The state herald., 1907-08-23
REEVES AND KIsER ARE HELD TO
ANSWER TO THE DISTRICT
COURT.
CONFESSIONS NOT USED
JURY IN BOULDER INQUEST RE.
TURN VERDICT CHARGING
MALICIOUS INTENT.

Attorney T. A. McHarg has filed an in.
formation before Justice of the Peace
j. V. Holiday charging ]. w. Reeves
and Frank Kiser, the alleged confessed
Boulder firebugs. with murder. The
case will come up for preliminary hear.
Ing within few days The inquest
over the remains of Ike o. Wilson, Roy
LeFevre and Albert E. Weeks returned
the following verdict:
'The said Ike o. Wilson, Roy Le-
| Fevre and Albert Z. Weeks came to
their death on the 10th day of August.
A. ID. 1907. In the city of Boulder.
| county of Boulder. state of Colorado.
as the result Of an explosion OF dyna-
mite consequent upon a fire, said fire
having been set by John w. Reeves
and Frank Kiser. and that said act OF
said Reeves and Kiser was committed
maliciously and with felonious intent"
The jurors were: James Cowie, for.
mer secretary Of state, foreman; L. c.
| Paddock, T. ]. Sipple, G. b. Sutton,
Alonzo Coan, Nicholas X. Herod.
Confessions Withheld.
Little attempt was made to intro
duce testimony to place the responsi-
billty for the damage. The attorneys
refused to make the alleged confession
public. withholding 1t until the prelimi-
nary hearing. The most important
witnesses at the inquest were Richard
Woodward, James F. Simmons and
Harry Poole. A part of the confess
sion was made public by r. ID. Doolit-
tie, the Colorado & Southern claim
| agent, who was put on the stand to
swear that he had been a witness to
the confession.
According to his testimony, Reeves
and Kiser went to the freight yards
and when they reached caboose No.
329 they separated. one going on either
side OF the car. Both pulled waste out
OF the journal boxes and heaped 1t up
on the west end Of the caboose. Both
Kiser and Reeves applied n match to
their respective sides Of the car. thus
igniting the waste. Up to this time 1t
had been given out that kiser was a
passive principal, standing around. but
doing none of the work. Richard Wood.
ward stated that he. together with
Viase Jendill. an Italian, were drinking
In Bergers saloon and that in the con-
| versation OF tho four men Reeves
asked Jendill and himself. who were
| miners, II they could use powder.
Reeves. he said. expressed his inten-
| ton OF going down to fire the caboose
| In order to get the two strike breakers
who were asleep there. When Jendill
said he could use powder. Reeves said
that he would do all right. but Jendill
said no.
Pooie's Damaging Story.
Harry Poole. n striking brakeman on
the Colorado & Southern. testified that
Reeves and Kiser had come to his
room to find out II the two strike
breakers who were working for the
railroad were sleeping In the caboose.
Poole begged them not to attempt any.
thing against them. as he thought the
strike would soon be settled and that
any violence would hurt the cause OF
the union men. According to his ties.
tlmony he understood that Reeves and
Kisor were going home when they left
his room. although they stated that
they had two miners. Woodward md
Jendill. waiting downstairs for them.
The testlony OF the four boys who
put out the fire on the caboose was In.
troduced and one Of them stated that
he thought he had seen n man watching
them but that he would be unable 10
identify him.
J. II. Simmons. night engineer at the
brewery. was next put on the stand.
He stated that he had known Kiser
for q year and had met Reeves three
times. Kiscr was In the habit OF Wis.
iting tho brewery frequently Sim.
mons. he said. was standing out In
front OF tho brewery about two min.
utes after the iire broke out. when
they came up the path from Arapahoe
street. They asked N he had gun
and he said no. They then said. Are
you union mnn7" and he answered
that he was. One Of them asked II hc
could wash his hands, and Simmons
said he got bowl for them. Simmons
did not SEQ them wash. nv they took
tho bowl out TO n wnsh'housc. When
Simmons spoke 10 them about the iro
Reeves said: There IL n lot OF mcr.
chandisc going up In smoke"
We're Looking for kIscr.
Simmons faid tho men returned
about $3.50 In the morning. accompa.
MED by the master mechanic of the
Colorado N Northwestern railway
lH'S Wcfu loohinE iof NihHf ana asked
Simmons n he hnd seen him. When
he replied In the negative. Reeves
said: III you see him, for Goda sake
send him home. M his mother In near.
iy crazy"
&. N. Williams, superintendent Of
tho Colorado a Northwestern. stated
that Reeves had been working with
the company since July ?Gih and that
he was n brakeman for Kiscr and had
been with him four or Ave days prior
10 tho IRE. When the men came back
with their trains Friday nlgbt from
ward, they switched several ears. but
he did not know whether the powder
cnr Ind been touched
y. a. williams, clerk In ". y.
Whiteley's hardware store. stated that
tho car OF powder which exploded con.
thlned 1000 pounds Of ~ per cent,
nitroslycefine. that the eonsignmen,