Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-06-17
CONFESSE:S ARSON R
Of REXB:URGDE|:|P|0I'
Special Agent Jones Of Q. S. Z.
Breaks Down William
Barker.
WATCHED THE STATION BURN
Ioutl, Nov Waiting Trial Has Utah
Reform school Rccortl-Saycd
Innocent Suspect.

Joseph Jones, chief special aseEt&cl
the Oregon Short Line detective force,
returned from ReXburg, Idaho, this
morning, carrying in his pocket the
signed confession of William, Barker 10
the burning on the morning OF May 10
7 of the Rexburg passenger station. Mr.
Jones had been working on the case FOR
more than ;smonth, and had been fol-
lowing a number of clues, duplicating
several parties III the act of arson,
among them two residents of Salem,
! in Idaho.
All theories, however, failed to ma
terlallze until Chief of Police B. NJ.
Larsen of Rexburg, suspected Barker
and informed Special Agent Jones OF
his theories. Mr.. Jones took up tile
thread and successfully wove the not
IN which the young man entangled hini-
self, and Yesterday at Rexburg he made
d full confession to having committed
the act which resulted in the burning
of the depot. I5 EFT 4 Il;
Y Barker is % years OF age, and has a
i reform school record in Utah. His
home Is at Escalante, Garfield county,
and from that place he was sent to the
Industrial school at Ogden In July, 1905,
charged with burglary in the first de-
+ gree. In August following he made his
escape from the Ogden institution, but
I. WAS recaptured and taken back short
: time afterwards. In October he escaped
again, and returned to his home at
Escalante, where he threatened to burn
the store and other property belonging
to the man who had been Instrumental
in sending him to the reform school.
The head of the Industrial school learn
the sheriff OF Garfield county took the
young man back to Ogden.
BARKER coNFEssEs. Il
Oh April 5. 1908, after the inmates
of the school had been in Ogden at
tending some athletic events, Barker
broke away from the crowd in the dark
ness and got away, going to idaho
Falls, He remained In Idaho until ha
was charged with burning the Rexburg
depot, to which he confessed after some
severe Questioning upon the part OF
Agent Jones. 5,s 3l5i5 Ss
"a The other young man charged with
the crime was brought In from Salem,
in company with his gray haired faith
er, before whom he stoutly maintained
his; innocence. He was confronted with
Barker, and the latter, rather than see
the boy go to jail for the offense, cons
Z fessed to, having perpetrated the, net
himself lie said he Went to the de-
Dot at Re&burg late on the night OF
the 9th of May and at 2:30 In the morn
Ing he heard some halnmeringi at the
depot, and went y over to see what II
was He saw two men emerge from
the depot, he said, and one OF Their
gave him IS 2aiid told him to .'keet
< his mouth shut, Y VI He them went in ID
the station, going through the waiting
room into the office, and striking j
match, he lighted "a piece Of paper
throwing the burning paper into a pile
81 paper, etc, in tile corner Of the room.
He then went back to the box car
where he had been sleeping, ana
watched the station burn.
He could give no satisfactory descrip-
ton of tho men whom he says he saw
coming out of the depot and Officer
Jones does not place any credence In
y that part of his confession relating. to
them: But he is satisfied the boy burn
ed the depot, which was valued al
$4,000. besides apers contained in ths
+ building.
III Young Barker was taken before JUS
4 tlce p. Osborne at ReXburg, and after
( swearing to his confession was arraigr,-
ed for the crime and was bound ove,
10 the sum of Sl,00Oto await the actor
: OF the district court.