Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1899-05-09
b~ASTARDLy MURDER.
Fred. L. Merrill Found at His Home
With His Skull Crushed In.
WALTER Z. LOCKE ARRIsTHp.

When THE CITIZEN was issued yester.
day afternoon. giving here an exclusive
account Of q horrible crime committed
at Santa fe, wherein Walter X. Locke
was accused Of committing the deed, the
people Of Albuquerque we're thoroughly
shocked, and many Of Locke's friends de-
clsred that he could not be guilty Of
murder-that OF taking the life Of hi,
brother .in.law. Fred l.. Merrill. whom hs
had SO often helped and for whom hi
always entertained the best OF feeling.
However, there are others 10 this city
who, upon learning some Of the facts ant
considering the misleading dispatch hrs,
sent by Locke TO W. b. Dawson, con.
cluded forthwith that Locke must have
had something to do with the crime, snt
the following account from the New
Mexican evidently s~uDstantiates the con
clusion that Locke committed the horri.
BILE deed:
This morning the coroner's jury rem
dered q verdict that Fred. l.. Merrill
had been found dead from u wound ia.
flicted by an unknown person or per.
sons, the character Of the wound indi.
eating that II was caused by u heavy,
sharp cutting instrument
This afternoon ". X. Locke, brother.
in-law Of Merrill, was arrested by Dep.
uty Sheriff Richard Huber, charged with
numbering Merrill. Considerable cir.
su~matanttal avidanaa hos haa,, oatbarad
already tending to implicate Locke, and
al alleged last statement OF Merrill IL
said TO be In Locke's handwriting.
Merrill was seen on the streets IA late
AZ 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Ii wa,
noticed that he wa somewhat intoxi.
Gated. At = O'Clock In the evening Dr. j
n. Sloan was summoned by Locke will
the tidings that Merrill had committed
suicide In his room In the Gsllegot
block. Locke said that he had found
Merrill lying on his back on the bed and
q 10 caliber revolver. with one chamber
empty, by the bedside. The revolver be.
l0nged TO Locke. The bed and the fool
were despatched with blood, and the up
per part Of Merrill's face was pounded In,
There was q big and deep slash across
the forehead. and one eye was gouged
out. Two long slsshes in the temple
crossed each other. and another cut ID
the right temple laid bare the brain
Merrill 8 body was also bruised and cut
and evidently q severe struggle had
taken place.
A statement signed Merrill" wa
found on the table. In which Merrill
babe good bye to his friends.
A c%oroner's jury was summoned las,
evening, consisting OF Justice J.. NJ. Gar
ella, Matthew 3. Groves, j. n. Lacome
Gus Gusdorf. T. j. Helm, q. X. Collin,
and ID. PachecO, which this morning
gave the above verdict.
Locke insists upon IL that Merrill com
mitted suicide by shooting. He says thai
Merrill has been melancholy ever since
Mrs. Locke, his sister, died, and ha,
threatened several times TO kill himself
Merrill was aged about 80 years. HI
WAS born at Sterling. ILL.,, where his ia
ther lives. who wss notified OF his SON,
death this morning by q telegram sem
by Locke. Merrill has \ sister In Cali
f0rnia and n In Alaska. About foul
years ago he came to New Mexico. ant
has been In Santa Fe much since. II,
enlisted In Company b. First United
States volunteer infantry Of Texas. dur
ing the late war. He was also a member
Of Paradise Lodge. l. 0. o. r., No. 2, O
this city. Ten days ago he anne I,
Santa Fe from Silver City. Locke payinI
the expense, and since has worked To-
Lock at the gambling table In the Clair,
hotel building.
Merrill's body was photographed thil
morning and placed In Wagner's morgue
The funeral will take place to morrow
afternoon. lnterment will be made II
Fairview cemetery.