Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-15
JOHN PORTER
HAS CONFESSED.
He Admits Having Killed Little
Louise Frost,
STORY OF TERRIBLE CRIME.
Dragged Her Prom the Iguggy-Stabbed
Her with a Knlfe-To Conceal His
Deed, Murders Her.

Denver, Colo, Nov, l4,-AIJer Wllu-
standing the pressure Of the sweat
box" at the city jail FOR four days John
Porter, the i6.year-old negro who was
arrested Sunday charged with the muir
der Of little 1l-year-old Louise Frost
near Llmon Colo, tonight broke down
and confessed every detail of the crime.
The citizens Of Limon are awaiting
his return TO lynch him. 1t Is pro-
posed TO burn him az the stake.
The little girl who was the daughter
Of a ranchman living four miles from
LimOn. attended school In town driv-
ing back and forth. Wednesday last
while on her way home, she was way
laid. assaulted and murdered her body
showing no less than fourteen knife
wounds
sunday Preston Porter, colored and
his two sons. Arthur and John who had
been working on the railroad near
Limou, were arrested here IN route to
their home In Lawrence, Kan, and
John Porter was charged with the
crime. only cIrcumstantial evidence
was brought against him, and he told
straight story alherIng 10 It so te-
naciOusly as 20 almost convince the Of
fcers OF his innocence.
But the fact that the clothes which
he had shipped 10 Lawrence. Kan, and
which had been brought back 10 DeL
yer showed bloodstains seemed to un-
nerve him. and he broke down. He told
the story Of his crime. and has since
been on his knees In his cell.
Porter said he had seen the girl driv-
ing home from school. and on the day
of the crime waited for her at lonely
point on the road.
lie dragged her from the buggy, and
when she resisted him he repeatedly
stabbed her with a small psnknife,
She finally yielded and afterWard. to-
prevent her betraylng him. he crushed
her skull with his heel
He returned 10 the boarding car and
attempted. by washing some OF his
clothes and burning others. to remove
the evidences Of his crime. Later in the
Week the porters quit work and shipped
their effects TO Lawrence KAN their
home They came 10 Denver 20 draw
their pay and on sunday last were ar
rested by the Denver police on a telo-
graphic ordea from Sheriff Freeman Of
Lincoln county
The greatest excitement was caused
by the discovery of the body OF the
murdered girl and rewards 20 the
amount Of 81 200 We're offered for the
capture Of the murderer dead or alive.
II was announced on all sides that the
murderer should be lynched n captured
and one man who was suspected had a
narrow escape from death
After suspicion became fastened on
young Porter n pair OF shoes which he
had left al the car were found 10 1T
the tracks which led from the scene of
the crime. There was other crcum-
stantial evidence against him. but POr-
ter firmly held 10 his story that he was
at the boarding car all the afternoon
OF the day Of the murder This after
noon the baggage Of the POrters was
received from Lawrence, and a pair Of
Oyeralls and a shirt which showed
stains of blood We're found When con-
fronted with this evidence the boy lost
his nerve and told the story.
II is not known when he viii be
taken TO Lincoln county, but Sheriff
Freeman Is said 20 have expressed the
belief that h will never be able 20 land
him in jail In Hugo the county seat.
Under these circumstances the police
declare that they will not give up the
prisoner except upon a legal demand
that viii relieve them Of any response
bility for a lynching
Limon, Colo, Nov Is. l a. m.-The
statements Of Porter have been cor
roborated. He told where he had
thrown his victims pocketbook and It
was found there by the officers.
People are gathering at Limon from
the surrounding country awaiting the
arrival OF the murderer 1t is now said
that there Is evidence that the father
and brother OF John Porter had a
guilty knowledge OF his crime and it is
possible that II they are taken TO Lin
coin county az the same time, they may
suffer the same penalty