The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-02-28

The search for the Utah murderer
who was for time Thought Dog some tu
have been found boo tine person 0i 600 ai
iuruuy confined boo oahu pail fur GLOSS
cheat stIIl continues active. THE tUI-
lowing tells of has remarkable record OF
crime.
SAN FRANCISCO February 49,
Shpfu George s.. Stores of Provo. Utah
has been 600 this city for several days Iu
search of man whom Doe has been puT-
suing for over five years. "a man chars
Cd with four murders and numberless
lesser crimes. punishment for which
De has thus far succeeded boz escaping
The object of this interesting man hunt
is one George H. Wright and it is
thought that he is in hiding somewhere
boz or about San Francisco.
OF the many crimes charged To
George II. Wright alias James q.
Weeks. alias g.. ". Case. alias Stevens
The most serious is the wantOn murder
of three young men. Albert Erustrom,
Alfred Nelson and Andrew Johnson,
near Pelican point, on Utah lake, on
February l6. 1895. For this crime H. T.
Hayes, stcp-fathor OF llrustrom, was
indicted on December 4, 1895, tried and
on April l4lh, following found guilty
and sentDr.a' to Doe hanged. The case
was appealed to the Supreme Court OF
Utah which sustained the finding of
would have been executed had not the
Board of PardOns interviewed and com.
muted the sentence to Imprisonment
FOR life
Three years later-namely in April,
lS99-the case assumed sensati Onal
aspect, when George A. StOrrs of Salt
Lane County, Utah, after prolonged and
exhaustive investigation, presented an
affidavit which showed that Hayes was
innocent and that the real murderer
was Wright, a man who had for years
lived a life of robbery and depreciation.
Atiidavits were also presented by sew
eral witnesses who swOre that they
had bought from Wright articles which
were identified as having been taken
from the ranch which the three boys
had occupied on the border of the lake.
But of greatest Importance was a
lengthy affidavit by Wright's wife,
whose life had been a miserable one for
years She told in detail and in full tine
methods by which her husband had
made his livelihood. and among his in
dustries were cattle stealing, forgery,
swindling and downright robbery as
well as murder. She said that he was
long addicted to nocturnal providing,
after which he would return with vari-
GUS kinds of live stock all the way from
a calf to a flock of sheep, which he
would sell to the most likely purchaser
w men THESE revelations were maze Dy
Sheriff StOTrs little difficulty was eX-
perienCed in securing a pardon for
Hayes, and in the spring of 1899 he was
set free. since which time Storrs, aided
by the police of the entire country, has
been relentlessly hunting for Wright.
Meanwhile in January, 1896 William
G. Champion, mining man was muir
dered near Victor. Col. Champion had
a partner named Case. but no suspicion
attached to him at the time. Case en-
served on the COroner's jury which in
vestigated the murder. Finally. now
ever, when more light was shed upon
the affairs Case was suspected anO
afterward formally charged with the
crime, but he had in the meantime
made good his escape. 1t subsequently
developed that he was none other than
Wright, who was in time located in
Chicago. The police of that city, were
asked to arrest him. but he got wind
of 1t and again vanished since which
time the authorities have been unable
to locate him. although Sheriff StOTTs
has persistently sought for him up to
the present time
Wright appears to be a remarkable
criminal. He was born in 1861, Of rep
utable and prosperous PARENTS, in Med
ford, Mimi, and was educated for the
profession of law at Ann ATbOr Mich.
He is described as being very gentle
manly in his manner extremely we ed
ucated and of engaging manner. He
does not drink. and smokes very seldom
At various times i'm his career he as
followed the VOCatiOns of lawyer news
paper reporter, civil engineer, lecturer
and mining promoter In spite of his
dark record he has seldom been ar
rested and, as far as known, has never
been convicted of any crime.