Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1900-03-10
AMOS PHILLIPS. WHO CONFESSED

court. Sheriff Wheeler has authorized
the announcement that the Jail and
courthouse will be heavily guarded
from now on until the prisoners are
disposed Of, and that the guards have
been Instructed 10 resist TO death any /
sttempt at violence The FIRST man.
says the sheriff. who sets foot on the |
courthouse or Jail steps with view to +,
forcing the delivery OF the prisoners
will be shot down.
According TO the confession OF Phil
! Fps. wao Is an ignorant farmer. he met
I the Smith men and other members OF
their band In a saloon at Rich Hill,
Z Mo. They have used him as sort OF
driver and roustabout not letting him
In on some OF their deals. He has ac-
eompanled the officers over the route
which Edllnger and the murderers
travelled. and pointed out the spot
where the murder occurred. His story
confirms the trail which the officers
had when he confessed.
After Phillips had identified the
Emiths. County Attorney Sheppard.
convinced that he knew more, seatoH
him in the sweat box again. and slow
ly the old man yielded UP a confession.
Every original utterance would be a
lie and when nailed by the county at
torney. be would admit It and tell what
circumstances would warrant believing.
Repeatedly he was warned TO quit ly-
ing and twenty times he moved his
chair. stralghiened up and said: Now
I'm going 10 tell you the truth HIS
second sentence would be an admitted
lie. lie told that he had met the two
Smith men, whom he knew as Red
and John. at the Chetopa reunion about
Oct 1; that be was on the way home
from the territory: that the Smith mei
and two women asked to accompan!
him TO Missouri: that they went NJ
through Crawford county. turned int
. Neosho county and met Edllnger
oamp near Stark. that night I'M
Smith men shot him and crushed M
head with an AK and threatened to XII
MIN ~ he Intcrfered or told a word
thai they loaded him into the WACO
ana hauled him two days until the
reached the ford, where they dispose
q, him. that the man known as Georg
Smith drove ahead with Ediinger
team and they met by arrangement
Fulton. that they proceeded to Bate
.orntv where the mon took the 10
q lInger outfit and left him threatenin
~ 10 XIII him II he exposed the Grim
c This statement was made in the pre-
eneo OF Ed Smith and sworn 10
phlnlps. Smith only laughed ana T
=. marked:
:. what a liar! an.
shorIG wheeler and ex-Sheriff ALI
IA a.. worked nm a clue to the trail
The murdered man and murderers ITO
nth hin west to Prescott tnrou'
h, ,,nn county into Bourbon and dow
,r snot where the body was iouh
VI "a Mad designated the spot where |
=. ,.dor according TO their theory n
ON occurred. They had complete reco
- The movements OF the two waso
~ ara the descriptions OF tue team
eo nasaa mon this clue was the tneo
ru' 40, rdlinger had been followed
OF Kansas and their next examination
rcs pstt,lns was entered into upon u
NO ,saary Al first the old man stou
nv .ssnroa 10 his frst confession IN
10, Nv changed IL in few material pom
- no admitted having seen
smith men in Rich Hill' ana nnai,y
IA ,he whole story and was reaos
. oSm,t anything of which he was
lea a"ssd For an hour and han ne "
no9 sso stocks and 1t was apparent Y
nos, " w.. .s nervous and enduring men
axe w - that as he complained cau'
ter, S S head to hurt A hundred times
III hla n "ea himself guilty of lying as to
ass . .',,a and ut last admitted every.h'
Ina, tau, ,,,. s aar finally coincided with
ores ,,,s made by Sheriff vince
) Of ae ss N,s force, and there is no cues,
rear A'a 49, minds of the officers out 'h"'
tho ~ . .ms in ali of It's material points
Az, is mue ~ three months ago the ga
Rio 'w ss,ns to Phillips stateme
, an a ',,suned to change its rendezvous ,,,
Din. ,ha obscure spot in Cedar 'e ,on
road -, usere the Edlinger team was ,w W..
lace " NJ a. Ind leased or bought .w en
!, - ..,o tract. he says TO wn''n '''