The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-02-18
INVESTIGATION Of
DEATH OF GUTHRIE
County Authorities Took Up the
Matter of the Mysterious
Death Yesterday.
ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
NOT YET EXPLAINED
Several Questions of Import
ance Have Yet to Be Salts
factOrily Answered.

John w. Guthrie OF Murray which oc-
CURED n week ago, has not yet fully clu-
cidated all the mysterious conditions con-
nected with his demise The facts ns
reported exclusively in Friday mornings
Tribune remain. In the main. unshakcn
and uncontroYcrtcd. There arc yet a
number of suspicious circumstances TO be
explained and until they are n serious
doubt Will exist In the public mind as to
whether or not John w. Guthrie's death
was the result OF an accident or whether
he was assaulted by some person at
present unknown and that death resulted
therefrom,
Two Questions to Be Solved.
There are two questions which remain
TO be answered satisfactorily. One ls.
where was John Guthrie from 80 or 6
o'clock until 73O or S o'clock on Friday
night. February 81 The other In. what
were the exact relations existing between
the deceased and Robert Charles as to
their hostility toward one another These
questions answered satisfactorily the
mystery Will be a mystery no longer,
Proof should then be- ample that his
death was either an accident or some
one is more or less guilty OF crime.
Various Theories Are Alleged.
AS to the latter there are various the
ores, or rather. alleged theories. and go
far none Is fully corroborated by the
facts. Guthrie was considerably under
the influence OF liquor on Friday and so
were others who were associated with
him. and this fact makes the investiga-
ton OF the case all the more dlfncult-
County Attorney Parley p. Christensen
ond Deputy Sheriff Steele of Salt Lake
took up the investigation yesterday to-
gether with a Tribune representative. on
o..
Holmes OF Murray conducted an inquiry,
but elected nothing that indicated at that
time but that the deceased met his death
by accidentally falling. That conclusion
may yet be borne out, However. from
tho information obtained yesterday IT
appears that Robert Charles, at one time
a neighbor to John Guthrie had an al
tercation with Guthrie In Trips saloon,
near the Highland Boy smelter on Friday
afternoon. George Tripp gives this In
formation. He says II was not a serious
rupture and lie did not think that II left
bad blood on either side. He also makes
the statement and is corroboratcd by
Mr. Wright OF Murray, that some time
between and o'clock Guthrie left the
saloon alone and started to cross the
track OF the spur leading to the High
land Boy smcltcr. About an hour and
a half afterward Charles entered the sa-
loon and said a man was lying outside.
and they had better go and help him. or
words to that effect. and Enoch TrlDp.
proprietor OF the saloon, and who left
for Los Angeles with the Elks' eXcur-
sion on Saturday night. and the saloon
porter brought Guthrie into the building
and placed him in n chair. Guthrie at
that time was virtually unconscious and
he never spoke again.
Another Statement Made by Charles.
Deputy Steele and Judge Holmes state
that on Saturday night when interro-
gated by them. Bob Charles stated that
he left the saloon with Guthrie He was
riding a wheel, he said and before leav-
ing Guthrie he said to him II am going
home TO supper and Guthrie replied:
Il think I'll go home, too This state
mcnt is corroborated by the Jones boys.
who run the grocery store near the sa-
loon. They state. or at least ono OF them
makes the assertion, that Charles told
him the story as related by the deputy
sheriff So that the story as told by
Tripp and sustained by Wright and that
OF Mr.. Charles do not agree. except In
the particular that Charles was the first
man to discover Guthrie lying insensible
outside tho saloon.
Information Is Lacking.
But no explanation Is forthcoming as to
Guthric's whereabouts during the hour
and half which elapsed from the time
he left the saloon and the time he was
discovered lying on the ground No one
seems to have seen him; no one appears
to know aught OF him. Friday was pay
day at the Highland Boy. Guthrie drew
his check that day and paid some bills
he owed or at least part OF them In the
afternoon he spoke incoherently of hav-
Ing been garnished or tina. his wages
were to be levied upon and laboring un-
der that belief he went to the office OF
the Highland Boy, drew his time for the
month and told the bookkeeper that he
would not return to work on q, former
occasion Guthrie had done this and the
officials paid little or no attention to the
event. Guthrie was also voluble in his
the smelter or the company, but he seemed
to object to the garnlshec or threatened
Earnishee.
Jones Boys Proffered Help.
When the Jones boys closed their store
about o'clock on Friday night they went
iT bm the Sone bs% 2 Ee gThe b and
In what they considered q helpless state
of Intoxicaton. They took him outside
and seated him on Il bench and returning
shortly afterward they took him back into
the saloon, and sitting him in a chair, left
him.
Bill Carter's Story
Bill Carter, who works at the smelter
stated that he was In the saloon on Fri
day night and that he saw Tripp and an.
other man. whom he did not know, put
Guthrie out OF the saloon. He states that
they escorted him to the door and pushed
him out and that subsequently Charles
came and reported finding Guthrie living
outside This is another story Carter
also states that when Guthrie was again
brought Into the saloon he asked him to
drink, and that Guthrie attempted to rise
evidently to accept the invitation, but fell
heavily forward TO the floor
Stories of tho Neighborhood.
Stories in circulation in the neighbor-
hood are TO the effect that at ono time
Charles and Guthrie had a quarrel with
regard TO the payment OF rent, Charles |
at that time having charge OF the house
in which Guthrie resided. What truth |
there is to this statement lis unknown bur |
II Is believed that there was an estrdnge, |
nent between the men, BY the facts as |
presented above II Is not intended 10 i'm |
pute any guilt to Charles, but II is hoped |
tlat he may be able 10 throw some fur |
thcr light on the matter. He could not
be seen yesterday as he was at work at |
the u. S. smclter. and IT Is understood |
that today he Will be invited to Visit |
County Attorney Christensen's office
Tho Tribune representative called at tho |
Office Of DE-, Bird at Murray yesterday,