The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-02
FRED c. WALKER.

On the eve of the trial for his life. Fred
G. Walker, accused of the murder of DR..
Earl 5. Beers in Ogden on Sept. Is last,
is in better spirits than he has been at
any time since his incarceration in the
Ogden jail For a time Walkers health
was seriously impaired by the confinement
and it was feared that his reason was be
coming unbalanced Since that time his
physicians have forbade any conversation
with him concerning the crime with which
he is charged even with his lawyers and
health has materially improved.
The murder trial will open at Ogden to-
morrow morning at 10 O'Clock, before
Judge Howell Walker will be defended
| by Attorney w. r. Hutchinson of Salt
Lake and Judge Horn of ogden. The
prosecution will be conducted by District
l.. Maginnis. who has been retained by
relatives of DIR. Beers as special prose
cutOr.
HuIIs in Ogden.
Although Edward Lawrence is charged
jointly with Walker with the commission
of the murder the trials will be separate,
Walkers trial coming first. In case
Walker is acquitted there is little ques-
ton but that the case against Lawrence
will be dismissed. At the preliminary
mOny of the prosecution was revealed.
The star witnesses for the state are Mrs.
Gertrude Hull and her daughter, Bertha
Hull. They were reported to have been
missing few days ago, but they have
now been located and were brought to
ogden last evening at O'Clock and Will
remain in Ogden until after their testi-
mOny is taken.
The murder for which Walker will be
on trial tomorrow is alleged to have been
committed on Sept. is last in the rear
room of the Ogden branch of the Salt
Lake Electrical Supply company. On that
occasion DR.. Earl 5. Beers and Fred &.
Walker quarreled and as result of the
quarrel Beers was so seriously injured
that he died a few days later. Lawrence,
according to the case that the state hopes
to present, aided Walker in a plot to en-
tee Beers into the place for the purpose
of beating him.
Began in Salt Lake.
The trouble out of which the alteration
sprang was of brief duration. Fred c.
Walker and his wife became acquainted
at the LenoX hotel in Salt Lake with DIR.
and Mrs Beers about the middle OF Aug
ust They became friendly about Sept ]
and went out together to the theatres and
to the summer resorts. Mrs. Walker be-
came fascinated with the young doctor.
Unknown to Walker they went about to-
gether and on Sept. made a trip TO the
Hermitage. which was the direct cause Of
the tragedy.
Walker was first informed of the in
trigue a few days before the tragedy. by
Mrs. Beers. who told him of the Hermit
age trip. As a result, Walker sent his
wife to Los Angeles, hoping in this man
ner to get her out from under the evil in
versation Mrs. Beers urged Walker to go
TO Ogden to see Beers and to dissuade him
from pursuing Mrs. Walker with his at
tentions and from wrecking his home.
Before leaving Salt Lake Walker called
on Chief of Police Mckenzie to learn if
there were not some way TO prevent Beers
from following Mrs. Walker to Los An
geles- The chief gave him letter to De
tective Dick Shannon, who was then in
Ogden, asking the officer to endeavor TO
persuade Beers to cease the liaison he
had formed with Mrs. Walker.
Story of the Tragedy.
At Ogden, Edward Lawrence. manager
of the ogden branch of the SAT- Lake
Electrical Supply company, asked DR..
Beers to call at the office to see Walker.
Beers did So and all three men went in
the rear TO talk over the matter. The
conversation led up to an encounter, in
taken to an Ogden hospital, where he aft
erwards died as the result of a fractured
skull received during the struggle. The
arrest of walker and Lawrence followed.
The coroner's jury did not attempt to fix
the blame for the homicide, but after
preliminary hearing they were held for
trial
The motive for the homicide is the old
one of an Infatuated husband wrought up
by the destruction of his home. Under
the statutes OF Utah, il this fact can be
established the homicide will probably be
considered justifiable. This law is a pc
culiar one. and Utah is one of the few
states where the "unWr1tten" law is rec
ogniZed by legislative enactment.
Walker and Beers Compared.
A comparison of the lives of the alleged
murderer and his victim is interesting.
Walker was a quiet business man, some
thing of reeluse. He mad few associates
and passed the greater portion of his time
outside of business hours with his wife
and his little daughter. Beers, on the
other hand, was fond of society. He was
energetic and bright, though somewhat
unscrupulOus. He began in Salt Lake
with a legitimate practice as an osteopath.
but last summer became connected with
travelling medicine show and was adver-
tsed as the Boy Phenomenal, the blood
less surgeon.
Fred C. Walker was born in California
tWenty-eight years ago. His parents were
pioneers OF Utah. coming across the plains
by OK team. They lived in Salt Lake for
a time and went to California shortly
before the birth of Mr.. Walker. They re-
turned to Salt Lake when he was a child.
AS boy he worked as bell boy at the
Templeton hotel. When he was sixteen
years old he secured a position with the
Salt Lake Electric Supply company. Aft
er years work as an apprentice he was
made foreman. He worked for three
years as foreman and was then made SUI
perintendent Of the concern. Eighteen
months ago. when the retail and whole
sale branches of the company were segre-