Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-06-27
Murdered in Cold Blood While on
Duty This Morning,
TERRIBLE PROVO TRAGEDY.
supposed Murderer l. ~ Tramp whom
the Onicer itad Arrested Search
tor the criminal.


Special per Dcscret Telegraph.
Provo. Utah. June 27.-Ono Of the
foulcat murders In the history " this
city was committed at about I o'clock
this morning. when Special Policeman
VIM. strong was shot through the
heart by some transient whom he had
arrested.
Mr. strong had been detailed 10
watch the dcpots and arrest every
tramp that got on at Provo. The mar
shall was with him until about mid
night, but no trumps were then In
sight AZ 1910 there was q freight
from the east and Il r. believed that
some desperate character got on then
and fell into the hands Of the jealous
officer The two proceeded a. FAR as
the intersection Of J and Third streets
whore the officer was killed.
The theory ia that the hobo had re-
voivcr which hc suddenly whipped out
and struck the officer Just back of the
right ear whore there Is an abrasive
wound. II must have staggered the
officer, who pulled his own revolver aud
was then shot dead by the desperate.
II was a deliberate shot. the bullet
entering the left breast just below the
left nipple. Death must have instantly
followed. as the doctors say the ball
went through the heart.
Just before the shooting Policeman
Tucker. who was standing on street,
near the First National bank corner.
heard a deep groan, probably as tho po-
llccman was struck and he mounted his
wheel and rode rapidly down the street.
where he came suddenly upon the
CHASTITY sight OF the special policeman
lying prone upon the ground and appar-
entity dead
Mr.. Tucker saw only the wound In
the neck and he thought the unfortu.
nate brother officer was still within the
range of medical assistance. DIS. Pike
and Robson were quickly summoned.
but they declared that the spirit had ta-
ken its flight.
Miss Mathews, who clerks In the
store Of Mrs. Annie J.. Atldn and who
rooms at Bishop Johnsons, and two
sons " the Bishop also heard the heavy
gronn. The boys ran out and saw a
man running rapidly west on Third
street.
The shcrin and other officers were
quickly notified ana In less than NJ
Policeman Tucker started at once In
the direction which the murderer IL
reported to have taken,
The marshal and sheriff needed men
and at about o'clock the nro bell was
set vigorously tolling Men and boys
Hooked rapidly 10 the court house
thinking, OF course there was hrc,
only Co be- told that the officers desired
the assistance of armed mon. Then
thrrc was u scramble for weapons, ana
the few guns kept constantly ON mana
al the nherln'H office were placed In tho
hands OF trusted citizens, and they
were sent out ON all the roads leading
from the city. They went In pairs win
Instructions 20 arrest nll tfampH ana
strangers who tried 10 pass them. and
bring them nt once 90 the aherim's of-
nee sheriff gtorrH directed this movo-
ment of armed cltizens.und In less than
an hour AN the highways leading out
OF Provo were thoroughly guarded
In the meantime the nuwn Of the
tragedy had been carried TO the faml-
iy Of the deceased. with what pangl
the awful tldlnEs were received can
better be Imagined than described.
shortly afterwards, the body NJ the be-
loved husband and father still warm
with the pulsntiona OF his HOS blood
was conveyed home. Kind nciHhbora
gathered In. but the grief u the Wild
owed mother was bordering on dlHtruc,
tiOn. The brothers ana children NJ
deceased were In almost n like state OF
profound grief Two Of the sons, War
rem and Reed were attending q dance
at spnnlshFork whore the horrible news
was conveyed tn them, and they cam,
home post haste.
In the sherln'a office busy scenes
were stlll being enacted. Every cts
and town In the county had been noti'
Ned. and had sent men out into IA,
highways 90 arrest trumps who might
be coming along. The news was tclc,
graphpd along the railroad lines, and
all trains which had passed Provo wer'
thoroughly watched,
Soon the Provo patrol began running
In trnmpH, and before the morning sur
appeared above the Wnsatch mountains
more than dozen had been arrested by
Vlrllant officers and citizens
The trampH were thoroughly fright
ened, Tor they realized that the citizen
were terribly In earnest In fact. trag
edies among our own residents wcrl
narrowly averted, so jealousy wa
every pedestrian challenged Franz
Ramsey had to make a midnight cal
FOR "a doctor. lie found DR.. Allen hui
gone 90 Strong's residence, AMI he wen
running there Not far from the resi-
dence he heard commOtion on porrl
and the father cried out TO his son. VIII
had the gun. There he N now there !
the murderer, shoot him" Luckily, IN
son was more cool, and challenged m
citizen before shooting.
when daylight appeared the repn
that tho murderer had run west Ol
Third street was confirmed by plail
tracks In the sand, The tracks are ais
plain whore the tragedy occurred, an
thls Is the best evidence IN the posses
Zion OF the officers. The footprints ar
being carefully preserved and the shoe
Of an the tramps arrested arc at one
meaHured and examined,
Tho impression prevails that II ~
half breed coon" who did the deed
There was such a one at the statlo
Sunday evening, who threatened IN
officer In case he attempted TO nrrca
him and Officer Strong shid that h
would surely arrest him II he found hir
there again. Such a tramp has bee
arrested at Lehi,
Night Operator Hopkins II probnbl
the last citizen who saw the Office
alive. He says that Mr.. strong Ia
come from the rock works, Just Yves
Of the station. when the freight trni
pulled In. and shortly afterwards IN
operator saw him talking 10 tram
near the water tank at the east OF th
"a 10 a 4