The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-03-13
DENIES Ne Sent
MURDER Letter
James L. Routh Of Sal! Lake, the Man
Who is said to Have Represented
Abe Majors. Interviewed--GiI-
bort r. Belnap Of Ogden
Searched the Wagner Home
in salt Lake-Mrs
Wagner Indignant
Wagner Indignant

Ogden, MarCn u DeCIaIlnB ina
he nas been the object of malignan
cy and pernicious insinuations, James
h. Routh of salt Lake, in state
msnt, denies Daring any knowledge
OF or connection with a letter receiv
ed by Joseph IA Belnap OF Ogder
in which Mr.. Belnap is threatened
death unless his father, Joseph Bel
nap of Preston, Idaho, within ten
days signs papers to release Abe
Majors, a convict now serving a life
sentence in The state prison for the
killing of William Brown, formerly
a captain of police in Ogden.
Joseph Belnap of Preston and Cap
tain Brown were members of a pos
so that pursued Majors and his bro
ther to ravine near Hot Springs,
where an exchange of shots resulted
in the death of Brown and Majors
brother. Since then several attempts
have been made to show that Brown
was accidentally shot and that Jo-
seph Belnap was responsible. These
efforts failed. Abe Majors being held
responsible
Threatening Letter
Joseph Belnap of Ogden received
the crude threatening letter last
Tuesday and the matter has been
placed in THE hands of postotiice au.
thorities and special agents The
letter was signed with the initials
Il. Co." it was posted in Ogden and
the limit of time given Belnap in
which to act w9s set therein as
March "A, The name of Mr.. Routh,
who consulted with Joseph Belnap in
Preston, on February II, relative to
the Majors case, has been referred to
in connection with the letter, and it
is upon this point particularly that
Routh takes issue. lie said last
night:
Il originally came here January 81 |
from Lost River, Idaho, to see my
sister, Mrs, +. NJ. Chapman, who
resides at Cliff place, and who is
a close friend and neighbor to Mrs.
j. G. Majors Wagner, mother of Abe
Majors, It was through my sister
| learned the details of Majors case
and | decided to probe into it furth-
er of my own yolition to see Justice
done. In my own heart became con
vinced that Majors was not directly !
responsible for Captain Browns
death
IF my information is correct,
Brown was shot in the back. Ma
jors was ahead and others Of the pur-
suing posse were behind Majors
carried six shooter | understand
that Captain Browns wound was
from a rife, also that the fatal bull
let has never been exhibited.
"On February l6 left for Preston
arriving there that night. The next
day called on Mr.. Belnap to dis
cuss the case. | gave my correct
name. did not say was in the
employ of either Mrs. Wagner or
Ralph Wagner, her son, or that l rep
resented law firm OF Salt Lake;
neither did | claim to be detective.
| remained in Preston until the fol-
lowing Friday afternoon, but | was
not arrested for carrying concealed
weapons | did not even carry poe
ket knife. | returned to Salt Lake
Saturday afternoon.
EN- route here | did not once step
from the train. had positively no
thing to do with the letter received
by Mr.. Belnap. know nothing of it
except what ! have read. ! would be
gled to learn where It came from"
Mr.. Routh is employed in the Hard
man gravel pit, Salt Lake, by p. ].
Moran Mrs. Chapman, his sister.
last night asserted that man called
on her at her home las Wednesday,
asking tor M. Routh. who was at
work, The same man called twice
on Thursday, but Routh was at work
she said
Ralph Wagner, Mrs Wagners son
at the Wagner home in Gift place,
last night said that Thursday after
noon he found a man watching the
place, and upon learning that he was
waiting for ROuth, invited him to
enter the Wagner home. Mrs. Wag.
ner and her son both declare that
the man was Gilbert II. Belnap, a
brother of Joseph II. Belnap, and
that he went through the Wagner
home with a revolver, searching for
Routh, whom he thought was con-
eealed there. They say he showed
what appeared to be an affidavit,
drawn mp by Joseph Belnap of Pres.
ton, embodying statements said to
have been made by Routh during his
visit with Beluap in Preston. Routh