The Dolores star., 1916-06-02
DICKENS FOUND GUILTY
BANKERS SON FACES PEN TGRAa
40 FAThGR's SLAYER.
Attorneys Given - Days 20 Make
Application for New Triai-cass
May 90 10 Supreme Court.


"ssSsfu NewspApef Union news SerVics-
Boulder. Colo. May 24.-Rienxi c.
Dickens was found guilty OF the sec
ond degree murder OF his father. WILL
liam H. Dickens. wealthy Longmont
banker and pioneer builder. Tho YER
dict carries with II . 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 IS days In
which to file . motion for Q new trial.
and II this IL denied arc expected to
appeal to the Supreme Court In the
bitter fight to free Rien1i.
When the verdict was read, the de-
PENDANTS wife. who had been at his
side constantly during the trial.
shrieked and went into Mysteries.
Within fifteen minutes after the YER
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 Rienxi
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
ems. wife OF the murdered man and
active In her sons defense. was not
In the room when the verdict was
read. Mrs. Walter c. 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 q new $4,000 bond until the
motion for new trial Ia decided.
The story Of the Murder.
The murder Of william H. Dickens
occurred the night of Nov. 30. last.
He sat resting. alternately doing and
reading. in the library OF his luxuri.
Gus homo in Longmont. II was about
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 . seat across from him at the
reading table when . bullet came
crashing through the window. It
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
hongmont in an automobile from
Colorado Springs with bloodhounds
eight hours after the murder passed
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 a gang known as the Bill Du-
Bots gang in the early days OF Long
mont. practically wiped out by a 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-
full of formalities. rough in speech and
dress. was one Of the most prominent
citizens Of the section. and the bust
| ness and social notifications Of the
Dickens family extended to every part
o; Boulder county.
Learn Of Rienxi's Purchase.
The day Of Dec 2. two days after
the murder, Patrolman McKinnon in
Denver learned by accident that Rien-
ii Dickens had purchased a high
power rifle and a box of shells from
the Tritch Hardware Company Nov.
l3. He ordered a Maxim silencer,
which the store did not have In stock.
1t came to him in Longmont Nov. Is.
The next day he was out at Empson's
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 q 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 $37.500 furnish
ed by his mother.
His arrest split Boulder county In
two fact.ons-those who arrayed
themselves with the Dickens family