Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-11-04
UNITED STATES
SLEUTHSHOT
TO DEATH
MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY
REPORTED FROM DURANGO
Government Secret Service
Agent Draws Gunon Colorado
Miners and is Promptly SIaini
Killing Believed JuStifiabIe,

| tBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire.
Denver, Colo, Nov. 3-Word reach
ed here tonight that Joseph Walker,
United States secret service man
was shot and instantly killed today
by an employe, Of the Hesperus mine,
| located several miles west of Durango,
Colo. The shooting occurred at the
mouth Of Of the air shaft. and is said
TO have been done i'm self-defense. The
Hesperus mine is owned by the Por-
ter Fuel company and c. c. Dorsey,
attorney for the company, was notl-
| fled of the killing tonight His re-
| port of the affair. which he says Is
! trustworthy, clearly justifies the
/ shooting. II seems that government
agents have been in the Durango
country for several days gathering
evidence TO be used in prosecuting
persons indicted for fraudulent entries
on coal lands, This being Sunday. no
work was in progress in the Hesperus
mine. and Thomas Mason, superinten-
dent of the mine and Joseph Wander
wye, an employe, were strolling over
the companys property, and on APP
preaching the air shaft, Isolated from
the rest OF the workings, a man who
was standing at the mouth of the
shaft. ordered them to halt. The
miners thought he was joking. and
did not obey whereupon, according to
Dorsey's story the man fired. the bull
let passing close to the head of Van
derwye The latter whipped out re-
volver and returned the fire. killing
the man Instantly.
Investigation developed that he was
Joseph Walker. Further investigation
showed that a rope ladder had been
let down into the mine and this was
hauled to the surface. Some time
afterward three men, all government
agents, appeared at the mine entrance,
being unable To make their exit any
other way. Dorsey says there was no
reason for the secret service men en-
tering the mine. as the title to the
property Is not questioned, and their
act Was simply trespass.
The three men who were down IN
the mine were John Champson. q
government geologist. 7. J. Callahan,
special agent, and Thomas Harper,
OF Pagosa Springs. Colo, an expert
on coal veins Tonight Lucien C..
Wheeler. chief of the Denver branch
of the department of Justice of the
OF the affair from his men at Duran
go, but 10 withholding the contents
from the public. He intimated, how
ever. that he would not be willing To
accept the claim that Walker was
wholly To blame for the shooting.
Wheeler said that Walker had been
in the government service for seven
teen years. and while he always went
armed, he never had had to use a
weapon He also said that Walker
had been In the Durango country for
ten months on government business
and was we'll known to Everybody.
particularly the people around the
coal mines. Furthermore, Vanderwye
was a witness al the grand jury hear
ing In this city. and must have seen
and known Walker. kho was, also
around headquarters here constantly.
The claim that they thought Walker
a stranger, therefore. was not tenable.
Both Mason and Nanderwye were
placed under arrest. a coroner's in
quest will be held on the body of
Walker tomorrow.
Late tonight a telephone message
from Durango contained information |
based on the authority OF Thomas
Harper entirely al variance with the
statement coming from the Hesperus |
people. Harper was the first to COM |
municate with Durango authorities ]
going several miles to reach a tele- /
phone. He stated that he and his two 1
companions who went into the mine !
did not learn OF the killing of Walker
not true that they came out through /
the mouth Of the tunnel. but that in |
stead they had returned TO the surface /
By means Of the rope ladder by which !
they had descended into the mine. 4
Harper also stated that four bullet /
wounds were found in Walkers body. /
At the Jail tonight Mason is said TO 1
have told that Walker fired two shots
AZ him and had been killed by Van
ierwye In defense of Mason. Harper
claims that Walkers revolver shows
but one cartridge discharged, and
hat this was exploded in shooting at
a mark yesterday Harper further
stated, according to the dispatch. that
.he Hesperus people were notified on
Friday that on that day the mine would (
be inspected by the government
agents for the purpose of ascertainlng
or not the bounda0 lines OF
the cOmpany's property Mad been
on going In the direction OF
the mine on that day, the story con-
inues. the federal agents were fol-
Owed and abandoned their plan until
oday.
/