Imperial Valley press., 1919-01-25

Will Oliver Roberts, uxorcide, to
save his own neck from the gallows,
murder his bright-eyed 2k-year-Old
daughter-a child which captivated
all k.earts with her merry prattle and
baby antics?
This is the big question, subordi-
nate only to the capture of Roberts,
which is agitating the office of Chas.
Applestill, following the sudden and
remarkably swift unraveling of the
New River murder mystery late last
night.
The charred body of the woman,
with it's severed neck, testifying to
the brute and barbaric brain which
conceived the horrible crime of wife
murder and the still more savage act
of burning the body, has been posi-
lively identified as that of Mrs. Oil
YER Roberts. wife of ne'er-do-well
and wanderer. n
Today Roberts, who has been y
Valley only few weeks, is aa6gi-
tive from justice with warrant for
murder issued against him, thanks to
thee effective work of Sheriff Chas.
Applestill and his deputy, Dave Mat
lock.
Mute evidence, indisputable and un-
questioned, definitely links Roberts
up with the horrible murder.
With him is his pretty little daugh-
ter, child of the woman whose life
he so ruthlesslv took. Love of the
child prompted his desire to have her
accompany him. But the question
arises in official circles whether or
not Roberts, fearing arrest, may not
make away with the child to save
himself.
With this hideous thought in mind,
the sheriff has bulletined by wire
the officers of coast and Arizona
cornties, asking for the arrest of
Roberts or to search for the little
lead body of the golden-haired in
FAINT.
Through the sputter of the wire
there has gone the message to appre-
hend Roberts. who is described as fol-
lows: Dark complicated, about 80
years of age, 6 feet tall, reddish face,
smooth shaven.. weight 160 pounds,
wearing a shabby blue coat, blue
trousers, tan shoes and checked cap.
Nav be affecting nose glasses with
a slight chip in. them. Also may be
going under the name of Ellis:
The chances are even, according to
Sheriff Applestill, that. the man is
still in this vicinity, although he may
have fled as far away. as possible
from the, scene Of his crime. For
this reason the cooperation of the
Mexican authorities has been elected
in the event that he has jumped across
the line. T.
The time of the murder is defi-
nitely established at about dusk the
evening of January 5-the same day
that the couple, despondent and broke.
left FL Centre in a horse outfit hired
from the Broadway livery stables for
a supposed tour of the Valley. They
rode behind McNecr, a thoroughbred
which in past days had won many
laurels on ths racetracks of the coun-
try. ~
The couple, accompanied by their
child, were last seen about two miles
from Lyons Crossine the place where
the body was found lying atop a pitt
full little pile of ashes made by its
own flesh, between and 5 o'clock
on that evening.
From evidence uncovered in the in
vestigation. Sheriff Applestill is GER
tain that the man. with the lack of
heart which was Hunnish in its bru-
tality, set fire to the body of his
spouse while it was still struggling
as the spark of life was going out
on the tide, due to the cutting Of her
throat.
A horseshoe of peculiar formation
gave the officers the first clew. The
shoe was from the racehorse, sup
posedly stolen or at elast unreturned
to the libery stable from which it had
been hired. On the Gath inst. the
sheriff bulletined the surrounding
counties to arrest Roberts for the
embezzlemcnt of the horse.
The shoe had been thrown by the