The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-20
Picked o. by zinc.

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Officer Palmer was walking his beat
at O'Clock yesterday morning when he
saw MOser crossing West Temple street
on Second South. Blood was trickling
down the mans face from a bullet
wound IN his forehead, and his clothes
were blOOdstained, else the probabilities
are that the officer would not have no.
ticed him. Palmer went up to him and
asked what had caused the wound on
his head. At first ne seemed reluctant
TO. answer the question, but after put
ting a few more queries, the officer
learned that the man had tried to kill
himself. A few moments more and
MOSer had told his whole story, with
all its awful details.
He said he had killed his wife and
three children only last Sunday, and
had started west He reached Salt Lake,
he said, on Thursday, and secured a
room at the Harris block, 140 West
Second South. He had purchased a
paper, the Chicago Herald, and,
reading the details of his crime, had
been unable longer to stand the agony
he had endured for almost a week.
Taking his pistol, the man went to
Fishers brewery. which is on the bank
OF the Jordan river near where it
crosses Third South, at O'Clock yes
terday morning. He sat on the rail of
pistol to his right temple, fired. He
fell backwards into the stream, where
the water is about four feet deep, but
the bullet wound was slight and,
scrambline to his feet, he waded out.
IT was his intention 10 finish the deed.
and he went up on the bridge again
after his weapon, but it had fallen into
the water Then he started for the
city, had visited his room about day
light, and had then met the officer.
As ZIOser related his remarkable tale,
the officer found it hard to believe and
sized the man up as a lupatie. But
they went 20 police headquarters, MoSer
offering no resistance, but talking of his
crime continually. He was searched at
the station, and upon the inside pocket
of his coat was found a letter addressed
TO the police.
Letter to Police.
1t reads as follows. being written in
a very peor hand. and half the words
beng misspelled:
Il wish to say to the people of this
world, if there is any truth in Bible
so by my judgment you are in your
last hours. 1t appears to me that mans
doing is appearingly only for that
mighty s. 1 do not say this to alarm
Salt Lakers in no way, as this city 1
like, and If / thought / would be safe
and never come known that ] commit
the crime, / would have tryed to pull
through, but I think there are enough
bad people for to shine onto.
IF I could have got around the PEN
city of Death, and could gotten friends
and satisfaction, L should have been
content with my days work and meals
with a good appetite as long as 1t
reached. before / could agree to the
rule or ruin creole of Omish people
of my home I choose to dye. 1 had been
under this cur cumstance 3 years, with
no show of a change, unles agreeing
10 this order,
If my wife could have content her
self outside Of community Of these peo-
pie and would had respected me as
husband, by depriving some of those
people, Idea this crime had been saved.
but there relatives kept her from do
ing so. and forced there religion, how
ever. that she should esteem y more
than me. il is a hard matter TO eX-
press all their DOctrin and rule. they
keep there children ignorant of things
OF these world, by not letting them
have music and enjoyment as many
wished TO have. they raise them ig
morality, partly and after they become
Old many are not ut for law and rule
of this world. I beg to say TO the peOs
nle of this world to destroy ana clean
the ldCl o. the Sat ~ u al St'~-i A4-A1i
listers, interferers between man and
wife"
II am a murderer of Ills. from Nor
ton TaZeweI Co. Wire 10 my father,
Ben Moser. Tagewell Co, I'll that the
body OF there son Sam was found. I
did not spose that they want TO see me
any more
Besides the letter TO the police. a
card was found, being in the same Ell
velope. Upon it WAS scrawled: My
name is Sam MOser. Investigate. Har-