Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-01-04
ASK ARREST OF
GALLUP MAN IN
BLACKWELL CASE
Los Angeles Authorities Re-
quested to Apprehe n d
Claude Walker in ConneC-
ton With Double Murder.


Especial Correspondence to The journal }
Gallup, n. NJ, Jan. 5.-Police
authorities here have requested
the arrest of Claud Walker in con-
nection with the death of ]. w.
Blackwell and wife, who were
murdered here on the night of No
vember %. Walker is said to be
in Los Angeles, Calf.
Aut .oeities are working on In
formation furnished by a hobo
who cana to Gallup a few days ago
looking FOR Walker. It is alleged
that Walker furnished the hobo
with "a .s8 automatic on the night
the murder took place, and hired
a room for him at a local lodging
house, with the understanding that
the men were to hold up and rob
poker game later in the night. The
hobo claims that he left town with
the automatic and sold it in Albu-
querque for eight dollars. The same
night or the following day Walker
is claimed to have been seen with
a large sum of money on his per-
SON Among the paper money he
carried were three fifty dollar bills.
1t is also alleged that Walker gave
part of the money to a friend to
keep for him for a few days.
The possession of the fifty dol
lar bills Is taken into considera
ton in connection with the murder,
because it was believed that Mrs.
Blackwell, the dead woman, had
on her person, on the night she
and her husband were killed, four
fifty dollar bills, money belonging
to the brick company where she
was employed, which she intended
to deposit in the bank on the aft
ernoon of that day. but arrived
after the banks were closed.
Tho automatic was recovered
from the parties at Albuquerque
to whom it had been sold. The
steel jacket bullet found at the
scene of the murder the morning
the bodies were discovered might
have been fired from this pistol
w. T. Christian who was held in
connection with the financial con-
dition of the brick company, made
a statement that he had given foul
fifty dollar bills to Mrs Blackwell
to be deposited in the bank on the
day the woman was killed. Chris.
tian had been held on an embezzle-
ment charge, but is now at liberty
having furnished the necessary
bond.
Tho evidence on which Walker
arrest had been requested is yer,
circumstantial, He had been max
ing Gallup his home for a year O.
more and left here on Decembe,
"a for Los Angeles. it is stated. HI
is a young man, who was born an(
reared in San Juan county, nea
Pennington. A few years agt
while employed at the Pennington
Electric Light company he wa
severely burned by live wires con
nected with the generator. Thre
of tho fingers on his right hant
were so badly burned that they hat
to be amputated. Only the indie.
finger and thumb remained on tn
hand, Many persons here VIII,
know Walker and know Of hi
physical condition. believe that i
would be impossible for him t.
operate any kind of pistol.
Following his injuries Wake
worked at various Indian trading
stores on the reservation, and fin
ally came to Gallup, where h
worked i'm one or two stores, blu
spent most of his time playing poo
at which game he was quite expert
He was not considered a bad mai
in any respect, but it was know
that the accident with which h
had met which left him more o
less badly crippled had caused hin
TO be rather reckless in many re
spects.
It is alleged that he had gon
for an auto ride with the Blackwell
family the night preceding tn
murder. Robbery is now believe'
killing of the Blackwells.
Walker has not yet been appre
hended. The man who furnishe,
the information of receiving a 3
automatic from Walker Is bein
held in the local Jail as q witnes
when Walker is apprehended. TIL
man came to Gallup about Decem
her 26 and made inquiries abou
Walker. He put in a night or tw
at the town power station whicl
has been given to the use of me-
travelling through town looking TO
work. There is an average o
twenty-five men who stay at thi
place each night, some move o.
the following morning and som
stay around several d.,ys. som
few of them obtain employment
here and remain. These men swa
stories each night as they gather
and it was during these stor
swappings that the information
concerning the automatic wa
brought out The man had tray
eled to Kansas City, back to 10
Angeles and back as far as Gallu
since the time he had obtained tn
automatic from Walker.
~.a~~ tHINHrN-Inh Tn