The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-06
INVESTIGATION OF
BARNETT MURDER
Coroner's Jury Probes Mysti-
flying Case and Hears
Testimony.
HUGH MEYERS STILL HE'LL
TWO MEN WANTED BY POLICE
STILL AT LIBERTY.

Palpably plain and yet mystifying is the
evidence so far obtained IN the murder
case of John c. Barnett. the young man
who was so cruelty put to death in the
American house on Commercial street
shortly after midnight Wednesday.
A perfect description Of at least two
of the men believed to be implicated IN
the murder is possessed by the police. but
the men have disappeared. Hugh Meyers.
the cripple who was in the company oil
the supposed murderers and whose shoe.
hat and crutch bear telltale evidence in
contradiction to his story, has not yet
been able to satisfy the officers Of his
complete innocence and is still held in
custody. Above that, and as evidence of
the deliberate, Coid-biooded manner IN
which Barnett was murdered. is the ODin-
ion given by Drs. Odell and Kirtiey last
night. after an autopsy. that Barnett had
been killed, by stranguiation. and then
beaten with some weapon, which might
have been either a beer bottle or a
cTutch-
Testimony at Inquest.
The coroners inquest yesterday morn
ing developed but little additional infor-
nation to that already in the possession OF
the police. The most important testimony
was presented by V. Bambino, the bar
tender who last saw Barnett in company
with Philip Mann and his companion
American house. and Hugh Meyers. the
man in custody.
The prime bit Of evidence having q bear
ing on the innocence or guilt Of Meyers.
lay In the contradictory statements made
by Krumbein and Meyers regarding the
time Of evening Meyers left room q.
Meyers said he left the room at exactly
80 and the night clerk swore he was In
the room at O'Clock when he conducted
a tall stranger to the room at the latter s
request. The clerk said Philip Mann en-
gagged the room earlier in the evening and
stated at that time that three men would
probably occupy it. Krumbein said he
had heard no unusual disturbance during
the night.
V. Bembino's testimony agreed with
that of Krumbein as to the description of
the men who met Barnett in the saloon.
He stated that after Barnett had changed
a s. gold piece at the bar. one of the men
invited him to go to his room. saying
there were women there. Barnett left the
saloon in company with the two men at
about 1870 o'clock. BambinO says the
men returned to the saloon at about ! 30
and the man with the red beard left d
biood-stained hat in exchange for Bam-
binos cap. Bsmbino said he noticed that
tho mans hands were blOodstained.
Meyers Testimony.
Meyers on the stand appeared at dis
advantage His statements in many re-
spects were contradictory. or. at least
seemed so. in view of the other testimony
offered. In general he related how he had
met Boston Joe.' Shorty" "Blacky-'
and other members Of the hobo gang at
Park Ctiy on Wednesday. 1t had beer
their intention to catch a freight for Salt
Lake City. but. missing it. he bought a
ticket while Boston jos took the trucks.
According to Meyers. although there had
been no former acquaintance In Park City
he and the others had agreed to meet a {
the American house Meyers was the first
to arrive and rented hall cot. This hall
cot was located about twenty feet from
the door of room 4.
Meyers told substantially the same
story he related to the police on the night
of his arrest. that he had gone there carly
in the evening then had gone into room
of the other men" He could not. how
ever. explain why he had gone there. and
was vague in much of his information. He
insisted as he had told the police that
he had retired to his own cot q about
40 and that he knew nothing of the muir
der until the body was discovered. lie
made no attempt TO account for the blood
stains on his shoe, crutch and hat re
said the hat belonged TO Boston joe
and that it had been traded for his own
The CoroneT'S inquest was adjourned I'm
til 10 o'clock this morning pending the re-
suits of the autopsy held last night. To
day an examination of the room at the
American house will be made. bottle
o. morphine was introduced az the hear
ing Yesterday. This was found setting on
the dresser in room A.