Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-02-17
County Attorney and Sheriff
Who Took Clark From Trial
on Murder Charge Them
selves Accused.
TELEGRAPHlC WARRANT
ISSUED AT MIDNIGHT
Arrest of Two on Conspiracy
Charge 0vershadows Trial
of Jones Which Is in Pro-
gresS at EI Paso.


El Paso, Tex, Feb. 16.-Sheriff
Theodore Conbest and County At
torney John Martin, Of Cottle coun-
ty, Texas. against whom complaints
were filed here at one o'clock this
morning, charging them with con
spiracy to commit murder" were ar
rested on board a Texas and Pa
cific passenger train at Big Spring
early today and were brought back
here tonight.
Sheriff Conbest had in his charge
w. G. Clark. principal witness for
the state in the trial of Felix r.
jones, for the murder of Thomas
Lyons of Silver City, N NJ,
Warrant Charges Conspiracy.
The complaint alleged a conspira-
cy to murder Clark at Ysleta, twelve
miles east of here last night. 1t was
originally planned to put Clark on
tho train there to take him to Pa
ducah Texas to answer a charge Of
murder in connection with the killing
of Gus Spilker in 1914.
Two county officers accompanied
him and claimed to have seen eight
men near the Ysleta station. one of
the eight having been mentioned by
Clark in his testimony Thursday as
offering to hire him to kill a man
at Snyder, Texas. according to the
officer. a.a
An attachment was also issued for
the return Of Clark as a witness in
the conspiracy case and he is ex-
peeted to be brought back with
Conbest and Martin.
Creates Sensation.
The arrest of Sheriff Conbest and
County Attorney Martin overshadow-
ed other features of the Jones trial
at the morning session today and at
torneys, witnesses and court attaches
talked of little else during the re-
cesses. The arrest of Clark yesterday
was, considered sensation but the
arrest of the Cottle county officials
on a telegraphic warrant charging
them with conspiracy to murder"
was even more of a sensation than
the arrest of the principal witness.
County officers claim they have
evidence to show there was a weh
organized plot to kill Clark while
being taken to Paducah This result
ed in the plan to have Sheriff Con-
best place him on the train at Ysleta
changed at the2 last minute. It al
so caused County Attorney Fryer to
wire Governor Hobby to have Texas
rangers protect Clark after he got
outside the protection of the Ell Paso
county courts.
The morning session of the trial
was taken up by the defense in Of
ferng evidence tending to establish
an alibi for the defendant. Witnesses
were introduced to show he was in
East Texas on the night of the Lyons
murder.
The defense indicated its case would
be based upon alibis established by
witnesses from Fort Worth. Colorado
City and other parts Of Texas
Testify Jones i'm Fort Worth.
Today was the first day the defense
has had charge of the introduction of
testimony and several witnesses were
introduced In an effort to establish an
alibi for Jones on the night Of May
II, when the murder of Lyons oc-
CURED. These witnesses testified that
Jones was in Fort Worth either on
the 18th. 18th or 21st of May, and in
Colorado City on May 20 or 81. The
testimony Of Tom Morrison of Colo
RADIO City, who was on the stand late
today, was heated at times, especially
when he denied w. G. Clark's testi-
mony regarding an alleged murder
plot at Snyder, Tex.
In custody of Sheriff William Brad
ford of Midland and six Texas rang
ers, Sheriff Conbest and County At
torney Martin, with w. G. Clark,
reached Ell Paso at 1890 tonight. The
Cottle county officers were taken to
the courthouse and later released on
their own recognizance. Both ex-
pressed the conviction that Clark.
whom they attempted to take back to
Paducah, is not the man wanted for
Inv