Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-11-14
Says Alleged Confession Is Un-
true and Wholly Denies
Any knowledge
OF Crime.
CLAIMS OFFICERS
ARE "J0BBING" HIM
Sheriff and Others Tell How De-
fendant Told His Story. Signed
Written Copy. and Begged
For an Early
Trial.

Boulder, Colo, Nov. Ill. w.
Reeve, the man who Is accused of
4 setting fire to cars In the yards of
the Colorado a. Southern railroad
here during the recent strike of the
switchmen, causing a fire which de-
| stroyed the depot. number of cars,
and exploded car of dynamite,
causing the deaths or three men and
injury to over 100 people, beside
damaging the town, in his trial here
| today, through his attorneys init
mates that he will deny the confess
sion he made the day after the fire.
Reeve and another man, both EN-
ployes of the C. & N, said then that
he set the fire to get even with the
| G.. a. s. "scabs."
| The Alleged Confession.
| In the Reeve trial here John IL.
| Chiles, assistant district attorney of
| Denver and special attorney for the
| Colorado & Southern, testified that
he had seen Reeve Aug. IL in the
sheriff's office and that Reeve had
made a statement to him. When
asked what the statement was Attor-
| ney Folsom objected:
| Chiles testimony was the story of
the confession and as it was for the
court to decide whether this confess
sion should be admitted as evidence,
/
room. Mr.. Chiles then told his story
| of how Reeve had asked to see him
and Mr.. Clark in private and had
made his confession as to the firing
| of the caboose, depot, etc. He also
Identified the confession. 40 &'sgf q
Mr.. Doolittle, Colorado &, Southern
claim agent, testified that Reeve had
been advised that II he were guilty.
not to talk, and II innocent, to talk
and clear himself. and that in no
way was he threatened or advised to
| confess. He said Reeve had at first
denied his guilt and stated that If
anyone said he (Reeve) had any
| thing to do with the fire, he would
call him a liar. II two of them did
so, he would call both liars.
Sherifr's Story.
! Sheriff Bartell testified that Reeve
| had said he would like to face the
man who said he set fire to the de-
pot. He was then brought before
Mr.. Woodward and Mr., Kane and
them He turned his head and said
nothing. Reeve then asked Chiles
and Mr.. Doollttle what their official
| capacities were. Chiles told him he
was deputy district attorney for Dem
yer and that in this case he repre-
sented the Colorado Il Southern
road. Mr.. Doolittle told him he was
/ claim agent for the Colorado &
| Southern. He then asked to see Mr..
Chiles and Mr.. Clark privately. The
| three went into the reception room
of the sheriff's Office and the steno-
grapher took down the confession of
! Reeve.
Declare Reeve Made Confession.
About six weeks ago Reeve asked
Bartell for advice, but Bartell said
! he could not give any as II might
not be good Reeve then told him
that the night he set fire to the cars
| he was so drunk that he did not
| know what he was doing. That when
he stopped down to take the waste
/ from the cars he fell under them and
! Kiser had TO pull him out. Also that
! when he went up to the brewery he
/ fell three or four times. At the time
/ the confession was signed Reeve was
warned that 1t would be used to Sc
cure his conviction and he merely
! begged for an early trial.
/ Reeve Denies It.
j. w. Reeve. the defendant, was
/ put on the stand. He stated that
/ Mr. Clark had come TO him right af-
/ ter his arrest and told him there was
( strong suspicion against him and
! wanted him to tell how 1t happened.
/ When he refused to answer Clark
! threatened to prove It and said then
| he would have to talk. That same
evening, after he had gone to bed,
7
! to the sheriff's office This he did,
where he met Mr.. Doolittle. Mr.,
7 Chiles and others. A general con-
versatlon was started and a plan OF
the depot and yards was drawn.
Reeve said his attention was called
: to a certain spot of this plan and
Z he was asked II he did not start a
/ fire there. Reeve answered no.
| When asked what he would do II
some one was brought who would
swear he was guilty, Reeve answer
ed. Il will call him a liar" When
q further questions were put to him
| Reeve asked for an attorney and re-
fused TO talk until he had counsel.
He was then taken back to his cell.
4 The next day Clark came to him
saying he had positive proof against
him and wanted to know If Reeve
{ would still deny his guilt Reeve
| said II certainly will"
Claims Innocence.
/ When Reeve was again confronted
by Mr.. Chiles and Mr.. Doollttle, Mr..
Doolittle gave him TO understand
/ that they were there I'm his interest
! and would do what they could to
help him. Reeve was led to believe
that II he confessed II would be cas-
Ter for him. To make things bet
ter he was persuaded to go before
a stenographer. which Chiles assur-
ed him was all right.
Mr.. Doollttle then asked him II
there was anything he could do for
a -