The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-14
philadelphia Ledger.


Sometimes the story of a crime is so
markedly unique and the links of it
stretch over so long a period that it be-
comes more than the mere record of trag-
edy. 1t may be that the criminal has
been born under shadow or with poison
in his moral blood. Then the question
arises If he is not to be pitied; whether
he can be considered culpable in the full
est sense. or has been the victim of cir
cumstances grim and inexorable.
Several months ago a number of Utah
convicts made dash for liberty One of
these was wounded and captured almost
Immediately. The simple narrative of the
hapless felon's life, showing his genesis
and environment, affords material for the
student of criminology. To be complete
it must begin as far back as 1872, and even
then there must have been at work dire
and subtle influences, the history of
which has been lost.
Lloyd Majors Appears.
In the year mentioned Lloyd Majors APP
peared in San Jose, Cal. He was dark
forbidding man. by OCCUPATION a wheel
wright. He possessed a fair education
took an interest in church work and join
ed political club. In argument upon po-
litical subjects he displayed an ugly tenn
per. Majors fell into disesteem, not by
reason of his temper, however, but be-
cause of the tendency of his little shop
10 be destroyed by fire after he had in
sured IT, When at last the companies re-
fused to place any more insurance Ma
jors deliberately abandoned decent asso-
Citations, and, moving to the neighboring
town OF Los Gatos. opened a saloon.
From the first his establishment was
looked upon with suspicion, mainly be-
cause among the hangers-on were a num-
Der never known to work and yet never
without some money of these. two were
Jewell and Showers. Jewell was a genial
young fellow, a great favorite with the
children of the village The other was a
phlegmatie German, not credited with be-
ing very bright
Burned by Assassins.
One night the glare of fire was no.
ticed in the nearby mountains. The next
morning revealed that this had been
caused by the burning of the cabin of an
old mOuntaineer named Renowden. Out
SIDE the circle of fire, a bullet through
the breast, was the body of Renowden.
Inside the ruins was the trunk and head
of another man, quickly identified as a
neighbOring settler. Mcintyre 1t was
known that the pair had been I'm the habit
OF exchanging visits. In the heart of Nc
lntyre was q bullet that fitted the pistol
carried by Showers. this fact not being
discovered until long afterWard when
the tell-tale bit of lead fell from the or
gan that had been preserved in alcohol
The evening of the fire. but hours be-
fore the blaze had been lighted. two men
knocked at the rear door of the Majors
conversation with the proprietor These
men were recognized as Jewell and Show
ers. The next morning the pair had dis
appeared. but Majors was doing business
as usual Suspicion was excited by the
absence: pursuit made, and both were
captured, but only after a desperate re-
Sistance. Another incident that created
interest was that the night of the crime
horse owned by Majors had been ont
of the livery stable for il showed evil
dence of having been ridden hard. Then
ranchman remembered to have heard
the sound of a horseman galloping fast
up the canyon leading to the Renowden
home. and an hour later the sound of a
return at the same speed Majors was
placed under arrest and put on trial with
the others.
The Miscreants Convicted.
Showers took the stand and made 2 full
confession He said that the Job had
heen planned by Majors. but was for rob
berry and not murder. They thought old
RenOWden had money. and went prepared
TO exact it from him by torture the min
GERS and Irvine they had carried for this
, being displayed in court.
All were found guilty aJewel was sen
fenced to be hanged. and was hanged, CAV
and defiant to the last. Showers got life
! Imprisonment. and a similar fate was
named for Majors AT this the compu-
nifty was indignant, and demanded that
! the latter be tried again. this time for the
murder of Mcintyre He had originated
the plot. had ordered his pals to take t.
flight and had taken that awful midnight
( ride to destroy the evidence.
.