The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-04-01
CHARLES PHELPS WANTED
Former United States Marshall q PEN
itentiary Bird and All Round
Tough at Liberty

The man spoken of in the follow
| ing article was busy here in 1889,
prosecuting other violators of the
law, and has since had some expert
ence of his own behind the bars. The
article is taken from the Pocatello
! Tribune.
Charles Phelps, United States mar
will be remembered shot Heber West
in Pocatello, was sentenced to term
in the Idaho state penitentiary, was
pardoned after four years service, got
into an alteration over card game
in Buhl Saturday night and stabbed
to death an unknown man.
Phelps is SO years of age. has
served two terms in state prisons for
murder, is wanted for the above
crime and the police have been noti-
| fed throughout the country. His
photograph, which was taken while
he was serving a life sentence, after
ward commuted, in the Utah peni-
tentiary, has been forwarded to the
authorities at Twin Falls.
Phelps, known also by the name of
Phillips, is described as five feet ten
inches in height, weighing about 100
pounds; blue eyes, one of which has
a squint; sandy hair and moustache
and wearing, in all probability, a
drak gray suit of clothes and slouch
hat or cap. HIS face shows signs OF
dissipation, Phelps being a heavy
drinker and a gambler.
Convicted and Pardoned
Phelps went to Salt Lake City aft
er being pardoned, and lived there
for some time. He was arrested on
July II, charged with completely in
the killing of John Egap. During
the trial the evidence showed that
Phelps and Jesse Mcmillan placed
morphine in a beer glass and gave
the beer to Egan to drink while all
were in the old Senate saloon, which
at that time occupied the present site
of the Paris Millinery store on Main
street in that city.
After Egan drank the beer, and
had become unconscious, Phelps
dragged the man from the saloon
into the alley in the rear of the
building, where he left him to die.
The body of Egan was discovered by
the police, and the arrest followed.
Four dollars and a silver watch were
the proceeds of the robbery of Egan
by the men. Il
Mcmillan was sentenced to twenty
years in the state prison, but was
pardoned some time ago on account
of the fact that he was dying of
consumption. Phelps was sentenced
to life.
Eight years ago Phelps made an
unsuccessful attempt to have his SEN
tence commuted, but his appeal was
constantly protested by Alice West,
the relict of the man whom Phelps
had shot down here. The judge of
the third district court who had SEN
fenced Phelps steadily fought the
Communication of the sentence, stating
that as long as he lived he would
never consent to teh release of
Phelps, whom he deemed a danger
Gus man to be at large in any COM
munity.
Is Considered Dangerous
In the meantime Detective Earl
Ripley had met, wooed and won Mrs.
West. Phelps never gave up hope
of being released from the state
prison, and engaged the legal firm of
Stewart & Stewart, attorneys of Salt
Lake city, about a year ago, to have
the sentence set aside and regain his
liberty if possible. The attorneys
called upon Detective Ripley, who,
after looking up the former past life
of Phelps, refused to consent to the
pardon. Nothing more was said re-
garding the matter to Detective Rip
ley or to Mrs. Ripley, and both were
surprised when the pardon granting
Phelps his liberty once more was
granted.