The Springfield herald., 1908-07-17
PROGRESS OF
ADAMS TRIAL
JUDGE sHAckELFoRD RULES OUT
THE ALLEGED SIGNED
CONFESSION.
VARIOUS ADMISSIONS
DETECTIVE AND OFFICERS TEST.
IFY TO MANY INcRiMINAT-
ING STATEMENTS.

Denver.-The progress of the trial
of Steve Adams on the charge of muir
dering Arthur Collins at Telluride,
now going on at Grand Junction. is
here outlined from special dispatches
to the Denver Republican.
On Thursday Judge Shackelford re-
fused to permit the alleged confession
of Steve Adams to go before the jury
The alleged signed confession was
secured by Detective Mcfarland while
Adams was In the penitentiary in
Idaho and purported to tell about the
assassination of Arthur Collins at Tel
luride, for whose alleged murder steve
Adams is now on trial. The defense
opposed the admission of the alleged
confession on the ground that it had
been secured through undue influ-
ence.
The jury was called after the de-
cision of the court had been read and
w. w. Runnells, marshal of Tellu-
ride. was summoned by the state.
He told of a conversation he had
had with Steve Adams while accom-
panying the defendant from Orchard,
Idaho, to Telluride in May, 1906, and
said that several times Adams told
of the killing of Arthur Collins, and
of some men on timber claim in
Idaho. In one conversation, Runnells
said. Adams showed the men at the
station of Orchard, before boarding
the train en- route TO Telluride, the po-
sition which he assumed in leveling
the shotgun with which he claimed to
have killed Collins. According to Run
nells, Adams said:
"a shotgun was the best for my pur-
pose and it was with shotgun this
wsv that | killed Collins" thereupon
el .t,,rr LN, fotn hot
Runnells said Adams spoke of Gov
ernor Peabody and Sherman Bell and
said both men ought to be killed. He
stated further, according to Runnells,
that If he ever got a chance, he would
kill Bell. Runnells said Adams tee of
the conspiracy and attempts to assas-
sinate former Governor Peabody at
his residence in Denver, and of the
night when he went to the Peabody
residence for the purpose of shooting
the governor. but the plans of himself
and his alleged accomplices were
foiled by two women who alighted
from a cab. At another time the wit
ness said Adams told him of plot
to kill Peabody with bomb.
James C. Mills. deputy warden of the
Idaho State Pententiary, was the prin-
cipal witness Friday. He testified that
he made the trip to Telluride from
Boise with Adams in May. 1906. to-
gether with Bulkeley Wells and Mar
shall Runnells of Telluride, and that
Adams told him on the trip of the
killing of Collins by his own hand. He
testified farther that uron arrival at
Telluride Adams was shown the bullet
hole in the window casing through
which he claimed to have fired the IA
tai shot, and that Adams pointed out
to him the trail which he is supposed
to have taken in leaving the scene of
the assassination.
Bulkeley Wells was the next witness
He testified that Adams asked him,
after leaving Idaho, if the shell which
he threw out, according to his alleged
statement, after he fired the fatal shot
had been found, and Wells told him
that it had. Upon request of Attorney
Hilton. Wells knelt on one knee and
showed the jury the position which
Adams assumed when he is said to
have killed Collins, according to the
Illustration given the party by Adams
while waiting for the train at Orchard
Idaho
Wells further testified that Adams
told him that prior to the murder. Ar
thur Baston and Kid Minister met Ad-
ans and told him that they wanted
SOlllllS hllleu anu dSheu lllli IL ne
wanted to help with the job. Adams
said he told him that he was willing
witness stated, and Adams was sub
stituted for Minister, who was called
to Cripple Creek to testify in a muir
der case against member of the
Western Federation of Miners. When
asked who the they" referred to in
the statement by Baston and Minister
were, Wells said that Adams told him
that they" referred to Haywood and
Moyer, as well as the other alleged
accomplices. According to Wells,
Adams told him that he was informed
that there was 81 900 in the job of kill
ing Collins and that after h committed
the alleged act he was paid $3.50 by
Baston. who had previously received
$500 from Vincent st. John. noted
member of the Western federation.
Wells testified further that Adams
told him that he (Adams) had later re-
ceived $3.50 to make up the amount
which he was promised.