The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-11

said that he had been told afterWard
that Meyer declared that had Hartnstt
been a little slower with his club ne
would have been killed.
Hartnett said today:
''AIoyer used to amuse himself in sa-
looms by shooting pool balls into the
pockets with his revolver and he had
the general reputation at that time OF
being a bad man.
JaiIbird's Version OF Story.
John Heating died while a convict In
the Joliet penitentiary, and one of his
brothers, Charles Heating. who IS now
a prisoner in the county jail, said to-
day:
eve always knew that Charles H.
Meyer, president of the Western Fed
GRAFTON of Miners, was the man who
was sent to the penitentiary with my
brother Johnny. I don't remember him
myself, but he used to go with my sis
ter, and have often heard my folks
speak of him.
after Meyer got out of the peniten-
tiary he used to write to a mutual ac-
quaintance, Semuel Williams, and Sam
used to read the letter to us. One time
Sam came over with paper telling
how Charley Meyer had been made the
head of the miners union"
Mrs. Heating, the mother of John
Heating, today accuses Meyer of being
the cause of her sons downfall. She
said:
"Charley Meyer left Chicago as soon
as he got out of the penitentiary, but
liams, who lived next door to US, and
Williams used to read US his letters
Williams later went to Missouri, and
we have not heard from him since"
Alleged Brothers Statement.
The Journal also prints story dated
Boone, Ia, which is substantially as
follows:
Frank S. Meyer, chief of police of
Boone for four years and now a con-
ductor on a street car line here, is
brother of Charles H. Meyer. He said
today to a Journal correspondent:
I hear that Charles got into trou-
Probably the less said about it the bet
ter. L know that Charley went to Chi
cago in 1884 or 1885, and was gone
about year and half. did not
hear from him during that time. La
ter Charley went to Deadwood and
then to Denver. I have often heard
Charley speak of Sam Williams. but
I never saw Williams myself"
1t appears that the Pinkerton detec-
tive agency soon after the arrest of
Meyer became aware that a man nam
ed Charles H. Meyer had been in the
penitentiary at JOLIET. Operatives were
set to work to collect evidence as to
the identity of the convict, Charles H.
Meyer, for the purpose of introducing
it at the trial of the president of the
Western Federation of Miners in
certain contingency.
No evidence on the subject can be
introduced unless an attempt is made
to show good character. If this be
done at the trial of Meyer witnesses
will be on hand to show that the pres
ident of the Western Federation of
Miners is the Charles H. Meyer who
served a term in Joliet penitentiary for
burglary.
If Mover was at work in the Black
Hills in 1886 and can produce proof
to show this fact the jury will have be-
fore them the question of the prepon-
derance Of evidence.
Says He Was in Black Hills.
Boise, Idaho, May IA statement
printed by the Chicago Journal charg-
ing that one Charles Meyer was in
penitentiary was printed here and
created much discussion. That c. H.
Meyer, the prisoner now IN the jail
here charged with the murder of for
mer Governor Steunenberg, is one and
the same man is denied by the prison
er and his counsel.
Meyer, when seen on the subject,
said he was working in the mines in
the Black Hills country of South Da-
kota at the time, which was given as
between February 4, 1885, and Jan
uary 4, 1887. He states that It would
be easy to verify this by the records
Of the Castle Creek Gold Mining com
pany at Rockford. S. D., where he
says he was working at the time
Meyer also said that the postmaster
to his receiving mail at the time. and
that the officials of the county and
state will verify his denial of the story
hat he was an inmate of the Joliet
penitentiary at that. time.