The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-05
Exchanges Bloody Hat.

hat itself, the story of which comes
from the saloon.
Exchanges Bloody Hat.
About o'clock in the morning. about
an hour after Barnett and his picked-up
companions went upstairs TO the room.
one Of the men came back into the
saloon, and throwing mis- hat on the
bar with a jocular remark that he
didn't like to wear a hat. asked Mr..
BombinC if he couldn't borrow the lat
ter's cap for a while. BOmbino said
sure and handed over the cap,
throwing the hat back of the bar. That
man has not been seen since. and it
developed yesterday that the hat which
showed blood stains really belonged to
Myers.
Y. BOmbiEo. proprietor Of the saloon.
said that on Wednesday night, the two
men, who had later left with Barnett.
were in the saloon most of the evening.
and gave a good description OF them.
One was q man Of stocky build sandy
hair with a several days growth of
beard, wore a black SLOUGH hat with
clothes ragged. The other was taller
measuring probably feet 10 or II
inches black hair and wearing q cap.
The first was an Engiishman. Mr..
BOmbino told OF how when he and Bar
nett were talking and shaking dice the
two strangers approached and Joined in
the conversation, and later the three
men left for the room at the invitation
of the short, stocky'' man.
The strangest feature of the murder
is that II could have been committed
without some one hearing it at the time
The rooms adjoining the death chamber
were occupied. and there were a num-
Der of men still awake in the near vicin-
ity of the room. The night clerk and
those nearest the room I'm which the
murder was committed assert that they
heard no struggle or outcTy, but had
heard the sounds of laughter and pleas
antry coming from that room. The SUD
position is that Barnett was either sud
denly sprung upon and Choked into ST.
lence before being beaten or that he
was silenced with the first blow from
beer bottle. Although Barnett secured
three bottles of beer before going TO
the room, but one bottle was found in
the chamber.
Murder Was Deliberate.
The room had been rented by three
men, these being provided for in dou-
bic bed and a cot. While the room
was probably not secured with the
thought of committing crime, yet its
condition and the position of the body
showed that the murder had been de-
liberate.
After striking down the helpless vic
tim, the murderers had first gone
through his clothing. then turning the
body to one side so that they might
open the door, then threw a quilt over
the lifeless FORM The blows upon the
skull and hands indicated that some of
them had been made with a bottle that
probably broke, its jagged edges infiict-
ing gashes on the skull and hands as
the latter were drawn up in protection.
but if such were the case the frag-
ments of the bottle had been carefully
removed.
Barnett was by trade a painter and
paperhanger. and of late had been en-
ployed by AL Collins. On Wednesday
at the close of the days work he Sc
cured from Collins $3.50, and this was
the money he had been spending and
for which he was killed
Barnett lived with his father and
mother at 1903 West Third South street.
and is survived by two little daughters,
now orphans. aged and years
Parents Are Stunned.
The most tragic feature of the death
of Barnett occurred yesterday after
noon when. five hours after the finding
of the body. a Herald reporter gave the
first intimation to the aged father and
mother of the fate that had befaIlen
their son.
With intuitive sense the now grief
stricken mother seemed TO divine the
reporters errand, although two broth
ers of the decedent and neighbOrs had
hesitated to break the news. When
Mrs Barnett was asked if she were the
mother of John Barnett, her answer
was the cry What has happened to
Jack?"
Almost brutality the reporter had to
break the news that twitched and
strained every heart cord in the little
motherly woman.
Jack. Jack, my boy Jack-s she
walled. you'll never come back TO me
again" Pleading Historically that she
be allowed to go to the side of her dead
boy, she required the constant atten-
ton of the father, who himself required
all the mans courage to bear the blow
that had fallen 50 suddenly.
With her head buried in her hands.