The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-05
STORY TOLD BY A YOUTH
HE SAYS AN OLD MAN BEGGED HIM
TO CUT HIS THROAT.
Wanted TO Die and Was Afraid to
Commit Suicide Confession
Which Is Not Believed.

SALT LAKE, Utah, April 4.-Clyde Felt
the ffteen-year-old boy, who confessed
yesterday to the police that he had con-
cealed the body of Samuel Collins. the aged
watchman of the Wasatka mines, at Warm
Springs, after the latter had committed
suicide, to-day broke down and confessed
to two police officers that he had cut the
old mans throat in the little cave above
Warm Springs, stripped the body of its
clothing, bound it, and after walling up
the entrance with stones had buried the
blood-stained clothes. Young Felt said that
he had cut Collins's throat only after long
urging by the old man. who insisted that
he wanted to die and was afraid to commit
the deed himself.
Early this morning Felt, in company with
the policeman. climbed the hills to segfch
for Collins's valise, which Felt said she old
man had hidden on the day OF his death.
Felt led the officer up and Gown the hill
side aimlessly for some time, finally ad-
mitted that the story of the valise was a
myth, that Collins never had one and that
the crime had been committed by himself
after Collins had urged him for several
days.
81 killed the old man. ne said, but
could not help it. He made me do it, We
did not go up Ensign peak at all, and
did not have any valise to carry The old
man told me to tell that story if his bouy
was found. When we got up 10 the little
cave he began undressing. L asked him
what he was doing that for and he said
he was going TO commit suicide. l said:
oh, don't do that while 1 am up here
Then he said: 4 want you to kill me. Here
are some stakes and some rope You tie
me down and then cut my throat 1 did
not like to do it, but he begged so hard that
just could not stand it. He took the rope
and wrapped il around his legs and got me
to tie his arms TO his side Then L took the
razor. He kept on begging, and finally
just took the razor and gave one slash
across his throat and jumped out of the
hole and ran. He had told me TO bury his
clothes. 1 went and got the pile and car
ried them away down the gulley and buried
them. Then I went back. The old man
was dead. 1 took some rocks and built a
wall in front of the cave for about a foot
but l got scared and did not finish so
came back the next day and finished wall
ing UP the hole. l could not help doing it,
The old man could make me do anything
he wanted to-"
Felt insists that he was alone with Col
Inns when the murder was committed. New
ertheless the police believe that the bov
has not told all of his story, and are work
ing on the theory that others were impli-
Gated. Behind the crime is a story of moral
degeneracy that has few parallels. Col
Inns, according to the police, had "A number
of the boys in the neighborhood completely
under his influence, and they express the
belief that his death was the elimination
of a plot on the part of the boys to kin
the old man and thus rid themselves of his
influence over them Young Felt II is
claimed by the police was a reader Of
dime novels. II is stated by the county
attorney that charge Of murder in the
second degree will be made against the how