Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-03-15
W|THAM DENIES MURDER CHARGE
  Says He Knows Nothing Of the Killing of Robert
 Younger.
WILL REMAIN HERE
Sheriff Morley, of Malvern, Declares Witham is the Man and Will Be-
 gin Securing Evidence.

Sheriff B. F. Morley of Malvern ar rived in this city yesterday morning for the purpose of taking W. T. Wit ham. the young white man now in the city jail back with him to answer to d charge or murder in the first de- gree
 However, on account of the fact that witnesses in the case have not yet 1 he would leave the accused man ill Pine Bluff for several days yet, dur
 ns which time he will be closely i guarded. Joe Willis, the man who is now serving a term of IS years for the murder of Robert Younger, the northern officer who was killed on the Iron Mountain train near Malvern several months ago, has seen pie ! ture of Witham and has positively identified it as being the man who was with him on the night of the murder and who fired the fatal shot, which caused the death of Younger. | Willis has always contended that while he was a party to the affair yet he did not fire the fatal shot and that his companion was the murderer.
 Witham was informed of the evil denee which has been collected against him. and while he seemed rather surprised at first, yet later, he did not seem to be worried in the least and kept the same smiling coun- tenance which he has worn ever since his conviction about two months ago here on charsing of carrying a pis- tol.
 "Y1 1l've simply got the wrong man, sheriff. l don know anything at allI about the matter. But Fl go with you and when l do I'll just get a free ride and later piece of money from you 100, and laushingly he scoffed at the idea that he was a murderer
 However Sheriff Morley is now more convinced than ever that Wit nam, whose alias names are Otto s.ontgomery, and Otto smith, is the real murderer of Robert Younger and he is determined to bring the man to justice.
 There are several witnesses, three of them,' said Sheriff Morley yester- Jay. that I MiE have to secure be- fore l can get enough to convict Wit ham, but l am confident that 1 can get these people in the next few days will then return and take Witham pack to Malvern with me, where he will answer to the charge of murder
 n the first degree Willis, the con- 1icted man, would of course be the
 material witness but as he is a con- ,ice he will not be allowed to testify against Witham. However, I am of the opinion that the evidence of the three witnesses | am sure of secur- Ing in the next few days, will warrant
 he conviction of the accused man,
 whom am sure is the guilty party
 Sheriff Worley returned to Malvern
 ast night, but it is thought that he Nill return to this city in a few days md take back with him the accused nan.
 Witham is now closely guarded in he local jail and is not allowed to work on the city streets, for fear tha' le might possibly effect his escape le is apparently in the bes; of spirits md the fact that he is to answer to the serious charge of murder in the l irst degree does not seem to be wor- wing him in the least.
 Chief of Police McBurnett is of the l opinion that Witham is not the man l wanted in Pueblo, Colo, for forgery l IS when the crime was committed, 1 Nitham is though to have been in l this state
 l Sheriff Morley will Immediately be- | gin on his search for the witnesses
 and will return to this city for Wit
 nam as soon as they are found.