Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-08-09
CONTENTS GWEN pusllcFrv-
do WILLIAMS OCTAVE IT.
FOUND ON THE ACCUSED


Waters. farrssr iy q resident of Ration
and later q: Las Vegas. In ,he inter
fsFtng with locomotives On the Atehi
son. Topeka l. Santa re railway. The
Optic publishes below the letter
which was introduced In evidence on
the preliminary hearing before Jus
tice q the Peace Garcia. and which
letter II Is said was largely ins.ru-
mental In causing the justice Of the
peace TO bind Meyer over 20 await
the action of the grand jury. II IL
the general opinion Of those Who
heard the evidence that Lewis Meyer
vas not guilty Of any conspiracy. and
had nothing to do with the socailed
doping" Of engines. but al times
simply carried messages from King
and others 90 Waters. without any
criminal intent on his part. II should
also be remembered that according
10 the evidence Of Special Agent Ben
Williams. he went 10 the United
States Jail in Santa Re. at the re-
quest Of King. as he states. and that
there King told him he was dissatis.
fled with the treatment he had re-
ceived and that he would like 20
write the letter TO Lewis Meyer. 50
that he could inform John c. Waters.
as to how King felt regarding his
treatment by the organization of
which they were members. This let.
ter was then written by King as VII.
liams claims. while he civilians,
stood by and saw him write Il. II Is
claimed by the defense that the
greater part Of the letter Is the Ian.
guare Of Officer Williams. and that
King wrote the letter more al the
dictation Of Williams than Of his own
composition. Williams then took the
letter and ZANE TO Las Vegas with II.
CAV II 10 n Confederate bearing
the euphonious anne Of Coffin. and
Coffin took the letter 10 the Adam
foundry and machine shop. called
Young Meyer out and handed him the
letter. Within a few moments after |
he was handed the letter. Meyer was
arrested by Captain Fornoff. and Of
course the letter. purporting to be
written by King. was found In poss.
ession of Meyer
Under the laws Of this country. |
King cannot testify against Meyer,
and therefore any letter which he
might prepare and send to Meyer. I.
could not on a trial Of the ase be
used against Meyer.
The following Is the context of the |
letter:
The Letter in Evidence
Santa re, N. NJ, 1906.
MIR Louie Meyer. Las Vegas. N. NJ.
Dear Brother: I suppose you will
be surprised to get this letter from
me. but l am in deeper trouble than
ever and need someone to do some
thing for me. You no doubt remem-
Der that when We met at j. c. Waters
house, before my arrest, having heard |
Waters promise to do everything pos
sible, and the organization to furnish
money to fight my case, il ] should
happen to get into any trouble. |
The letter then recites in substance
that when he agreed to plead guilty
it vas promised to get him three
thousand dollars, and one thousand
dollars was to have been sent to his |
father at home, which was not done.
II was also assured that things were
arranged SO that he would not get |
more than two years, and did not
think he would be sentenced for more |
than eighteen months. |
Il suppose you are ware Of the |
fact ! was sentenced to three years."
the letter continues. "A short time |
after my arrest you came over and
told me that Waters said they intend
ed to stand by me, provided / held my
tongue.
Il want you to see Waters and have
him to take the matter up with the
organization and see what they in. |
tend doing for me, and If they do not
do something for me Immediately |
intend to make a statement to the !
railroad officers. which would get Wa
tiers, yourself and several others in !
serious trouble. |
Il do not wish to send this through |
the mail, as it would be read by the |
superintendent and might reach the
railroad officials and not you.
mr.. Coffin, who was in jail with |
me in Las Vegas, is to be here to |
morrow, and he is all right. I know
ne will give you this.-this is, If !
have a chance to hand this to him, |
without being seen.
"You need not fear that anyone has |
seen this, for ! will seal it before Civ
ing 1t to Coffin. II you write to Wa
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