The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-03-13
BOULDER COUNTY
MURDER CASE
INVESTIGATING DEATH OF WILL
LIAM COLLIER NEAR LONG,
MONT LAST JANUARY.
MAYHEWS ARRA|CNED
DEVELOPMENTS IN PROSECUTION
OF LEMuEL s. MAYHEM AND
HIS WIFE.

Denver.-The Republican Tuesday
morning says: The state yesterday
won the first round in the battle Of the
law against Lemuel S. Mayhem and his
wife, chalged with the murder of Will
liam Collier, an aged rancher, near
Longmont. Colo, about the middle of
January, when the Mayhew attorneys,
Messrs. Irwin and Johnson, waived the
writ of habeas corpus issued to them
by Judge Shattuck.
The writ was issued after Attorney
Irwin had made several futile attempts
to confer with his clients while they
were confined in the county Jail here.
where they had been placed by Sheriff
Capp of Boulder county. Sheriff Capp
learned of the application for the writ,
it is said. and a few minutes before it
was issued he got his prisoners from
the Jail and conveyed them to the
Boulder county Jail at Boulder. They
were arraigned there last Saturday
morning. No charge had been preferred
against them prior to that. but with
their arraignment their attorneys de-
cided to drop the habeas corpus pro-
ceedings.
From official sources yesterday it
was stated that the prosecution has a
mass of damaging evidence, especially
against Mayhem.
From all indications William Collier
was killed on January 18th. four days
before his partially burned body was
found in his ranch home. On that date
pit hiS dania1S
by three persons at Golfers place, it
is charged
During the examination of Mayhem
and his wife here, Mayhew declared
that he was at home all day January
10th, except an hour in the forenoon he
spent visiting justice court in Long
mont He declared that Mrs. Mayhem
was also home all that day. He said
that he did not take drink that day.
Mrs. Mayhem claimed that she was
home all day January 10th, it is said,
but she says that Mayhem was absent
from the house twice during the after
noon, once for two hours and half,
and for one hour another time.
The officers claim to have evidence
that Mrs. Mayhew was not at home all
day, that Mayhem drove to West Long
mont, bought a case of beer and
brought it home with him; that he and
the delivery man drank bottle in the
barn because they. were unable to get
in the house as Mrs. Mayhem was alb
sent
Mayhew was in Denver when the
discovery of Golfers body was pub
lshed He declared to his father-in-
law when told of Golfers murder,
"They will suspect me of it." He told
the officers here that every day UP to
the time of his arrest he and his wife
talked over the case and that they Eek
pected to be arrested for the murder
The state will attempt to prove that
Mrs. Mayhew was at Golfers home on
the day of the murder, that friendly
intimacy existed between the two;
that Mayhew came there and found
them; that Mayhem got ip quarrel
with Collier and struck him with
club, probably not intending to kill
him; that to conceal the crime he
poured kerosene over Golfers clothes
and set fire to them.
The state also claims to have
strong witness who refused to say any
thing regarding the crime until May
hew was in pail. He said, "You put
Mayhew in Jail and I will tell all I
know about the case
A woman who dined with Mayhem
and his wife on January 18th has given
some damaging testimony, it is said,
that contradicts the story told by
Mayhew and his wife.
Western slope Railroads.
Denver-Seemingly well-founded ru
mors of railroad from Delta or Mont
rose into the Paradox valley agricul-
tural and mining districts Of Western
Colorado refuse TO down, says the Den
yer Republican. Also there has been
inaugurated movement by the com
mercial clubs of Paonia to secure the
building of The Colorado & Southern
into that city from it's present terminus
at Baldwin, in Gunnison county.
That Western Colorado will shortly
have those two new lines of railroad
seems assured. ]. Carman Layton and
party of Pittsburg capitalists are be-
hind the Paradox valley road, which
will be privately owned. and will reach
La Sal copper fields, on the Colorado
Utah line. 1t is understood that it's
financing is well under way. There is
also a fruit acreage available there
that will be made immensely valuable
by the advent of the new railroad
At the very hour that President Taft
was making his inaugural address,