The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-02
DISEASE MAY
CHEAT COURT
Navajo Indian Charged With
Staying White Trader Is
Slowly Dying.
LACK OF FREEDOM AIDS
CONSUMPTI0N'S RAVAGES
Trial of Zh0n-ne. Who Shot
Charles Fritz, Is Set
for April.

After over a year in the county jail,
In which he has suffered from a disease
said to be slowly killing him, and has
undergone tortures by being Gagged In a
cell and deprived of the freedom of his
native haunts including the mountains,
the ran, and the stream. 2lon-ne,
full blooded Navajo Indian. will be taken
into the United States district COURT
carly next month for trial on 4 charge
Of frst-dcGree murder.
Fl Z. Booth United States district at
torney, announced Wednesday that zhon-
mes case will be called in April and that
an effort Will be made 10 have il placed
fret on the calendar. II promises TO he
one OF the most interesting murder trials
ever heard in this state, because OF the
features pertaining to the wild frontier
life and the boldness OF the murder ana
the capture Of Zhon- me.
Zhon-ne was arrested over a year ago
al Hcffernon In the southern part OF The
state. soon after Charles Fritz tradign
post keeper. was shot down in colo o!oou
and robbed of n large amount oil lndiah
trinkets in pawn" i'll the trading post.
Begins to Fail.
As soon as zhon ne WAS taken into the
county jail he began TO lose WeiSht
through the confinement, The healthy
robust face and body began 10 Ii witneri;
wreck. This has been due mostly 10 tne
confinement and partly to a disease WIN
which he was attacked after entering
The iail The disease is pronounced by
the physician attending him as tubercu-
losis OF the glands OF the throat. ana II
is said TO he but matter OF time before
il will end the life of the Indian.
IhDu- was taken before the
federal grand jury at its session last
April. and he was indicted on charge
of first degree murder. Other prisoners
indicted at that time were given hear
ing i'm the term oil court. but Ihon-nes 8
case went over to The November term.
The sickness OF the two witnesses upon
whom Tie government had depended TO
establish its corpus delicti made inc triaI
impossible. and IT WAS continued until
later date, II was uncertain w, whe'nSI nriI
or not. District Attorney Booth SAYS the
main witness is now available TOT INC
government. and for that reason ,ne ease
ran be brought TO trial. one OF the VII
uesses Is still sick and bably VIII not
be available.
Disease May Cheat Law.
II has been feared for some time that
death would pullify Jhe federal indlct-
mcnt against the indian; nnt pnySiTianS Snt faS
enough along 10 bring death for few
months, It has: however produced "a
lump on the indian S throat WHICH 10
nearly as large as his head.
The crime for which the Indian must
stand trial was committed al tracing
post near Heffernon. in san Juan county
The Indian has confessed to the murder
He was riding along over the foothills
and sasebrush when he came across tne
trading post st which Fr1t5 was the at
tenGaut and the only person present.
Entering the place. tine Indian Sald ne
was hungry and asked for something TO
cat Fritz gave him tomatoes ano
afn
he was eating. Fritz was checking up on
a largo number OF Indian trinlels Which
had been loaned him by the indians on
supplies furnished IHS;.rs lHS ne MeXican fsiS and
United States money and are cons'aereo
a medium of exchange. ..,so
Finishing eating, Ihon-ne Went ou'SiTe sin
and running to the top OF the NH
scanned the horizon, The last rays OF the
sun were fas; disappearing from tlle SUI.
rounding country. There was no one III III
sight. so the Indian hurried PACK 10
where his horse was tied and TOOK ms
rifle from it's holster on the SADDLE. II
was a broken affair OF '22 caliner ahc
tied together with wire.
Murders Trader; Robs Post.
Loading II. the Indian. it Is alleged,
crent near the entrance to the trading
post Presently Fritz came out and emp,
lied pan Of ashes. then turned emo
started back into the store, not nG,,c,hs OF, ing
Indian leveed the. gun and as Fritz
stepped onto the doorstep: shot,
The bullet went into frifz's brain, Kill
ing him almost Instantly. Going inside.
the Indian stole all the trinkets and what
money there was and then mounted bis
pony and disappeared He went over the
desert and the sagebrush nearly all night
finally GINNING TO his mothers ranch near
the Black mountains.
An Indian passing the trading post
te mG sody Of rn rz e and ' te evidence
~ the robbery. Mounting his pony, he
rode thirty five miles to the Indian
agency where he informed the Indian po-
lice and the Indian agency In charge or
the Navajos. Immediately posse WAS
formed and started on ponies to The
scene OF the crime. The messenger who
rode the thirty-five miles to tell the po-
lice started back with the posse but his
pouy dropped dead from exhaustion.
Find Tell-Tale Quarter.
At the scene of the crime the Indian
police took up zhop,ne,s trail and fol- fol-.
place where the posse was not sure cf
The trail q o5-cent piece. which had been
dropped accidentally by Zhonne. was
found.
home Ihon-Io was found in field tend :
ing sheep. He denied all knowledge OF
tho crime bui tho police would not take
his word. After all other means OF
"sweating'' had failed. the police put
Zhon ne on wild pony and tied him.
then threatened 10 let the pony go. This
police he had buried the silver I'm a cow
yard and il was recovered from a pile Of
dirt. where 3hon-nc said il was con-
cealcd.
Zhon-ne was taken 10 the nearest jail
and locked up TO await the arrival nj rep
resentatives Of the government from Salt
Lake. Zhon-no was In jail with one other
man and while there planned The muir
der OF the ,aflkceper and the making OF
sensational escape He told his plans
10 the other man in the jail and pro-
duced the prong of pitchfork with
which he said hc was going Ia do the
killing. II happened that the other man
In the jail WAS brother OF tho jailcr
md he spread the alarm. As q result
ZIIon ne was given no chance Ia use his
deadly weapon and probably cause an
other white man To bite the earth.
Civilization Tames Him.
When Luciap Smyth. chief deputy
United States marshall. arrived TO take
Zhon- ne to Salt Lake he was placed In
handouts and chains He caused nc
trouble when brought TO the city. The
,,f rain nd f,f IyIit