Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-05-01

Durango. Colo.-The Jury In whose
hands the fate OF Joseph Vanderweide
and William Mason. charged with the
murder OF Secret Service Agent Jo-
seph A. Walker OF Denver last Sovem'
Der. near the Hesperus mine. will rest,
was secured Friday afternoon ut j
O'Clock after fully $50 veniremen had
been examined.
The opening statements OF the attor-
neys were made before adjournment
of court and the hearing OF evidence
set to- begin Saturday.
The Jury as chosen includes Virgil
Hammer. John Judy. farmer: w. j.
Boyle. mine operator: Al Bernard. ex-
pressman; James Dcnnlson. mine op'
orator: Jacob Hargeshimer. butcher;
Martin Bushnell. barber; +. v. Clarke.
ranchman; N. b. Conlcy. ranchman:
Marion Drury. blacksmith. and wagon
maker: A. T.. Knapp and Thomas Far
ley. laborers.
OF these Bernard. Dcnnison. Harge-
sinner and Bushnell are residents OF
Durango. The others are from differ
ent parts Of the county.
District Attorney Pulliam opened
the case for the prosecution. He be-
gan by saying that the prosecution
would attempt to show that Joseph A.
Walker. United States secret service
agent. was shot and killed by William
Mason and Joseph vandcrweide while
he wax In the discharge OF his duty.
and that the killing was cold'bloodcd
murder.
He said the prosecution will also
show that Walker. In company with j.
rks.Vs
aS Harper. n practical coal man. and
J. CallaHhan. n special cmploye Of the
government. were making an exanina'
tion OF the underground workings be-
meath the air shaft OF tho Porter Fuel
Company's mine near lesperus. Nov.
]. 1907. to secure evidence 10 bc used
by the government In the prosecution
Of certain land fraud eases: that Walk
cr remained nj toe top OF the air shaft
while his companions. by means Of u
rope ladder. went into III. mine by the
air shaft: that Walker was killed while
these men were In the bottom
Of the shaft and that the defendants
then cut the rope ladder and dropped
IL To the bottom Of the air shaft.
The men In the shaft. after invcsti.
.niin. the workings OF the mine. rc.
turned to the mir shalt and found tho
ladder nj the bottom. Harper. having
worked In mines. Was able to climb 10
the top OF the shaft and carried the
ladder with him. which was made 80
cure and the other mon climbed to the
top Of the shaft. whrrc they found
Walker. lying dead. Harper. before
letting the rope down. examined Walk
"r's body and found none Of his per-
sonai effects mirsin.. Callarhnn then
started for town and cbapson and
Harper remained with the body.
lie declared that Mason aud Wander,
~cidc ordered men to guard tn" mouth
Of the tunnel. they believing that after
the men In the mine found that the
ladder had been cut. they would be
forced To leave the mine by that en-
trance.
Much stress. he said. will he laid on
evidence that Mason borrowed rc.
volvcr from n bartender In a saloon
the niEht before the tragedy. and that
the two defendants were present In
this saloon the night before the killing
and were drinking.
Mr.. pulliam said that Walkers rc.
voivcr was lying about foot and n
half away from Walkers body. that
the trigger was resting on an empty
shell which had not been recently emp.
tied. aud that the revolver was no,
placed there by Walker.
Mr.. Puiliam described how the body
lay. the finding Of blood ciots seven
feet away. which will prove that the
body had been moved: that Walker
was struck with six buckahot fired
sidc~isc from him. and that two Of
them struck him in the neck. one sirik.
ing the jngular vein and fhrc,, of the
shot struck him In the side and back. so