Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-08-13
Denver NEGRO
IS ACCUSED
Of CRIME:
Nine YEAR OLD
SON A WITNESS

Denver, Colo, Aug. 13.-Tracing the
movements Of John Featherstone,
negro, was the work undertaken today
by the police in an effort to fix re-
sponsibility for the murder of Miss
Signe A. Carlzen, a music teacher,
on lonely road in Montclaire last Fri
day night. Featherstone, whose name
was last night given as H. j. Jonas,
lived with his son in a small shack
mile from the scene of the crime, and
was employed in brick yard in
Mountclaire. In the shack was found
a small axe which had been washed
recently, but to which traces of blood
still adhered.
Featherstone explained the blood
stains were caused by having killed a
chicken Sunday.
The police expressed the belief that
they have a further clue by the dis
covery in the Featherstone house of a
small musical distionary. Steps were
to be taken today to determine wheth-
er this volume belonged to Miss Carl
zen, and was carried by her the night
OF the murder
Featherstone told the police to-
day that he had been in Denver Fri
day, but this was contradicted by his
9-year-old son, who declared that
neither he nor his father had been in
Denver for ten days.
Letters from Featherstones wife in
Cheyenne were found in the shack,
and caused the police to inquire into
lis record. One of the letters made a
demand for money and promised that,
if it was not forthcoming at once,
there would be trouble" According
to Chief O'Neil, the investigation has
disclosed that Featherstone was ar
tacRing his 1S-year-old stepdaughter
Beatrice Ransome, but never was
brought to trial because of the refusal
of his wife to prosecute.
Cheyenne, Wyo., Aug. 13.-John
Featherstone was employed in Chey
enne until last spring He was a hod
carrier He had frequently been in
police court on charges brought by
his wife. The last time he in turn
had her arrested for conducting g
disorderly house
His wife is still in Cheyenne. Feath
erstone would frequently become in
generally got into trouble with the
police but was not considered vicious
The police do not regard him as mer
tally normal.
1t was admitted by police official.
this afternoon that their investiga
tion today tended to show tha
Featherstone was not connected will
the Carlzen murder. However he wa:
held pending further inquiries.
1t developed that the small axe wa
found in the brick yard where Feath
erstone worked and not in his cabin
as at first stated, and that the ALLEGED
blood stains were caused by killing :
chicken several days ago.
Information tending to show tina
Featherstone had been in Denver th'
afternoon before the murder had beel
drinking heavily and returned befo.
8 O'Clock was secured by the police
1t was also stated that the son 0
Featherstone had admitted that h
was mistaken about the time his faith
er was absent from their home.
From Greeley, Colorado, wher
Featherstone formerly lived, the au
thorities secured information to ind
cate that he had been a hard workin
man while there, and had been know
for his devotion to his son.
Additional facts obtained fror
Cheyenne were to the effect that tn
charges of assaulting his step-daugh
er several years ago had been truml
ed up by his wife and that upon inves
tigation the Cheyenne authorities ha
released him.