The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-07
BLOODY CRUTCH
MAY SEND HIM
TO HIS DOOM
Police Are Convinced Meyers,
the Suspect in Custody, Is
Murderer of Burnett.
STAINS ON HIS SHOE ARE
SHOWN TO BE FRESH BLOOD
MEYERS MAINTAINS HIS iNNo-
cENcE, BUT TELLS CON-
FLIcTING STORIES.

In Hugh Meyers. the One-Iegged man.
arrested in the American house last
Thursday a few hours after the discovery
Of the mutilated body of John c. Bar
nett, the police believe they have the real
murderer of the unfortunate painter and
paper hanger, who was lured to his death
for a few dollars.
Gradually web of circumstantiaf evil
dence is being woven around Meyers,
and as the meshes are being drawn
tighter there seems little likelihood Of
the escape Of Meyers from the direct &C
cuSatiOn of being the actual murderer, OF
at least an accomplice.
The most important piece OF evidence
SO far obtained, and which so strongly
incriminates Meyers. is his crutch II de
velOped yesterday that the crutch exactly
fits into the wounds upon the head and
hands of the murdered man. and fits so
perfectly as to leave no room for doubt
in the minds Of the police that the crutch
was the instrument used in the death
dealing blows
In addition. several other important bits
Of evidence, all tending to fasten the crime
on Meyers, were secured In the running
down Of the evidence the detectives
proved conclusively that the story told
by Meyers in connection with the Incl
dents Of the night of the murder was
false in many respects. that he had be-
trayed his own false hoods I'm telling con-
fliCting stories. Equally important was the
result of an analysis made by state Chem
list Herman Harms, which revealed fresh
blood stains on Meyers shoe, CrutCh, hat
and handkerchief. The shirt worn by the
murderer, and from which the blood
stained cuffs and sleeves had been torn
off. was also found in toilet room in
the Mambino saloon, and the officers are
positive that the shirt belonged TO Meyers.
Cruteh Shows BIoodstains.
But the most telling evidence which
brings Meyers under suspicion is mis-
crutCh. In spite Of the fact that the
crutch had been recently sandpspered and
scraped. several blOOdstains still remain
on it. and these stains, State Chemist
Harms prOnouuCeS to be Of recent origin
Stronger still. however, is the fact that
the crutch fits the wounds. Detective
Sheets and Burt yesterday visited the
morgue, taking with them the crutch. It
was found that on the wound across the
forehead, which showed an incisiOn over
the right eye, the TiVet in the side OF the
crutCh fitted into the slight hole, and that
the side of the crutch lay exactly in the
wound The wound on the right hand
forming itself into a Y shape CORES
pOnded to the fraction of an inch with the
conveyance of the sides of the crutch.
when Barnett threw up his hands to pro-
teCt himself from his assailaut, and the
direction Of the wounds indicate that the
blows were struck from the right.
Marks on the throat Of the murdered
man also show that ne was also either
stTangied or thrOttled and that a piece OF
the bed sheeting had been used for the
purpose of shilling him Whether Barnett
was first strangled and then beaten over
the head with the crutch or struck down
first is still doubtful, but from the wounds
on the hands it IS evident that he was
still conscious and attempting to fight
for his life when the blows were struck.
Sheets Is Convinced.
Chief Of Detective Sheets feels satisfied
that the police have the murderer Of Bar
nett and that within the next day OF two
sufficient evidence will be accumulated
and connected up to convict Meyers Of the
brutal crime.
After his arrest Meyers said that he had
arrived in Salt Lake Wednesday afternoon
from Park City, in company with Boston
Joe" and some other hOboes, and that
early in the evening he had rented hall
cot in the American house. According to
his tale he had then gone to room a.
and laid down on the bed there to read Il
magazine, but had left there shortly after
o'clock when q man whom he did not
knew, entered the room He had gone to
his cot in the hall, only distant about
twenty feet from room q, the scene Of
the murder, but had gone TO sleep and
did not arise until about S O'Clock next
morning. His story is COntrsdiCted. how
ever. by the night clerk at the American
house, who says that some time after 10
o clock. when he took man up to room
T. for the purpose Of showing him q bed
Meyers was still in the room.
The theory held by the police is that
Meyers either committed the murder
alone. or was the principal and there we're
accomplices. The supposition is that
Meyers was lying In room = when Bar
nett. for some reason unknown, unless il
was that he was simply wandering about
the rooming house or had been "steered'
there. entered the room. Then. according
to the theory of the police Meyers either
grappled with him and strangIed him into
iIiseDsibility before going through his
pockets or struck him down with his
CrutCh. In the former event, it is likely
that fearful that Barnett would be able
to identify him after his return to con-
sciousness he beat him to death as he
was recovering from his straugulatiOn.
Shoe Carefully Washed.
Meyers has stoutIy protested his inno-
cence of any completely in or knowledge
of the crime, but he has not been able
to account for the blood stain on his shoe
and other parts of his clothing. The shoe
shows that it had been carefully washed.
but that the blood had soaked into the
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