The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-11-15
NEGRO ADMITS
HORRIBLE CRIME
John Porter Tells How He
Killed Frost Child.
BURNING AT THE
STAKE AWAITS HIM
Return to LimOn Means Swift
RetributiOn.

Denver, Colo, Nov. 14.-After with
standing the pressure of the sweat
box at the city jail for four days. John
Porter. the 15-year-Old negro who was
arrested Sunday charged with the muir
der of little 11-year-oId Louise Frost
near Limon, Colo, tonight broke down
and confessed every detail Of the crime
The citizens of Lfmon are awaiting
his return to lynch him. It is pro-
posed to burn him at 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.
Protests Innocence at First.
Sunday Preston Porter. coIored. and
his two sons, Arthur and John. who had
been working on the railroad near
Limon, were arrested here en- route 20
their home in Lawrence. Kan. and
John Porter was charged with the
crime. Only CirCUmstantal evidence
was brought against him, and he told
| a straight story, adhering 10 il so te-
naciOusly as to almost convince the Of
fcerS of his innocence.
But the fact that the clothes, which
he had shipped TO Lawrence, Kan, and
I which had been brought back to Dan
YER showed bloodstains seemed 20 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 al a lonely
/ point on the road.
Slabs Her as She Resists.
/ He dragged her from the buggy. and
/ when she resisted him he repeatedly
| stabbed her with a small penknife.
She finally yielded, and afterward, TO
| prevent her betrayinS him, he crushed
| her skull with his heel.
| He returned to 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 To Denver to draw
/ their pay, and on Sunday last were ar
rested by the Denver police on a tele-
! graphic order from Sheriff Freeman Of
| Lincoln county.
| The greatest excitement was caused
by the discovery of the body of the
| murdered girl, and rewards to the
amount of 5000 were offered for the
capture of the murderer, dead or alive.
/ L
murderer should be lynched il captured,
and one man who was suspected had a
narrow escape from death
Shoes Fit the Tracks.
After suspicion became fastened on
young Porter, a PAIR of shoes which he
had left at the car We're found to tit
the tracks which led from the scene Of
the crime. There was other CirCum-
stantiaI evidence against him. but POT-
ter firmly held TO 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
OVeTaIls and a shirt which showed
| stains of blood were found When con-
frOnted with this evidence the boy lost
his nerve and told the story.
1t is not known when he viii be
taken to Lincoln county, but Sheriff
Freeman is said to have expressed the
belief that he will never be able TO 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 will relieve them of any response
bility for a lynching-
Gather For the Lynching.
, LimOn, Colo, Nov. j.. 1 a. NTH,
statements of Porter have been cor
, rObOrated. He told where he hac
thrown his victims pOpCketbOOk and i
was found there by the officers.
People are gathering at LimOn from
/ the surrounding country awaiting thu
I arrival of the murderer. Tt IS now SaiC
Z that there is evidence that the lathe
1 and brother of John Porter had
! guilty knowledge of his crime and il Il
e possible that if they are taken TO Lin
- coin county at the same time, they ma.
90 | suffer the same penalty.