The Lamar register., 1905-04-12
MURDER AT TRINIDAD
J. H. FOX SHOT BY JOS. JOHNSON
Victim Was Former County Treasurer
Murderer Is Deputy Sheriff.
Cause Professional jealousy.

Denver, March "a News special
from Trinidad, Colorado. last night
says:
John II. Fox. former county treas
urer and prominent Democratic politi-
clan. was killed by Deputy Sheriff Joe
Johnson at AS o'clock this afternoon.
The murder was committed in the
postoffice. Fox stood reading a paper
and Johnson stepped up behind him,
stuck the muzzle OF forty-five cali
ber revolver against his head and
pulled the trigger. Fox dropped dead
in his tracks.
The motive for the crime was John
sons belief that Fox had induced the
county commissioners to send another
deputy to California after Vidal Sho-
bio. alleged Ndefaulting county treas
urer of Las Animas county. Johnson
also said that Fox had 'joshed' him
about the probability of Johnson let
ting Vidal escape on the way back
here.
Miss Blanche Albert of Paris, Texas.
who is visiting here, and twelve-year-
old Marion Ingals were the only wit
nesses to the assassination.
his crime up Commercial street to
First street, where he met Deputy
Sheriff Kreeger, to whom he surren-
dered.
Half an hour later hundreds of de-
termined men began advancing on the
jail. intending to lynch Johnson. There
was no mistake in their motive.
Backed by dozen deputies and with
rifles and six-shooters. Sheriff Richard
Davis stood on the courthouse lawn
and warned the people against any at
tempted lynching.
A skirmsh line of deputies armed
cap-a-pie. was thrown across the lawn,
extending from the courthouse to the
Jail, while First street rapidly filled
with people After a time, convinced
that Davis meant business. the crowd
slowly dissolved.
Then Johnson. surrounded by armed
guards. was walked out of the Jail and
started for a special train at the foot
of Chestnut street. The crowd heard
of 1t and a thousand people raced after
the officers and their prisoner to the
train. The train broke in two as it
reached the Colorado & Southern river
bridge and 1t looked like the people
would get the prisoner, but he was
finally gotten out of town and is now
supposed 10 De III tue couhts jan VI
Pueblo county.
The motive for Johnson's crime is
said to have arisen from the Vidal
Shoblo case Shoblo is under arrest
in Oakland on the charge of being
defaulter while he was clerk in the
county treasurer's office under Fox to
the extent of $1,000 by system OF
Juggling tax receipts. Johnson mad
been selected by Sheriff Davis to go
to Oakland after the prisoner. Fox
was opposed to this and had even Of
fered to pay his own expenses to OAK
land if the sheriff would deputize him
to bring the clerk back.
This morning Fox went before the
board OF county commissioners and Sc
cured change in their plans. County
Commissioner Lige Duling being sent
to Oakland instead of Johnson.
John Fox, the victim of the murder,
was one of the most prominent and
also one of the most popular men in
Las Animas county. He was mem
Der of the Masons. the Red Men, Elks
and Woodmen of the World. Socially
he was a member of the Animas ana
Trinidad clubs. He was born in Paris.
Kentucky, October 81. 1862. and came
to Colorado when but twelve years
DID, settling near Walsenburg. Three
yeasr later he moved to FL Moro and
was there employed by the Rio Grande
as a clerk. Coming to Trinidad soon
after. he has lived here ever since. In
1887 he was appointed postmaster. re-
signing in 1895 to run for county treas
urer. First defeated by but twenty
four votes, he ran again in 1897, and
thereafter was reelected for three
consecutive terms. He is survived by
his mother. Mrs. NJ. A. Gushing;
brother, Charles NJ. Fox of Clayton,
New Mexico. and half-brother. Zattu
Gushing of Denver, in the employ OF
the Empire Zinc Company, and now in
Mexico for his company. Before the
Democratic state convention last fall
Mr.. Fox was prominent candidate
for the state treasurership nomination.
johnson has lived in this section for
about twenty-five years. Six years
ago johnson shot and killed William
Wooten at Hastings, at which time
johnson was the marshal. He had or
dered Wooten to give up gun and
Wooten said he would not give it to
johnson. but would turn it over to
bartender. He was advancing to the
bar with his gun drawn and Johnson
shot him. Johnson was acquitted on
the ground of self-defense, and the
money for the expense of his trial was
advanced him by John Fox. During the
session of the State Legislature Johh-
son was a conspicuous figure about
the state capitol building as the body
guard of Senator Casimiro Barela. He
held some minor appointment during
the session, but was generally re-
garded as being there in the capacity
of protector of Casimiro Barela.