The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-08-08


YES county, accused of numbering Le-
land S. Terhune, his cousin and part
ner, this morning confessed the crime
of which he was accused, and told
the officers a complete story as to
how the deed was accomplished on
Tuesday of last week. According to
his story, it was the spirit of chival
of a man he loved; and it was this
same chivalrous spirit that caused
him to make his confession today:
1t was clever ruse that brought
out the confession. The murdered
mans widow was brought to Lewis
custody of the officers With tears
streaming dowa her face, she begged
him to tell the story of the killing,
that she might not be implicated and
that sne might be freed to return to
her baby. AT sight of the woman in
this apparently pitiable condition,
Lewis broke down completely and
made a plain statement that he killed
Terhune in a heat of passion and that
the woman had nothing to do with it.
Her arrest had been a mock affair
merely for the purpose of making
ner act her part the better.
Lewis story of the killing is, that
on Tuesday of last week he had gath
cred a load of vegetables at the
America Bowman place east of Or
chard Park, which he and Terhune
were farming in partnership, and was
ready to leave with the load for the
Terhune claim near Hagerman wnen
he and Terhune became involved in
a quarrel over Terhune's wife. Lew
is story is that Terhu1e was speak
ing in a disrespectful way of his own
wife, and that he, Lewis, resented
Terhune's statements to the extent
that he went into q heat of passion
and killed the man. Lewis, it Seems,
has a strong liking for Mrs. Ternune.
although there has never been any
thing to indicate that it is an unnoly
love. and he is passionately fond OF
the child of the Terhunes.
Seizing a spade, Lewis crushed
Terhune's skull and hauled the body
to an irrigation ditch and buried it
four feet beneath the bottom, after
ward turning on the water to hide the
grave The evidence shows that he
cut the throat of Terhune, who prob
ably showed signs of returning hfe,
about half way between the scene of
the crime and the grave. He admits
cutting the throat, but makes no
clear statement as to the time this
happened. After killing Terhune and
burying the body. Lewis tried to hide
his crime by plowing out his tracks
across field and burning his owa
gloves and the dead mans nat. Part
of the charred gloves had been found
by the officers.
After the murder. Lewis proceeded
to the Terhune claim near Hagerman.
He did not take the vegetables, how
ever, as he had buried them in the
grave with the body. 1t is supposed
they had gotten bloody after the
throat was cut. Lewis stayed all night
at the Teraune claim, and since that
time has been working about the
neighborhood. at Dexter and at home
as though nothing had happened.
When the news of the confession
was made public this morning shortly
after eight O'Clock, indignation was
shown on all sides. A crowd of a hun
dred citizens gathered on Main street
and strongly talked of iynching Lew
IS Good government sentiment pre-
vailed, however, and in about an hour
the mob dispersed Meanwhile, the
officers removed Lewis from the coun-
ty jail. taking him to the scene of the
murder that he might SHOW them
where he buried the spade with which
he committed the murder. and other
points that win make mis- confession
complete. It was considered good
move also TO take him from Roswell
until excitement subsided.
Lewis confession Followed a
Sweating OF four hours duration last
might. He told his story In jail this
morning iii the presence OF the w
dow. Deputy sherir o. z. Finley. CT
= 1[ars6al }. J. Rascoe. Policeman