The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1919-02-20
HORSE TRADER
is MURDERED
BY COMPANION
Body of William Carter, Head
Beaten to Pulp, is Found
Near Fall0n Bridge
PAT MURPHY HAS CONFESSED
Stranger Whom Carter Befriended
Says He Did the Deed-Rob-
berry Probable Motive

William Carter, an itinerant horse
trader, was found murdered near his
camp on the Yakima river about IA
miles west of here last Saturday eve
ming and Pat Murphy, who has con;
fessed the crime is in the Franklin
county Jail in Pasco.
The crime was one of the most bru-
talin the history of the county and the
quick apprehension of the perpetrator
is due to the diligent efforts of Sheriff
L. C. Rolph and his deputies. Carriers
head was beaten in by hand axe
which was found near the body of the
dead man.
Carter, who has been travelling thru
Kennewick for several years and is
generally known to horsemen, arrived
in town Thursday, as did Murphy, but
so far as known the two had never
met before. The two made chance
acquaintance and Murphy requested to
accompany Carter on his trip up the
valley. Carter's friends, who had
sized the stranger up as a bad char
acter and broke, advised the horse
trader not to take him along, but
the two left town about noon Friday.
That evening they camped by the
roadside near the west end of the Fal-
Ion bridge across the Yakima.
Altho the crime must have been
committed early Friday evening it was
not discovered until nearly "a hours
later. Van Martin, of this city, who
is teaming for the Warren Construc-
tion company, passed the camp Satur-
day morning. The disorder of the camp
attracted his attention. There was
no fire, the coffee pot was overturned
on the. ashes, the bedding was strewn
about the ground, and the blanket was
partly off one of the horses. On his
return trip about five o'clock Satur-
day afternoon he found the camp in
the same condition and went to it to
investigate. His attention was i'm
mediately attracted by a large blood
smear near the camp fire: Following
the blood stains he found Carter's
body where it had been rudely thrown
into the bushes a few yards away. A
quilt had been carelessly thrown over
it and nearby was the blood-stained
hand-axe.
Justice C. Staser and Undertaken
Mueller were Immediately notified by
telephone and the body was brought
to this city where coroner's induest
was held by Judge Staser Sunday af-
ternoon. In the meantime the sheriff's
office had been notified and Sheriff
Rolph, Chief Deputy c. H. Hansen and
Local Deputy c. E. Copeland arrived.
They worked all Saturday night be-
tween here and Prosser, running down
several clues and finally Sunday morn
ing found here Mr.. Stewart, a friend
OF Carter's who said he could identify
Carter's companion and that he had
seen the man here and believed he had
gone to Pasco. In this he was correct
for few hours later Murphy was
identified by Stewart in a Pasco res
taurant and was taken into custody
by Sheriff Rolph.
When arrested Murphy made no at
tempt to deny that he had been with
Garter, but was unable to give any
coherent account of what had hap
pened after they left Kenncwick Fri
day. He said that both he and Carter
mad become intoxicated from keg of
hard cider which Carter had purchas-
'ed at an auction sale the day before
and that he could not remember what
did happen after they encamped on
tne river bank. He denied that he had
killed his companion and attempted
70 cast suspicion on an Indian with
Whom Carter had traded guns Friday
afternoon. When arrested he had
nine dollars and several articles of
new clothing which he did not have
friday. AS Carter was known to
rave had at least $40 when he left
town the sheriff was confident that
murphy had committed the murder
and that robbery had been the motive.
Murphy said the overalls and top
GOAT which he wore Friday, he had
tnrown away near the camp and vol