The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-17
SLAYER PLEADS
SELF-DEFENSE.
Man Who Killed Stanley
Ketchel Is Captured After a
Long Chase.
CONFESSES TO SHOOTING,
BUT JUSTIF1ES CRIME
Says Pugilist Had Been Insult
ing the Woman Who Cooked;
ON the Ranch. s

SPRINGFIELD, Mo, Oct. 16.--Walter
A. Hurtz who shot and killed Stanley
Ketchel, worlds middleweight champion.
yesterday morning. was captured today
at the home Of Thomas Haggard, one
mile from Niangua. Mo. HurtH was
taken to the Webster county jail at
Marshneld. where he is being closely
guarded.
After being placed in his cell the pris~
oner made confession. In which he de-
clared he shot Ketchel In self defense.
He says be ordered the prizehghter TO
throw up his hands and when he did
moi obey him, he fred.
Late last night. overcome with hunger
and fatigue from fleeing through the
rough Ozark country, Hurtz reached the
iome OF Thomas Haggard, where he ap-
piled for a place to sleep and something
AT that time Haggard had not heard OF
the shooting but short time later
learned of the affair. He also received
description, Of the slayer and for sew
eral hours while Hurtz was sleeping, he
stood guard with a shotgun.
Force Confession.
Shortly after o'clock this morning.
Haggard secured the, services Of three
neighbors and they awakened Hurtz at
the point of gun. They forced the
man 10 roll UP his sleeves and finding
a tatto mark there, accused him OF hav-
Ing killed ketchel The man then broke
down and admitted the shooting. Later
on he was turned over to the officers
and taken to MarshfieId.
Hurtz. in telling the story OF the shoot
Ing asserts ketchel made insulting re-
marks to Goldie Smith, a cook. employed
at the farm. He says words passed ho-
demanded that the pugilist throw up his
hands. When the champion refused to
do this. he declared he was so fright
ened knowing Ketchel carried a re-
rolXer. that he. fired and without fully
realizing what he had done, fed.
Woman Arrested.
Goldie Smith, the woman in the case.
mas oeen taken to the Webster county
jail and will be held pending an in
quest which viii be held tomorrow.
Funeral services Uver the body of the
,,ghter 9a were held at the Elks' club here
taken to Grand Rapids. Michigan, the
nome Of KetcheIs parents The BODY
VIII be accompanied by r. P. Dickerson,
t Wlen whom ketchel was visiting at the
tlme ne decided to buy ranch In this
county. - VAC
Local officers assert that Ketcbers
SLAYER tonight admitted that his real
aams aa WaSn rs walter alter pIpcy. that his home Is
deserter from the United states army.
TO avoid detection, he roaned over the
country, working as a barber until he
met Goldie Smith at Bluff, Christian
county. Missouri. month ago. The two
men came here and secured work on the
Dickerson ranch.
Goldie Smith. over whom the shooting
is said TO have occurred. reiterated today
her statement of yesterday that Ketche
mad made insulting remarks TO her and
that when she told Dipley. alias Hurtz
the shooting followed. She admitted
however. that she and the slayer were
not man and wife, saying she had known
Hurtz little more than a month. Be
talk,
The slayer has not been told OF the
statement made by Mrs. Smith and he
still maintains she is his wife,