The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-07
SAYS KILLING
WAS ACCIDENT
This Is the Plea Harry ThOrne
Makes to Save His
Life.
CASE CLOSED: WILL
GO TO JURY TODAY
Slayer of Fassell Was on the
Stand i'm Own Defense
Wednesday.

That the shooting OF George w. Fasseli
in his store on tho evening Of March 70
| last was accident was the plea made
| by Harry Thorne while on the witness
stand I'm his own defense in Judge LeWiss
court "Wednesday afternoon.
II never intended 70 XIII anybody when
| seemed to he perfectly unconcerned
while on the stand, and several times
during his cross-examlnation he replied
| to District Attorney Loofbourow That
has nothing TO do with this case To tho
district attorney he first said that this
! was the first time he had gone out 10
that it was not bis first criminal ex x;
perlence. He declined absolutely to tell
where he got the revolver,
waa the rst @tnese OF es
morning. He said he saw Thorne in the
city jail at O'Clock the morning after
got into the trouble and the latter re.
piled: Send for the chief and I'll tell
| you all abou. it,
Interview With Chief
Chief of Police Barlow then took The
stand. lie told of the arrest Of Thorne
had money in his hand when arrested
and was apparently counting it. Riley
was lying on the bed and under maya
zine on the bed revolver was concealed.
| charged. Chief Barlow saw Thorne the
| morning after and he made the confes-
| sion that he shot Fassell and said the
| revolver found belonged to him. In the
| detectives room at the city jail an empty
| cartridge was found and Thornc said he
slipped it into the top OF his trousers AT
the rooming house hoping il would fall
| out on the way TO the police station.
The next witness Sheriff ]. c.
Sharp, He gave the details of conver-
sation he had with Thornc AT the state
| prison which Governor Warden
| Pratt and others We're present. At that
| time Tborne said he met Brown shortly
up to Wilson or Sims" room On the
| afternoon of the murder OF Fassell,
Thorne continued, Brown, Riley. Wilson
and he went to the theater. After leayy-
| can lunch room and while sitting at tne
counter ''slim" asked Thorne 'If he
wanted 10 go out and turn trick" He
replied ''He didn't mind. and slim
said he would see the rest Of the boys
and SEQ If they would let him In on it.
| "Curley,'' was going out with girl who
Thorne continued. and he wanted her
to get the combination OF the safe there.
but she refused The night OF the kill
| ing OF Fassell they went to the Troy
of the wagons thinking they would have
money. but the place was closed. A lit
tie store adjoining the laundry was selec-
ted. but they could not enter ii as there
were a lot OF boys around: then they went
on to the Fasscll store and the murder
was committed
Interesting Story by Chase.
Detective Chase was the next one to
testify. He said he found pair of bib
| overalls in the mems room at the Ange-
! lus. Thorne wore The overalls that night
Cross-examined. Detective Chase said
| that for some time prior to the murder he
who were staying at the Angelus and
| while watching them he saw Brown and
| Wilson and found they were occupying
| room 2S at the same place. Ho learned
that there were six OF them altogether,
| hanging around that room and that the
police intended to arrest them and In
vestisatc what they were doing. De-
tective Sheets in the meantime having
| found out who the other two were Just
| after the killing of Fassell Detective
Sheets said TO Chase, "G think we had
| and they got the four of them-thc Grip
pies were allowed to remain in their
| room,
Thorne Takes the Stand.
This closed the case for the state and
Thone took the stand In answer TO his
| counsel he said he was II years OF age
and was born In Norfolk. Va Telling of
his crime he said lie went UP To the
back and '.he went back" Then Fassell
came up and we told him to hold up his
hands. he went on He seemed TO
hurry up and not to stay here ali night,
I told him several times and then l be-
gan to shove the revolver into him and
discharged. Curly was supposed TO take
the money. Coming out 7 had TO pass
| the cash register l looked In md
thought Curly hadn't taken any and
| saw the money and | took it" Asked
il he intended to kill anyone when he
went into the store that night he said
he did not.
Loofbourow Grills Thorne
Mr.. Loofbourow then took the witness
in hand for cross examination, an ordeal
| from which rhorne emerged In about the
same condition that Jeffres did In his
ordeal at Reno. Thorne said he got the
revolver he used In Salt Lake CITY. When
asked under what circumstances he OBJ
tanned the gun he replied II decline
To- answer because 1t might incrminate
me He said II was tine first time he
| had gone out to commit n crime and the
first crime he had ever committed When
asked again about the gun he refused to
answer. but he subsequently admitted
that he had gone out before TO commit
crime When asked what crime he had
committed. he replied that he did not
see how that would affect this case. "
went out on this expedition of crime.
| bu, he did SO To disguise himself. he as
serted. He told Chief Barlow that he
| false. the witness admitted.
Gun "Cached' in Alley.
-. wilson was tne iirSI one 10 talK ABOUT
room in the Apgelus were called one
Peg" because he had only one leg, the
other stump" because he had only one
arm Witness said he had his revolver
or rod" as he called It, cached" In an
alley. but he did not know exactly where
the alley was loca ted. He was asked II
Thorne was his true name. and he hesi-
| tated In giving the answer. why do
you hesi,aie?" queried Mr.. Loofbourow.
and the witness replied that he did not
think It had anything to do with this
| case that ''Thorne good AS any
other name" He told Wilson his name
was Thorne and he supposed ''he started
/ the news" Witness said he came TO town
I asked why he did not leave his partners
IN crime when he had an opportunity
| he said he was afraid they might kill
| him
| Mr. I.oofbourow then had Thorne put
| on the overals he wore the night OF the
| murder tie the handkerchief round the