Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-18
Significant Remark Made by "sloppy'
smith. Worried About the Mar.
shalltown Affair.
A Newton Prisoner Says They re the
Men--.They We're Here ON the
Day Of the Murder.

Day Of the Murder.
It is quite probable that the murder
ers of Brakemen Matthews and Wilson
will not go unpublished. From pres
ent indications the two men, sloppy"
Smith and Yancey, in Jail at Nevada for
shooting Conductor Hicks at Kelley,
were concerned in the murder of the
two Great Western brakemen and the
third member of the trio is in Jail al
Newton. Jasper county, where he was
arrested for petty ofrense, but is being
held under orders from here.
Aside from other strong evidence
pointing to these men as the perpetra-
tors Of the dastardly crime, they them
selves have said eonugh, in an I'M
guarded moment. to convict them. If the
information in the hands of Sheriff Nc
Pherson at present is found to be re-
liable. The theory that the sheriff and
his deputies, as we'll as County Attor-
ney Stone, have accepted from the first
is that the double murder was COM
ductor Fickas and others lettering
about the train just before it pulled out
from this city for the south on the night
of Aug. %, and later traced across the
country to Dixie, on the Rock Island.
where the trail was lost. 1t Is these
men whom the officers have been
searching for, and the only clue that
was worth following, aside from the
Ia
former Central employe who claimed to
know so much about the crime and who
disappeared when he saw that he either
had to prove his claims or admit that
he was telling whisky dreams.
YANCEY WAS HERE.
Mr.. w. l.. Merryman. who is an en-
ploye of j. c.. Dunn, some time ago in
formed the sheriff that on the day of the
murder three men answering the Ge-
scription Of the supposed murderers
l8came into Mr.. Dunn's office and two of
them engaged him in conversation.
Since Yancey and Smith have been in
custody at Nevada Sheriff Banks, of
Story county, has thought that perhaps
they were two of the men wanted here,
and has therefore been looking UP the
records of his prisoners. He found that
Yancey is a parolled convict from the
Nebraska penitentiary, and has secured
la photograph of him. When this was
shown to Mr.. Merryman the latter de-
clared he was positive that the photo
graph was the likness of the large man
of the three whom he conyersed with on
the day of the murder.
ANOTHER LINK.
i Two weeks after the murder the pro-
i prietor of depot district saloon in
i formed the sheriff's officers of an Incl
dent that came under his notice prior to
THE crime. Three strangers, whom he
says heApaid little attention to because
4 he was busy, came into the saloon and
bought drinks. They asked IL they
| could leave a revolver in the bartend-
er's custody, and on receiving favor
able reply they did so. The men later
called for the weapon. This was on the
day of the murder, and with the men
was Charles FitZgerald-the same indi-
vidual previously referred to as claim
ing to know SO much and whose strange
actions and stories have heretofore been
/ detailed in these columns.
A SUSPICIOUS REMARK.
{. Since the capture of Smith and Yam
i cey for shooting Conductor Hicks
Smith has been sick and his condition
was such that he needed medical atten-
4 ton. Sheriff Banks procured for him
good treatment and to the physician the
slprisoner patient took a liking. But the
physician did not look upon remark
made by Smith as particularly pro-
ipressional secret, and informed Sheriff
4 Banks of conversation held between
4 them. Smiths conscience and his ILL
ness must have got the better of his
i Judgment, for he told the doctor that
while the serape into which he had got
lin Story county didn't trouble him. he
didn't know how they were going to get
out of that Marshalltown affair II
i looks to the officers as though he was
accusing himself of being concerned in
1.-The Marshalltown affair" before any
one else did.
THE NEWTON SUSPECT.
The man held at Newton by Sheriff
"Trip gives his name as Crockett, and
he also has been talking in a way thai
The can not explain very we'll IL he find.
The must stand trial for murder. He die
not make a physician his conf1dant
however, but chose q fellow prisoner a.
| the one to whom he would unboson
himself This prisoner had just beer
sentenced to term in states prison
and Crockett evidently thought HI
s would be safe in talking to him. HI
), told his Jail acquaintance that the two
men under arrest in Story county fol
shooting Conductor Hicks were the mel
who murdered the brakemen on tn,
. Great Western near this city. Thi
statement the prisoner divulged t
tSheriff Trip while the latter was tax
ing him to the penitentiary to serve hi
sentence. Sheriff Trip in turn sent tn,
story to Sheriff Mcpherson, and tn,
latter sent word at once to hold the maj
until further orders. Sheriff McPher
son believes that Crockett is the thirt
member of the trio.
MIR. MERRYMAN IDENTIFIES.
With these facts in hand. Sheriff Nc
Pherson and County Attorney Ston
concluded to visit the Story county pris
oners and identify them as the me-
) suspected of the crime. For this pur
pose the officials went to Nevada thi