The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-20
HORN A DIME
NOVEL HERO
Detective Under Arrest a Verita.
bic Nickel Library Character.
is CHARGED WITH MURDER
WANToN KILLING or a BOY
MAY INVOLVE MANY.
IS CHARGED WITH MURDER
Especial to The HeraId.)

III I A--N-fLr jan IJ.--Iue rpieilIh-
mary hearing of Tom Horn, the
stock detective charged with the
murder Of Willie Nickel Of Iron Noun
tain, VIII not be held until next
"Wednesday or Thursday The prosecu-
ton is ready at any time, but Judge
Lacey. counsel for the defendant, has
been called away from the city.
Horn is making preparations for
hard light. He has engaged Judge J.
w. Lacey, one of the best criminal
lawyers in the west; Burke & Clarke
ana Mattson & Kennedy to defend him.
Money viii not be spared in putting I'D
a strong defense. for the interests back
OF Horn, 1t is said, cannot afford to
rave the detective 90 TO prison or the
galloWs-
Hard Fight for Liberty.
The case will be tried at the May
term of the district court. and will be
one Of the hardest fought legal bat
Hes ever held in this state. The ma
ture Of the crime charged against Horn
VIII work against him, and The defense
seems to realize that it must put forth
Its best efforts, while the prosecution
realizes that the time has arrived when
a stop must be put to the deeds of
putiaWry and murder in this county
and believing that Horn is guilty. they
VIII do their utmost to convict him.
Willie Nickel was killed at $3.50 on
The morning Of July is last. at a point
about mile from his fathers house.
He was in the act of closing a gate
when he was shot down by an assassin
hidden behind a pile of rock near the
road. After killing the boy the muir
derer picked up the body and laid the
head on a rock and examined the
wounds to make sure that they were
fatal
Tom Horn was seen at the ranch of
James Miller. who lived a few miles
from the Nickel place, July L. He
spent almost the entire day in target
practice, leaving that evening Moth
ing more was seen of him for several
days. Then he turned up at the COble
ranch at BOsler in Albany county.
shortly after he once more disappeared
and before he again showed up an at
temp was made by unknown persons
to Gssassinate Kels Nickel at his ranch.
He was twice shot and seriously
wounded.
Investigated the Crime.
The eoroner's jury, impaneied to in
quire into the death of Willie Nickel.
was IT. session for over five months. and
Dec. 26 returned a verdict that the boy
came 20 his death at the hands of some
person unknown. Upward Of fifty wit
hesses were examined, but so far as
known no clues were discovered.
IT Is understood that Sheriff Smalley
and Deputy Proctor have been at work
on the case since taking charge Of their
Office Oct. !. and hsve unearthed evil
dence that incriminat ties Horn and sew
eral others. 1t is said that more sen
satlOnal arrests will be made in a few
days.
The authorities Will not discuss the
reatter. but il is IN farstood that the
persons who win be arrested are resi-
dents Of the Iron Mountain country.
Ihey VIII be charged with implication
IN the plot with Horn to murder Nickel
and hcembers of his family.
Tom Horn, the suspected man. has
been known to the Wyoming public FOX
a number Of years. Early in the COS
Powell and Lewis, two ranchmen of
the Iron Mountain country, who were
suspected OF 'rustling' cattle. were
shot down by hidden assassin. Tom
Horn was seen in the vicinity of their
ranches and he was indicted for the
murders, but the case neVef. came to
trial. It was alleged that certain cat
tlemeE had employed Horn to put the
'rustleTs' out of the way and that they
had protected him.
Horns name has also been mentioned
in connection with the murder Of Isham
Dart and Matt Rash, wealthy cattle
men Of the Browns park Colorado
country, who were suspected Of cattle
'-rustliug." and who were killed in their
cabins three years ago.
Early Career Not Known.
Tom Horn is about 81 years of age.
or his early history nothing definite is
known even among his intimate ac-
Quaintances, although there are sew
er&l stories as to his early career. This
much is known, however, that when a
boy about II he came west from one
of the states on the Ohio river, accom-
panied by his father. For a number Of
years his father freighted on the old
Santa Fe trail, and on one of his trips
the elder Horn was killed by Apache
Indians. Tom was present and had
narrow escape from death.
II is SAID that he swOre to avenge
his fathers murder. and for several
years he carried on a war with the par
ticular band Of Indians that killed his /
father. He IS said to have picked them |
off one and two at a time until he has
slain eacn and every one.
During this time he was engaged as a /
scout by United States army officers
in a number Of campaigns against the /
redmcn, his knowledge of the hostile !
country being Of invaluable aid 20 the |
soldiers When the Indians had been
subdued in the southwest Horn drifted /
TO Old Mexico. where he resided for /
several years. While there he learned
to speak the Spanish language. as well |
as the Apache and other Indian /
tongues.
Was a Government Scout.
Some time during the '7Os Horn drift
ed to Texas and after a short STAY
there went to Wyoming. During the /
campaign Of Custer and Crook agaias /
toe Sioux he was engaged as scout aud /
interpreter. and at the close of the
campaigns he was engaged as q stock 1
detective.
In 1892. it is said, Horn played an i'm 1
portant part in the "Cattlemens' inva-
SION OF Johnson county and war on /
the cattle rustlers, he being present /
when Champion and Ray, the alleged !
rustlers. were killed at the X =. ranch. /
When the Spanish war broke cut j
Tom Horn was engaged by the govern !
ment as trainmasteI and animal rack 1
er. 1t was conceded that no man was /
superior to him in the care Of pack a1i- /
mals and supplies, his long service in /
the west and as government elnpiOye |
on the frontier standing him well in 1
hand. He served throughout ths cam /
paign in Cuba. then resigning and re- /
turning to Wyoming. Notwithstanding /
the many tempting offers made 10 him
to remain in the government service.
Captain Alexander Rice.
Lafayette. Ind, Jan 19-Captain /