The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-22
FATAL BULLET FITS
M0RTENSEN'S PISTOL
Weapon Found in the Suspects House Cuts I'm
pOrtant Figure in Hay Murder.
The Terrible Strain on the Man in the City Jail Threatens
To Break Him Down.

II ETER MORTENsEN, sleepless,
worn. disturbed necessarily by a
thousand irritating questions that
he refuses to answer, paced the narrow
confines Of his chamber at police head
quarters last night and maryeled at
Che buzz of activity in an adjoining
apartment. To him it meant much.
The revolver, discovered hidden in
his home the night of his arrest had
been found to correspond with the bull
let that ended James 2. Hays life last
Monday.
Moreover the shell from which the
baden messenger OF death is believed
U have sped had been picked up where
IKE supposed author Of the tragedy had
thrown il, in the hope of concealment
and had been added to the long list of
evidence fast piling up in the case.
Prisoner Not Affected.
The news of their highly important
links in the chain Of evidence that is
being slowly brought no otange to
Mortensen, the man Of iron nerve. If
the discoveries are OF. vital interest to
him no one learned il from his de-
meanOr.
There were other stories of develop
ments that sifted in to where he was
conhned-stOries calculated to disturb
whether he be innocent or guilty. But
Aortensel was the same piece Of steel
that he has been from the very first
Steel has flaws. SO has AIortenssu's
wonderful nerve. Under the mercfless
ire of searching questions that took
up large portion of his day, and in
the presence of friends who called to
cheer him up, he never finched. But
~ the mOnOtOnOus solitude that fol-
lowed he sought to read his book in
vain and flung it from him with dis
gust he yearned to sleep and pitched
upon mis- cot without receiving the
blessing Of rest. He complained the air
was heavy; it was too Warm-then too
cold
Torture Of Suspected Man.
Thus did Nortensen bear full witness
TO the torture through which he is
passing. Naught transpires TO bring
him cheer. for he has apparently
schoole5 himself to such a resistant
degree that disappointment. bitterness,
accusation, kindness are all the same
10 him.
Il cannot stand it much longer" he
-Esirfessed yesterday. Z feel myself
wearing out. giving away"
And thaL is just what the police say
they hope 10 expect he viii do. That
moment they expect the Hay murder
mystery to be a thing Of the past so
Ear as the cement Of mystery is con-
oerned.
Mrs. MOrtensen Goes to Provo.
Aside from the revelations. in con-
nection with Idortensen's weapon there
was the usual daily crop Of develop
Inents yesterday. Mrs Mortensen and
her children left Salt Lake City for
Provo under circumstances that caused
widespread comment Before leaving
she vas cIOseted with the county at
tOrney behind closed doors, giving rise
20 rumCTs that she had INDUCED in
revelations OF all kinds. What infor-
nation was received by the officials
from that source has not been made
LIhlic. Almost as much interest cen
tiers in the fact that Mrs. Mortensen
did not visit her husband to say good
bye, but telephoned him briefly, vast
ing no words.
MOrtenseu was confronted and Uues-
toned by George ROmney yesterday
for the first time since he hGa been in
confinement, but without effect