The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-08-08
Arres1 1edd diia
Murder Charge


George B. Hayner a afrancber resid-
ing. On Tallahassee creek, was arrest
ed BY Undershsrir NJ E. Lewis on
Tuesday, on g warrant issued by JUS
tice OF the Peace John r. Kennedy, at
the instance of District Attorney r. Lee
Witcher. charging him with the MUIR
der of his wife. son the 4th of last
month The warrant was sworn out
by Mrs. Ellen James. aunt of the de-
ceased woman, who is the prosecuting
witness in the case
Hsyner was locked up in the county
jail without bail, pending an inquiry
into the matter of which he stands ac-
cused. His preliminary trial has been
tentatively fixed for Wednesday.
August IA, but n the Investigation is
not completed by that time, the hear.
ing will be postponed until such date
as will enable the authorities to pos
sess themselves of all possible data
relating to the affair. The evidence
against Hayner is purely circumstan-
tial. in fact. rests on unsupported rum
ors emanating from various sources.
They are SO persistent. however. as to
warrant, in the opinion of the officers,
thoro investigation. The charge is
a very serious one and Hayner's
friends hope that when the proper
time comes he will have no difficulty
in establishing his innocence in the
premises.
Hayner's wife died suddenly on the
Fourth of July. under circumstances
which some of the neighbors regarded
as suspicious and reports were eircu-
lated shortly afterwards by some OF
his neighbors that possibly it was not
due to natural causes. This. however,
may have resulted from the fact that
he was reported to have made the
coffin for her burial. out of rough
lumber and is alleged to have said
that he did not want minister to
officiate at the funeral She was
buried on the ranch near the house
where she died.
Two weeks after his wife died. Hay
Eer married a young woman who had
been living in the family for four
years. and with whom it was alleged
that he had been unduly intimate
fled the unfriendly feeling for him and
gave added currency to the rumors
against him. His wife. who had been
a semi-invalid for a long time prev
ious TO her death on account of par
tial paralysis, is alleged to have stat
ed that she felt unusually well dur
ing the morning of the day on which
she died. She is said TO have eaten a
hearty dinner and to have expired a
few minutes later. Reports that she
might have been poisoned. were start
er and the matter was laid before the
district attorney in order that he
might give the subject his official at
tention.
The body of Mrs. Hayner was ex-
humed today by order of the district
attorney and will be brot to Canon
City for the purpose OF having the
stomach removed and sent to Denver
to be submitted to chemical analys-
is to ascertain whether any traces OF
poison are within it This analysis.
will probably require week or ten
days and until its results are known.
Hayner will be denied his liberation
from Jail on bond.
Hayner was arraigned in Justice
Kennedys court shortly after being
taken into custody Tuesday afternoon
and entered plea of not guilty. He
stated that il any poison was found
in his wife's stomach. it was volun-
tarily swallowed by her with suicidal
intent as she had several times threat
ened to kill herself" Hayner former
ly lived on Lincoln PARK AMI is well
known in Canon City