La Junta tribune., 1902-03-26
W. Wallace, a Negro
Porter, the Victim.
DECLARES HIS INNOCENCE
To The Very Last Body Riddled With
Bullets Story OF The
HeuiOus Crime.

.
RES OF outrages and assaults upon
women during the past SIX months
cuiminat I'd IN a tragedy Monday
I night, and the vengeance meted
out to the supposed culprrt was
swift aud terrible. The general
| opinion is that the right man got
( MS Just deserts, aud although the
I evidence was entirely Circrmstsn-
/ tIal II was OF the most convincing
nature To the ordinary mortal
| there is not even the barest posi-
I hllity OF a doubt but the right man
was secured, and that the ven
geance meted out by an excited and
trenzied mob was as just as 1t was
swift and terrible.
There has been eight assaults
upon women during the past SIX
months, each one of which has
been shrouded with mystery, ex-
cept the last, when the culprit was
caught almost red handed.
Last Monday night, Mrs. Hen
rietta II. Miller, a grey-haired
| women slxty-seven years OF age,
arrived IN this city from Los An
geles on No. on her way from
Los Angeles to Denver to visit a
niece. She went into the waiting
room, and while there was accost-
ed by w II. Wallace, negro
porter on train No. oo2 and 6o3.
running between this city and
Denver, who arrived in La unta
on the regular tram at gas.
il He profiered his services in pi-
loting her from the waiting room
to the Denver sleeper, which IS
attached to No. S, and which he
claimed was stationed in the yards
near the ice house. Wallace ac-
companied the old lady down the
platform carrying her grip d
was noticed by several car inspec-
tors and switchmeu, who thought
at the time that he acted rather
suspiciously.
When Mrs. Miller had passed
down the yards for considerab BILE
distanc. with the colored man
she became thoroughly heightened
J and finally declared that she would
not proceed any further. Wallace
then struck her with his clenched
! fist and proceeded TO choke the
old lady IN a manner which she
says showed that he was no novice
J at the business. He then carried
her to point north OF the Santa
Fe ice house, about one half the
length OF the building, where the
outrage was committed.
When Mrs Miller recovered
consciousness she was SO badly
injured that she was scarcely able
TO walk, but finally managed to
reach town and was found IN a
faintlng condition near X & S
restaurant by Night Marshal Rose,
who took her to room over Ora,
per's store, and Drs. Dow and
: Armstrong summoned to attend
her Night Marshal Rose then
summoned Sheriff Barr, Under
sheriff Steward and Marshal Frank.
lin, and from the description given
by the old lady, who claimed that
he was porter in the employ oi
the Santa Fe, they commenced a
search OF the railroad yards.
The officers learned from the car
! inspectors and the switchmen tina,
Wallace had been seen with the
} old lady, carrying her grip, on the
! way to the Denver sleeper which
was stationed near the ice house.
and Immediately started towards
! the car where Wallace had been
in the habit of spending the night
} when in La Junta- The car was
unlocked by switchman and the
officers entered. They found him
lying on long seat in the rear
end of the chair car. and although
they had heard footsteps in the car
before entering. he made the bluff
at having just been awakened from
a sound sleep ard asked The off
GERS what they wanted
The 0G1oec thor ,,aIo /. H..
ough investigation, finding blood
upon the colored mans under
clothing, outer shirt and pants,
enough to convince them that he
was the man wanted. They also