The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-21

a spade. When he had finished he
picked him up again and slammed him
down for the last time, and Fitz lay
still, with a deep, zigzag cash on his
cheek.
Doc Needham released Lipsey, who
cared for his beaten crony, tanning his
face, resuscitating him, and leading him
away. The Needhams, amid the plaud-
it's of the crowd, resumed their medi-
cine vending. They were not molested
again, but in the evening Fitz limped
over to their stand with Lipsey and
shook his fist at the conqueror.
Mark my words" he yelled, III get
even with you if it costs me my life.
I'll break every bone in your body"
Young Needham sprang forward, the
whole savage in his being aroused, but
the sinewy arms of the father closed
on his boy and held him as a mother
would her child, and those who wit
messed the action beheld for the first
and last time which of the two Need
hams was the mightier man.
You fellows had better go away, or
III turn him loose" said Doc Needham,
and Fitz and his partner retired. For
their own sakes il was Just as well
that they did so, for the younger Need
ham was like a tiger that had tasted
blood, and had 1t not been for his ia
theirs interference there would have
been murder at the Wallace fair that
day.
Some time after the vanquishing of
Fftz, Doc Needham and his son were
in st. Thomas with their own team.
On their return home they stopped at
the tavern by Kittlecreek bridge. on
the outskirts of St. Thomas. Young
Needham alighted before reaching the
-
on business while the father drove up
to the tavern and halted his team. In
a bag in his wagon he had an axe-head
and some pork, both of which he had
bought in st. Thomas. When he drove
away from the tavern Fitz and LipSey
appeared suddenly, sneaked quietly into
the back part Of the vehicle and at
tackled him from behind. Taken by sur
prise, the elder Needham had no chance
to defend himself, and while one of his
assailants held his arms the other beat
him over the head with the bag The
iron axe-head, brought down with ter
rifle force on the defenseless mans
skull fractured it, killing him in
stantly.
1t was his strong resemblance to his
son that caused the fathers death, his
assailants having attacked him under
the impression that they were beating
young Needham.
They escaped in the darkness and got
out Of town, but news of the murder
came swiftly to the ears of the authOri-
ties, and Detective John Wilson Muir
ray was given charge of tine case. Doc
Needham had been a great favorite with
the country folk around about, and the
tidings of his untimely end aroused
general indignation. The trend of pOD-
ulsr feeling promised at first to make
the capture of the guilty men an easy
matter. but although there were many
persons who would have been only too
glad to assist the course of justice in
this particular instance, fate willed that
none of them was enabled to supply
any clue of value to the government.
Murray, however, went about his task
in his usual systematic fashion, his
first step being to send circulars broad
cast all over Canada and the United
States describing Fitz and Lipsey. He
knew that the former had been marked
for life by young Needham during the
fight at the Wallace fair, and relied
on the existence of a certain zigzag
scar to help him in the Identification of
the principal murderer. At last, by
means of a stray letter, he obtained
traces of Fitz out near Red Wing, in
Minnesota.
He started for Red Wing at once,
taking with him Governor John King
of the st. Thomas Jail to identify the
fugitive, should they be fortunate
enough to come up with him. Fitz
had worked for King at one time. and
the governor knew him well. The de-
tective and his companion arrived in
Red Wing late at night and retired
to rest in a double-bedded room And
here the capricious god of chance who
plays such a prominent part at times
in the disposition OF human affairs
saw fit to take a hand I'm the game.
The Jail governor was a heavy sleep
er and was in the habit Of snoring with
demOniacal strength and resource This
distressing fact forced itself on Muir
rays nerves in thoroughly convincing
fashion ere he had been reposing on his
bed for many moments. In vain the
detective strove to divert his mind from
the virile nasal performances of his