The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-13
THAT NOONE
REMEMBERS HELD
FOR OLD MURDER
Prisoner Must Show Name is
Not Bush and is High or
Stand Trial.

A man, about 81, In jail at Cordell
is likely to be tried soon on charg
OF murder for the killing Of mai
fifteen years ago, unless he can prov
that he is not Alexander Bush AM
can establish his identity as William
Earl High. But no one hereabout
seems to remember him clearly a
either Bush or High.
A few persons who could recall tn
murder have thought that the prls
oner was Bush. but they were not a
all sure about it. Friends who, tn
man said could identity him as Higl
are no more among tho living or hay'
moved away. There was llttl'
sweetheart, he said, who was IA year
old when he went away from this par
Of the country. She knew both Busl
and High, but after looking at thu
prisoner. she failed to recognize hin
as either Bush or High.
On the other side the authoritie!
are unable positively 10 identify thu
man as Bush. There Is, In their hands
a photograph of Bush at the age o
II. but no one is able 10 say positive
ly that this is photograph OF thu
man now being held.
Fifteen years ago, on August rs,
numbers of farmers Of German dc
scent and their families give pic
mic near Cordell. The young people
were playing games. Bush was one
of the two boys turning JUMPING
rope for the girls. One OF the girls
was trlpped on the rope.
Tony Jelenik accused Bush Of hay
ing tripped her purposely.
well, who are you going to dt
about it?" Bush is said 10 have said.
Jelenik slapped him in the face.
Bush mounted his horse, rode Il
the farm where he was employed,
few miles away and came back with {
revolver
Tragedy In n Pasture.
When the outing was over Jelenil
started across pasture alone. Bust
rode after him and fired several shots
but did not hit him, Jelenik ran
Bush soon overlook him and placing
the revolver against Jelenik's body
killed him. Next day Bush was ar
rested by Sheriff Neal Morrison ant
put in the Cordell Jail.
A few hours after Bush was placed
in Jail number Of men demanded
that the sheriff turn the prisoner
over to them. The sheriff refused and
stood ut the Jail door for several
hours with a revolver in each hand
The crowd, after making threats, final
ly went away.
Bush was about II years old then
md well known in the community. A
few days before his case was to be
tried he, with other prisoners, es-
capped on November s, 1900,
Recognizes n Deputy Sheriff.
The murder charge against him was
continued from time to time for fifteen
years, and although no particular
search had been made for him in re-
cent years, there was vigorous hunt
the first two years after his escape.
Last August Barlow Coc, of Cor
iell. who had been a deputy sheriff
Under Morrison at the time Bush was
held in Jail on the murder charge,
was in New Mexico ON prospecting
our. He visited the jail at Clovis, N.
NJ, and when walking through the
corridor with the jailer one Of the
prisoners called to him, Hello Bar
low!"
Coe looked at the prisoner and
thought he recognized the man as
Bush, though he said his
me was High. He was in Jail for
fighting.
The prisoner, still denying he was
Bush, was brought to Cordell. He
admitted knowing about the murder OF
Jelenik and explained that he was in
Jail with Bush at the time of Bush's
arrest after the murder
why can prove my identity In
two hours" he said, everybody will
me-" But no one remem-
bered him positively as either High
or Bush.
'LMy name is William Earl High,
the prisoner declared. MY mother
lives at Chickasha and people all over
the state know me. was in Washita
county in 1900. There was a rob
berry at Mountain View. Deputy Sher,
if Jesse Morris arrested me anG
brought me to Cordell, where | was
in Jail several weeks. 1t was at thai
time that Jelenik was killed. Bust
was a boy about my age and we were
in Jail together several weeks.
Bush told me he had killed Jele'
mix, and, of course, there was no use
for him to deny it, for several per
sons had seen the murder. l was
in Jail when the mob came to take
him out, and saw Sheriff Morrison
stand the mob off. remember all o.
it very well.
81 don't recall just how long | was
in Jail, but / remember that my grand
mother and man named Craig came
and got me out. ! went back to Noun
tain View and worked for Craig {
while, and while | was there l heart
that Bush and a horse thief had brok.
en- out of the Cordell jail.
Tells OF Travels.
"There was nothing done with the
ease against me. | went IN work Later