The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-19
LATEST THEORY
POINTS TO OWEN
AS THE SLAYER
Story of Bartender at Albany
Saloon Tends to EIimi-
nate Garcia Entirely.
OWENS STORY LOOKS
LIKE CLEVER FICTION
SULLIVAN ARRAIcNED AND CIV.
EN- UNTIL MONDAY TO PLEAD
ASKS FOR ATTORNEY.

Now that Joe Sullivan has been
brought back to Salt Lake and ar
raigned upon the charge of numbering
Policeman Ford after the Albany sa-
loon hold-up on Dec. II, the question
arises: Was the real murderer Sulli-
van or John owen, the railroad switch
man, now serving a sentence OF twenty
years in the state penitentary?
Information which came TO light yes
terday indicates that Joe Garcia, the
porch climber, had nothing to do with
the robbery and murder, and point TO
the fact that the half-breed prowler
was placed by the side Of Sullivan in
Owens confession so as to save the
switchman from prosecution on the
charge Of murder. This was the first
suppositiOn at the time Of the arrest
of Owen an hour after the shooting OF
the policeman. The idea was aban-
doned when it was discovered that
Garcia was not an imaginary person,
but had really operated extensively in
Salt Lake. and had been sheltered by
Tip" Belcher, bartender in the old
Jubilee saloon in Commercial street.
where Sullivan. Owen and other crooks
made a sort Of rendezvous.
The new light upon the crime comes
Albany saloon, and while it conflicts
slightly with his statements a few
minutes after the hOld-up and murder,
is very ciTcumstantial.
Points of New Theory.
In Buckley's statement there are sew
eral points which are very damaging
to Owen:
First-That neither of the highway
mon rpcp477 b1pd Garcia
SecOnd-That one of the robbers
could use only one hand. (Three I'm
gers are missing on Owens right
hand.
ThiTd-That the man with the in
jured hand took a package of a certain
brand of cigarettes from behind the
bar before leaving. (Such a package
of cigarettes was found in owens pos
session when he was searched immedi-
ately after his arrest).
FOurth-That the small man (Owen)
seemed eager to use his revolver, and
threatened twice to kill Bartender
Buckley, while the taller man (Sulli-
van) displayed no such murderous in
clinatiOn, and at one time actually pre-
vented the smaller man from shooting
the bartender. CThis Buckley believes
indicates that IL must have been Owen
who fired the fatal bulleO
hold-up he and three men were in the
Albany saloon. The three men were
George Costello, John Burns and a
deaf and dumb man known as John
Dempsey.
81 was standing near the stove in
front of the bar" said Buckley. Burns
was asleep and did not see what hap
pened. Costello does not speak good
English, and could not understand
nh
man, of course, heard nothing.
1.-THE tall man, who was probably
Sullivan, entered first He pushed open
one of the swinging doors at the en-
trance to the bar holding a revolver in
his hand. AS he ordered US to throw
up our hands, the small man crowded
to his side. pushing open the other Of
the swinging doors.
Sullivan Always Cool.
Sullivan stood at the end of the bar
near the door and kept US covered with
his revolver, while the man who was
probably Owen, went behind the bar.
He first searched for the revolver we
kept in the place. Not finding it, he
ordered me to tell him where 1t was
hidden, threatening TO kill me If re-
fused. Sullivan told him TO get the
money and not to bother about the
gun. owen luei went " inc CelS4A lc5-
lister. One of his hands seemed to be
injured. For this reason, he placed his
revolver on the shelf at the side of the
cash register and, with the hand which
had held the weapon, took the money
from the drawer In doing this, he
used only one hand. AS ne was busted
with the cash register, ne faced large
mirror through which he was able to
keep a watch upon US and. thinking
that I was gOing to lower my hands,
yelled, with a curse, for me TO keep
Continued on page 2.