Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-10-08
Robert W, Titherington Of Cali
fornia Is Shot Through the Head
WON'T TELL WHO SHOT HIM
Had QuaTroled win Two Wen aud
WALKED Somo Distance with Them
when Shot Was Fired.

There was most mysterious shoot
ing AFFAIR at the corner Of Fifth West
and Third South streets last night
about 1880 o'clock IN which Robert w,
stherngton OF Sacramento Cal. was
shot through the head with large cal
iber bullet lie Is now lying on cot
az the Holy cross hospital holding
his own, as The nurse put H. in a very
precarous condition nevertheless.
The whole affair Is shrouded In deep
mystery which the police are seeking
diligently 10 unrayel. When found by
the police the man was sitting with his
back against tree at the corner
named, terrible wound In his head
from which blood flowed freely He
was taken to the police station In the
patrol wagon, whore Drs. Mccoy and
Wtcher dressed the wound, Tlthe,ing-
ton had been shot at close range, so
close In fact that one side Of h's face
was powder burned The bullet had
entered The right ear and lodged In the
jaw on the LETT side,
After The wound was cared for, he
was questioned closely by The captain
and police officers, and then removed TO
the Holy Cross hospital
When questioned by the police the
man was IN full possession OF all his
faculties but he told different stories
about the affair and would not tell
the officers who fired the shot or why
It was done. His obvious effort to
shield his assaila led the officers o
believe that he was In some way coli
nec,ed with the Sierra Nevada safe
blowing and robbery. IT was their
theory that the man quarreled with his
plls about the division OF the money
and that the row led TO the shooting.
Tithefington admitted to the officers
that he had been engaged In avoca-
ton Of peddllng "phony' jewelry and
that he made from $40 TO Sl5 day,
This part of his story does not sound
good TO the police. He said he had
been here about Ave days. that he had
never seen the men before, but later he
admitted that lac knew the men In
Colorado and that he had travelled with
them. Since his arrival here he has
been stopping nc the Utah house near
the scene OF the shooting lie said he
met the men last night and walked
with them TO the corner and had talked
With them for little while when some
one fired the shot and he knew no
more until the police arrived.
Asked how much money he had on
him at the time, he declared that he
elln "a trnlH 81 al htlIu tlnt
later he said he only had a little over
so. He was searched BY the officers
and 5000 was found In his, clothing
IL II certain that robbery was not the
motive. He said that there We're three
men and that two Of them were tall
The third man he could tell nothing
about whatever. He said one man had
on a Hight coat while the other was
dressed In dark clothes and wore a
dark fedora hat and had a heavy mus
tache.
Just after the shooting. two young
men walking along the street, were APP
preached by two strangers who told
them that a man had been shot and
that they had better telephone TO tie
police. The young men dld so and that
Is how the police learned OF the shoot
ing
Mrs. Sutton. who conducts the Utah
House. said that when the man came TO
her place yesterday morning about 0
o'clock. he seemed TO be quite nervous
and wanted TO 20 to his room at once.
He paid her $3.50 giving her two silver
dollars. lie said he would remain in
the room all day and n anyone In
qulred for him he would not be "at
home Some time after that, she heard
him talking to someone from the win.
dow IN his room. Mrs. sutton said two
men were on the sidewalk and Tither-
ington went down to them and they
Quaueled He was in and out OF the
house several times during the day.
and shortly after I o'clock the men re-
Surned 10 the place and Titherington
uuaTeled with them again and they
dared him 10 come down on the side
walk. Ttherington muttered some-
thing about showing them whether he
was AFRAID or not, and rushed down TO
the sidewalk. They then went off to-
gether and had had barely time enough
20 reach the corner when the shot was
fired. Mrs. Sutton and several other
persons heard the shot but paid no par
ticular attention TO II.
The officers made a vigorous search
last night and today for the men. but
were unable 10 locate them. Chief
Paul. II Is understood is now making
efforts to find out something about the
character OF Tltherngton. The whole
affair Is most mysterious and the POI
lice are anxious TO learn the facts In
| the case