The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-22
A BRIDE AT FIFTEEN; SHE
WAS MURDERED AT SIXTEEN
San Juan County Tragedy Terminated Young
Wfe'S Life and That of "BilI" Tibbetts
Husband Who Killed Them Admits One Charge and Denies the
0thsr-Says He Loved Her.

All the time she was telling me not to
doubt her.
L got work at a lower ranch and had
Just completed arrangements whereby she
was to come there and work, too, very
sOon-e On that fatal TUESDAY I had lust
got a couple of weeks lay-on and walked
home. planning 10 put in some seed OH
my own place between then and the time
when she and ] should go back TO that
ranch together and work on week DAYS
and come 70 our own place on Sundays
and irrigate and tend it as best we could.
Hunts for His Wife.
"She was not at home when 7 reached
there. I Strengthened up the place and
waited. She did not come. I went out
and nelghboring ranchman TOLD ne
where she mad gone and who mad taken
her, and said to me I might as well know
now as later that my wifes actions with
this man Tibbetts were causing much
comment unfavorable 10 her. 1t stag
geTed me and the old doubts came rush
ing back ] asked for gun. He refused
TO lend me one ana cnunseied caution.
4 got a gun from another neighbor and
started up to the Tibbetts ranch. several
miles away / don't know what ] iE-
tended to do when I got the gun but do
know that when I reached the house I
had no thought of killing. my object was
TO stand them up together and get an
explanation and II she said she preferred
him to me to give her to him and TO tell
him that if he mistreated her in the fu-
ture as he had done his other wives,
would follow him and XIII him.
If she said she loved me, but that he
had led her to do wrong by HIS talk and
influence, there might have been killing
/ don't know, but / do know my wife
would not have been hurt, FOR 1 loved her
too dearly.
But when I went in Tibbetts was
standing beside old man Rose and my
wife came from another room and [
grabbed her while I was demanding an
explanation and showed her over Dy Iib-
belts so that the explanation might be
made with the two together in a way
that there would be no clubbing As
d.d so the gun, being very quick anc
easy Of trigger, discharged accidentally
and killed my wife and Tibbetts ran &c
another room. ] thought for gun.
Says He Shot Tibbstts.
Pointing nv gun in the direction he
had gone II again discharged accidental
" and he came towards me with a big
knife raised and I shot that time on pur-
pose. I think that's the shot that took
effect on him. I think / was justified in
killing him under the circumstanees. and
he said so in effect before ne died, shak-
ing hands with ne and forgiviug me.
'The killing of my wife was accidental
and 7 love her row IL the grave and be-
Heve she loves me and does not blame
me for what I did, through love OF her
end f1T honor
Il nave told the truth and TIE whole
truth and if I have done wrong i cannot
help il and viii take whatever fate they
have in store for me and take my medi-
cine Ike man and try and not vince,
whatever il may be.
The above is Dutch ChaFley's' story.
Whether il will clear him under the law
If substantiated before a jury is ques-
ton and to add to this his neighbors and
those who know him and the other Two
parties to the tragedy best say It is
largely q fairy tale and fiction; that he
was ausrrelsome and hot-headed and
when he would get 8 JOB could not hold
il long owing 10 the fact that he would
soon Quarrel with his employer; that he
had nothing and earned verv little and
very scantily fed and clothed her; that
he made her go into the timber and chop
They say Tibbetts was a wh0le-souled,
charitable man. pure Of deed. thought and
intent. and that all that ne did was out
of the trueness of his heart and spOn-
taneous charity. They further contend
that Charley is anarchistic in his belief
and a seeker after notoriety.