The Springfield herald., 1908-05-01
MASON AND vANDERWElDE ARE
CHARGED WITH KILLING Sc
cRET SERVICE AGENT.
TRIED AT DURANGO
PROSECUTION AND DEFENSE
OPEN CASE AND FIRST WIT
NESSES EXAMINED.

ana WlllaEn MaSOn, CnaTSeu Will tHe
murder of Secret Service Agent Jo-
seph A. Walker of Denver last Novem-
ber, near the Hesperus mine, will rest,
was secured Friday afternoon at 3
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.
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 Vanderweide while
he was in the discharge of his duty
and that the killing was coldblooded
murder.
He said the prosecution will also
show that Walker, in company with j.
Il. Chapson. geological expert. Thom-
as Harper, 4 practical coal man, and
j. Callaghan, special employe of the
government. were making an eXamina-
ton of the underground workings be-
meath the air shaft of the Porter Fuel
Company's mine near Hesperus, Nov.
3, 1907, to secure evidence to be used
of certain land fraud cases: that Walk
er remained at the top of the air shaft
while his companions, by means of a
rope ladder, went into the 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
1t to the bottom of the air shaft
The men in the shaft after investi-
eating the workings of the mine. re-
turned to the air shaft and found the
ladder ut the bottom. Harper, having
worked in mines, was able to climb to
the top of the shaft and carried the
ladder with him, which was made Sc
cure and the other men climbed to the
top of the shaft. where they found
Walker, lying dead.
James l.. Russell, chief counsel for
the defense, then made his opening
statement, outlining what the defense
will try to prove.
Russell said Mason for n number of
years was game warden and the evil
dence will show that he was accus-
toned to carrying gun as coyotes
were numerous and sometimes other
game. This time he had no gun and
he borrowed one at saloon the night
before because he had large sum of
money on his person and wanted the
weapon for protection on the way
home.
Sunday morning. he said, Mason
thought he heard a noise in the direc-
tion of the Hesperus mine and asked
Vanderweide to go with him and in
vestigate. as 1t sounded like some one
blasting and shooting. Vanderweide
took his double-barreled shotgun,
loaded with bird shot and buckshot
and they took the trail and road until
in sight of the shaft, near which they
saw a man.
He said the evidence will show that
they did not recognize Walker know
that he was government employe,
nor what he was doing there, and they
went farther to Investigate. as any
tampering with the air shaft might
prove disastrous to not only the mine,
but the men who were working inside.
When near the shaft he said,
Walker called to them to halt but they
paid no attention to this. not thinking
that the man would shoot that Walk
er called second time for them to
halt, at the same time firing shot
in the direction of Mason, but that the
shot went wild and that 1t was as
Walker was in the act of firing the sec
ond time at Mason that Vanderweide
shot and killed him in order to save
Mason's life.
The evidence will further, he de.
clared, show that Mason and Wander
weide then went to Hesperus and told
what had occurred and after telephon-
ing to the sheriff at Durango, started
toward that city and were later met
and placed under arrest
The dafpnSa also denies he said
that Walkers body was moved ny
Mason and Vanderweide. but that it
was moved by someone else, and that
when the officers arrived they found
n coat lying over the body.
The first witness called was George
Goodman, the undertaken who went TO
the mine to get the body and prepare it
for shipment to Denver. The trip to the
mine following the murder was made
ia company with the coroner and 9TH
ers, Goldman testified that after ex-
a.nining the body he placed 1t in a
more comfortable position and closed
the eyes. After the coroner's examin-
alton and his permit to move the body,
1t was placed on stretcher and
brought back to Durango.
Goodman said that he saw two clots
of blood on the ground about six feet
away from the body. The largest clot
was about six inches in diameter.
Lucian c. Wheeler, the second wit
ness, testified that he came to Durango
from Denver in response to a telegram
stating that Walker had been killed
and that he visited the scene of the
killing Nov. 9th. Wheeler told of hav.
ing his attention called to the blood
clots on the ground about fifteen feet
away from the shaft. He also testified
that he saw Walkers clothes on sew
eral occasions following the murder
and that they were in the same condi-
tion each time. There were three
holes in the back of the coat, one in
the neck one lower down and several
in the left sleeve. Wheeler also testi
fled to taking photographs at the scene
of the tragedy.
On cross-examination Attorney Reese
asked him il he remembered seeing
pistol holster. Goodman did not remem-
Der. The attorney then put many ques-
tions to try to show that Goodman's
memory was cloudy, but Goodman re-
piled that it was good enough to re-
member things of consequence.
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