The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1907-08-14
CRAVE GIVES
UP SKELETON
CHASTITY DISCOVERY MAY BRING
ABOUT ANOTHER LONG BAT
TIE IN THE COURTS.
MURDER WILL OUT"
THREE MURDERS ARE SAID TO BE
TRACED TO MEN PROMINENT
IN COLORADO TROUBLE"

I
unearthing of the skeleton, supposed
to be that of w. ]. Barney, miner
who disappeared several years ago.
the arrest of half dozen men, for
merly prominent in mining circles. will
be made within a month, Buckley
says the murderers are known, that
several have already been located. and
that the whereabouts of the others can
not long be concealed.
/ Wells found the body of Barney
through clew furnished by Steve Adj
ANS in his confession to the Idaho au-
thorities, which confession Adams has
| since repudiated.
The skeleton will be introduced as
evidence when the trials of the men
| who are to be arrested are called.
Knows Smiths Grave.
Wells also claims to know where the
body of Smith was buried, but this will
not be taken up until the alleged muir
derers are in custody. He says the
skeleton of Barney was unearthed only
to give the local authorities ground on
which to issue warrants.
The discovery OF the skeleton was
made in remote part of Gold King
gulch twelve miles from town. Be-
sides Wells. City Marshal Willard Run
nels and others were present.
The location of the piece of burial
was made possible by the visit here In
June, 1906, of Steve Adams. Adams
was brought here by General Wells to
substantiate some matters related In
his confession. He had stated that he
knew where the bodies of w. ]. Bar
ney and Wesley Smith were buried.
The former disappeared in June, 1901.
and the latter in March, 1902.
Adams, in his confession in Idaho.
admitted that he was the assassin of
Arthur l.. Collins. formerly general
manager of the Smuggler Union Min
Ing Company, who was killed on No
vember 10, 1902 Asked If he knew
anything about the disappearance of
Barney and Smith and whether or not
he was implicated with their taking
off, he replied that he had nothing to
do with their disappearance, but knew
the circumstances surrounding 1t and
where the bodies were buried.
Describes Mode Of Killing.
He said that Barney was assaulted in
the rear of livery stable on Colorado
avenue late at night. He was wounded
with rcvolvers and clubs and during
the ARRAY shot in a gun exploded.
After Barney had been beaten up In
livery stable. according to the confess
sion, by Vincent st. John, then presi-
dent of the Telluride union. and six or
seven Austrians, he was marched to
the railroad tracks 100 yards distant.
They then escorted him. Adams said.
down the railroad track a distance of
some three miles to where 1t crossed
the wagon road leading to the Alta
mines and mill.
Up this road into the mountains he
was taken to near the Alta mill. He
says Barney thought they were going
to escort him out of the country, but
upon arriving near the Alta they shot
him to death. His body was taken
thirty or forty feet below the road,
placed on the ground and big tree
rolled above and alongside of 1t. There
II remained until late in the summer of
1903 when the murderers began to feel
uncomfortable In apprehension OF APP
preaching trouble, and Adams. accord
ing to his own confession. accompa-
MED by o. NJ. Carpenter. then secre-
tary-treasurer OF the Telluride Miners
union. removed the remains from be-
hind the tree and buried them in 4
more secluded place.
They stripped the body, he said, of
the clothing and boots and took it
down into little fiat just below, bury
ing 1t In one hole and the clothing in
another about thirty feet distant, which
was done in order to destroy identi-
fication.
When Adams was down there in
June, 1906, with General Wells they
went up to the little fiat where Bar
ney and his clothes had been buried.
but on account of about four feet of
snow on the ground at the time they
could not find the places where the
clothes and body had been buried,
though they dug many holes around in
the snow. Adams, however, showed
General Wells marks on trees and
other things by which the location of
the grave could be determined when
the snow had disappeared. -.
Later In the season General Wells
found the hole in which Barney's
clothes and boots had been buried. The
boots were cut exactly as Adams had
described when they were removed
from Barney's feet These General
Wells has kept in his possession until
now.
Several efforts were made during
last year to find the grave, but proved
unsuccessful by reason OF Adams hav-
ing given description of the location
or the grave just OppoSite u tnhl
where 1t was finally found.
General Wells says complete skele'
ton of Barney was taken up. Only one
or two ribs were missing and they
were found with the clothes. Tho skel-
eton shows two bullet holes through
the ribs and another through the bone
of the arm The 'front.' teeth are
knocked out and the skull fractured.
The skeleton was brought to town.
With regard to the disappearance of
Smith, Adams says he was killed in
the Miners Union hospital in this
place. General Wells stated that
through information obtained from Ad-
ans he was confident of later finding
the resting place of the bones of
Smith.
While here in June. 1906. Adams
presence in the county was kept as Sc
cret as possible in order to prevent In
formation reaching the Miners union.
He was in custody of General Wells at
Pandora, where the Smuggler-Union
mills and Offices are located. all the
time when not showing General Wells
around the county.
He pointed out to General Wells the