The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-04
CLUE TO SANDAL MURDER.
Interest In Crime Revived BY. d Tell
tale Discovery
Especial Correspondence. u.

A iopecldl$ 4IOrqcSpOnQenCe!)
Kaysyille, Oct. S-After lapse of Six
months since Thomas Sandal, the FARM
ersr Union nightwatE hman. vas foully
murdered at his postIof duty. an entirely
new and tangible clue that may lead to
important developments has been found.
IL Is nothing less than the finding OF the
gun with which SahAai1 was Killed and
the pistol with which il is supposed he
tried TO- defend hlm3eIfNand which was
missed from the store after the murder.
4 lac discovery was made last Friday
evening BY a young man named Thornley,.
who resides at LAYTON While moving
straw from an old stack on the premises
Of John Flint. situated ABOUT midway be-
tween Clinton and South Hooper in what
IS known locally as THE Basin" young
THORNLEY, found a shotgun ofs1z guage thar
had been buried in the straw. On his re-
turning home that evening and reporting,
the occurrence. the suggestion was made
that there might be connection between
the unusual discovery and the Sandal
tragedy, and consequently the matter was
reported to Mr.. Ellison of the Farmers
Union.
The next morning. Saturday. number
of Layton people went out and searched
IN the old stack. and We're rewarded by
finding a pistol, which, it is asserted. has
been positively identified as having be-
longed TO the murdered nightwatchman.
The weapons We're brought to Layton
and the officers notified. Strenuous ef
forts were made at first TO keep the dis
covery secret. but the story leaked out
and has now become generally known in
the north part of Davis county.
The place where the guns were found is
nearly ten miles in a northwesterIy oil
rection from the scene of the tragedy and
is within a short distance of the north line
of Davis county. 1t is in a lonely spot,
there being but few habitations in the
vicinity.
There are some swho have expressed
surprise that the murderer should have
left the guns in a place where they might
be so easily found, but he may have been
led to do so because of the fact that old
straw stacks are quite frequently burned
the land being. plowed. If that is not done
they are left standing until the straw de-
composes ar becomes suitable for fentil-
have been beyond identification.
So far as can be ascertatned, there was
nothing to Indicate the ownership of the
shotgun. No information is being given
out direct by those who are in position
to know the particulars of the case, but
il is quite certain that great importance
is attached to the discovery.
The Sandal murder was one of the most
foul and mysterious crimes ever perpe-
trated in the state. MIR. Sandal was en-
gagged in the Farmers Union store at
Layton as a nightwatchman. position
he had held for years. On the night OF
March 2S. 1899, someone entered the store
or secreted himself inside before the clos
ing hour and at about midnight, IL is
supposed. attacked the nightwatcnman
and killed him. The weapon used was
shotgun. breech-loading. of u guage, and
No. A shot was used. The victims face
on the right side was blown away, the
full charge having entered below the
right eye The murderer made his exit
from the store by the rear door, and just
outside home-knit white sock was found.
Later, box of cartridges. an oVeFcoat
and a bloody mask were found two miles
north of Layton secreted in ditch. Since
that time absolutely nothing has turned
up that might throw light on the Tragedy
until now. though some able detectives
worked on the case. A reward of $l.0O
hangs over the head of the murderer. 800
of which is offered by the Farmers Union
company and the balance by Davis
county.