The Benson signal., 1916-06-03
DICKENS FOUND GUILTY
BANKERS SON FACES PEN TERM
AS FATHERS SLAYER.
Attorneys Given Is Days to Make
Application for New Trial-Case
May Go to Supreme Court.
western Newspaper Union News Service.

~
Dickens was found guilty of the Sec
| ond degree murder of his father, Will
liam H. Dickens, wealthy Longmont
banker and pioneer builder. The ver-
dict carries with it sentence Of from
| ten years to life Imprisonment in the
penitentiary. The jury retired late
Monday night and began balloting on
| Rienzi's fate. Attorneys for Rienzi
Dickens were granted As days in
which to file a motion for a new trial,
and if this is denied are expected to
appeal to the Supreme Court in the
bitter fight to free Rienzi.
When the verdict was read, the de-
fendant's wife, who had been at his
side constantly during the trial,
shrieked and went into Mysteries.
Within fifteen minutes after the ver-
dict, Mrs. Dickens collapsed COM
pletely and was carried to her hotel.
Foremost in the efforts to stop the
cries of the little woman was Rienzi
Dickens himself. He received the
verdict with utter calm-almost ap
parent Indifference. Then, without
flinching, he arose and began to com-
fort his wife. Mrs. William H. Dick
active in her sons defense, was not
in the room when the verdict was
read. Mrs. Walter G. Coulehan, sister
of the defendant, and Mrs. Jack Dick
ems, sister-in-law, broke down as did
his wife.
The defendant will retain his lib
erty on a new $4,000 bond until the
motion for a new trial is decided
The Story Of the Murder.
The murder of William H. Dickens
occurred the night of Nov. 80, last.
He sat resting, alternately doing and
reading, in the library of his luxuri-
Gus home in Longmont. It was about
8 o'clock. His wife, who came west
with him thirty years ago and fought
the fight with him from poverty to
wealth, had just entered the room and
taken a seat across from him at the
reading table when a bullet came
| "a doAAA6 CuAOu6A CAO WAAUOW. ~
plowed it's way through the aged
bankers body, and buried itself in the
wall. A fragment strayed from the
copper jacket and cut open the cheek
of Mrs. Dickens. Mr.. Dickens fell to
the floor unconscious and died in his
wife's arms four minutes later.
There were many theories advanced
and many clews followed in the sue.
ceeding days. Officers racing to
Longmont in an automobile from
Colorado Springs with bloodhounds
eight hours after the murder passed
q man driving an exhausted horse
toward Denver and he was traced by
:he officers until they became con.
vinced that he could not have been
the assassin.
| Gang Theory Advanced.
A number of the men who, through
business association with the banker,
had become his enemies, were inves-
tigated. A theory was offered that
one of gang known as the Bill Du-
Bois gang in the early days of Long
mont, practically wiped out by vigil
ance committee commanded by Will
liam H. Dickens, had killed the
banker in keeping with an oath of
vengeance made at that time.
All northern Colorado was aroused.
Rewards were offered by the Dickens
family William H. Dickens, scorn-
| nj 0F in
dress, was one of the most prominent
citizens of the section, and the busi-
ness and social ramifications Of the
Dickens family extended to every part
Of Boulder county.
Learn of Rienzi's Purchase.
The day of Dec. 2, two days after
the murder, Patrolman McKinnon in
Denver learned by accident that Rien-
ri Dickens had purchased a high
power rifle and a box of shells from
the Tritch Hardware Company Nov.
3. He ordered a Maxim silencer,
which the store did not have in stock.
It came to him in LongmOnt Nov. 15.
The next day he was out at Empson's 8
hill, five miles from his home, shoot
ing at target.
The officers called Rienzi to the
home of B. o. Smith, deputy sheriff
the night of Dec. and questioned
him. Denials of the purchase of the
rifle and of his automobile having
been taken from his garage the night
of the murder led to the investiga-
ton that uncovered the chain of cir
cumstances on which charge of MUIR
der was based. He was arrested the
following morning and after being al
lowed to attend his fathers funeral
was taken to Jail at Boulder. He was
a prisoner thirty days and then was
released on bonds of $3.50 furnish
ed by his mother
His arrest split Boulder county in
two fact:ons-those who arrayed
themselves with the Dickens family
in declaring Rienzi Dickens incapable