The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-14

Deputy Sheriff William Lavender or
Layton, who was shot by Il holdup IN
front of the Layton hardware store
on the early morning of May 4. came to
Salt Lake City yesterday, accompanied
by Sheriff Harris OF Davis county, Tor
the purpose of identifying j. j. Morris
and James Murray as the men whom he
encountered on that fateful morning.
After seeing the meu in the county
iail Deputy Sheriff Lavender said he
was positive that Murray was the man
who shot HIM and that Morris was Win
him at the time.
"Thc reports given out at the time
OF the shooting were slightly er'
roneous' - said Deputy Sheriff LaFen.
der to The Tribune. 1t was announced
that ] only encountered one man, when
the fact is that there were two men.
| do not blame anybody Tor this, how
ever, as | was not in Il condition TO
talk Immediately after The shooting,
as the shot perforated my WmdPipe
and / was IN some doubt as to Whetnef
l would pull through.
Tragedy Recalled.
"In making my rounds that morning
] encountered two men standing near
the Layton hardware store. | said to
| them What are YOU doing hereg
and without word in reply the man
whom | identified today (James Muir
/ ray) whipped out gun and fired, the
bullet striking me in the neck. / fired
several shots at the men as they fled
from the scene, but | presume that
none OF them took effect. -
Further discussing his Identification
of the two men, Deputy Sheriff Laven-
! der said "Of course ] did not see the
men under the same circumstances that
l saw them Mt Layton At that time
they had on their hats and coats, while
today they did not have on these ar
| ticles of clothing, and. in addition. they
knew that they were being brought out
| for the purpose of Identification. Still,
| an, positive that Murray Is the man
| who shot me and that Morris was with
| him.
View of Sheriff Harris.
Sheriff Fred Harris. who accompa-
MED Deputy Sheriff Lavender to Salt
Lake. believes firmly in the ldentiflca-
ton of the holdups by Lavender. de-
| spite the alibi, which the men have at
tempted TO prove. Both Morris and
Murray allege that they were IN an
Ogden hotel at the time of the shoot
| ing of Lavender and superficial in
1
bear them out, However, Sheriff Har-
ris is still of the opinion that the men
| were in Layton The landlady Of the
Ogden hotel at which Morris was reg
istered at the time of the shooting Is
positive that Morris was registered
there and that he was in his room,
but Sheriff Harris is OF the opinion
that Norris registered as a blind and
that some other member, or members,
of the gang occupied the room. while
Morris and Murray went TO Layton for
the purpose of pulling off robbery.
''CorbetS'' Still Mum.
Sheriff Harris also believes that the
man now in the Pennington Jail, who
was arrested at Cache Junction two
davs after the Layton affair, is a mem,
her of a gang of which Morris and
Murray were the leaders. This man
gave his name Nv James Corbett, the
same name borne by the former heavy
! weight pugilst of the world |'Cor-
bett' has refused to talk, but his ap-
pearance and general dcmeauor since
his arrest has convinced the Officers
that he is dangerous man.
Sheriff Harris : belief that Morris
and Murray, together with 'Corbett.
are members Of Il dangerous gang of
yegpmcp. is shared by Sheriff Sharp.
who is doing his utmost to obtain the
record of the men Sheriff Sharp is
now working upon some clews which he
believes viii result in the complete iden
tificatiou of the men within few