telegrams stated that he had found good evidence against Barnes, it is supposed that he found some Of these in his possession.
 Hanna was wanted a, Carson, Nevada, as witness in a govern ment robbery case, and wrote the officers that he would return at any time he was wanted. The subpoena was sent here in the spring to be served but officers were unable to find him, which raised the suspicion that he had been foully dealt with, but until the discovery of the skele- ton in the brush heap, nothing could be learned in regard to him.
 The coroner's jury. which held the inquest, found that deceased came to his death at the hands of some party to them unknown.
 The skull of the dead man is in possession of the sheriff and it shows that the fatal bullet entered just back of the left ear coming out on the right side of the head little lower down than it entered. The murder had evidently been commit ted beneath the limbs of a juniper tree, and the tree had afterwards been cut down and chopped up into wood and the brush carefully piled on the body.