The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-11-26
Popular Mining Man of Bing-
ham Found Dead, Shot
Through Body.
THERE IS DEEP MYSTERY
SURROUNDING TRAGEDY
Theory of Murder Advanced by
Some, Suicide by Others;
Accident by Friends.

~
Central. was found dead in the mine
office at s o'clock Saturday morning
with a pistol wound in his breast, There
is deep mystery surrounding the
tragedy.
The frst theory suggested upon find
ing the body was thai the unfortunate
man had been murdered by Austrlans IN
revenge for the attitude the Bingham
Central company has recently taken to-
ward foreign squatters upon patented
mining ground and this was augmented
by very recent legal difficulties which
took the form of an attempt TO GUST
several of the Austrians from their
shanties.
Another theory of the untimely TAX
ing off of one of the most popular work
ers in this district is that his death is
the result Of an accident and That he
was killed while alone in the office by
his Colt revolver falling from its
holster and exploding when ii struck
the floor The location of the wound
is such that this theory is probable,
particularly if Mr.. White had been lean
ing over or forward when the accident
occurred.
One proffered solution to the tragedy
which seems TO be assuming definite
form is that White took his own life as
n result Of dependency, and while some
of the officers working on the case are
inclined to accept the latter theory, sur,
gcons who have examined the body and
others familiar with the man S domestic
affairs. refuse 10 receive these conclu-
sions as logical
Deputies from Sheriff Emery's office
have worked on the case since finding
the body this morning without arriving
at any definite results and the Coroner's
jury, which was impaneled to inquire IN
to the tragedy adjourned tonight until
tomorrow without reaching any finding.
Thomas White was we'll and popularity
known in Bingham, where he has re-
sided more than one year, be was 81
years OF age and had a charming family,
consisting of a handsome young wife
and two loNyable children, He held the
position OF head blacksmith at the
Bingham Central mine owned by ID. c,
Jackling of the Utah Copper company,
A III Whitley OF the American Smelt-
ing and Refining and associates, and
was highly thought Of with those with
whom he was connected in business.
When Frank A Taylor, superinten-
dent of the mine, left Bingham Thurs
day night, he placed Mr.. White in
charge Of the property, and the fact
that Mr.. Taylor has been the acting
factor in directing steps for the removal
OF the Austrian Squatters from the COM
pany's property led to a ready accept
ance of the first theory that White had
been murdered in cold blood by for
eigners whose bullets were intended for
Superintendent Taylor,
The rapid spreading of this report
aroused intense indignation throughout
the district, where the feeling is strong
against the unruly foreign workers in
the mines. The assault upon Deputy
Sheriff Lafayette Chidester, in which
the officer lost a leg and the more re"
cent shooting Of Nick Lunds, blacksmith
at the Highland Boy, by members Of the
Austrian colony, led to frequently re-
4 A.
day, that this dangerous foreign ele
ment must 90 from Bingham.
Mr.. White went to the mine Office
which is in the heart of little Austria
foreign settlement, built upon the
steep side of the mountain, about
o'clock this morning, He met and
talked with several of the employees
and was seen by numerous acquain-
tances, Just before s o'clock one of
his men attempted to enter the mine
office, and found the closed door OBJ
structed by the body of the acting su
perintendent. which had fallen across
the threshold. BY pushing the body
backward he forced the door open and
summoned help, The dead man S 3S
caliber revolver, which ho always car
ried strapped to. his waist, lay on the
floor at the other end of the room.
nearly ten feet away. In the center
of the chest, gaping wound just be-
low the throat, told the story. When
found White had been dead for some
time.
Deputy Sheriff Joe Sharp, who had
come to Bingham on the morning train,
and Deputies Hileman and Chidcster,
were hastily summoned, and made n
hurried examination of the office, and
as q result placed under arrest John
and Mike Bogdan, Austrians and own
ers of the cabin over which the Bin
h.,, trp1 h1tr
versy. 1t was at Bogdan IS shanty that
Deputy Chidester was wounded during
q fight with Il gang of Austrians, who
had committed a murder about eighteen
months ago. Yesterday Judge Morse
granted an injunction restraining the
Bogdans from building, a permanent
house on the Protection lode claim, and
custer proceedings were instituted to
remove them. These circumstances, to-
gether with the foreigners known dis.
regard for the law, led to hastily
formed conclusion that White had been
murdered By men who mistook him for
Superintendent Taylor. The two broth
crs are being held in Jail pending the
result of the Coroner g inquest.
DR. +, E. Straup was early on the
scene, and made an examination Of the
body He found that the outer and
under clothing was slightly scorched,
indicating that tho bullet had been
DTeu dt 'close range ne DalI mad
passed entirely through the body and
several inches from the heart, death
being caused by hemorrhage from the
lungs, which were slightly lacerated by
the bullet in its course,
The body was taken in charge by
Coroner George +. Lee, and while the
force Of deputies, headed by Chief of
Police u ". Grant and members of
his force, were looking into the case,
the Coroner's jury was summoned, con-
sisting Of John Faulkner, w. II. Ny
ers and L. S. Crane, who visited the
scene and interviewed all of the wit
nesses who might throw light on the
tragedy
Mrs, White was too Frustrated when
the news was broken to her to be of
any assistance to the officers Even
later, whom she grew moro calm, Dho