The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-02-24
Investigation Has
Peculiar Ending

4 E
jury, which had gone into session o.
Monday of last week to Investigate
the killing Of James Birchall nea
Frankclay on the 10th of Decembe
last, adjourned from its work an,
been formally dismissed about 3:3t
last Thursday afternoon, after having
returned indictments for such killinl
against II. L. Turley and Ed. Porrier
of Bonne Terre, who were already un
der arrest on suspicion of having com
mitted the crime, than a development
occurred that changed the entire leat
in that case and connects up WITH
that killing two other men who haG
heretofore not been publicly men.
toned in connection with the killing
of young Birchall. This is but an
other demonstration of the frailty
that is sometimes proven regarding
an apparent unbroken chain of cir,
cumstantial evidence, which had sup.
posed TO connect Turley and Porriel
up with this crime, to the minute
when Walter Boatwright "spilled the
beans" about 5 o'clock the same af.
ternoon the grand jury adjourned
This eleventh hour evidence threw an
entirely different light on the crime,
pointing the accusing finger at two
other men who up to that time had
not been publicly mentioned as being
in any way connected with the crime.
Walter Boatright, who is a straw
boss in the Iron Mountain mines, and
regarded as a good citizen, and who
also had been a witness before the
grand jury, came in from Iron Noun
tain Immediately after the grand jury
had adjourned, and went before Pros
ecuting Attorney w. E. Golfer and
stated that he had a confession to
make, which would perhaps clear up
the mystery as to who had killed
Birchall, asking only that he be Civ
en- protection from those whom his
confession would incriminate. 1t was
apparent, in fact Boatright so stated,
that he had been threatened with
death if he told what he knew about
the nlattsn Itsssas perhaps that
% Z. at
threat that kept him from disclosing
to the grand jury what he knew about
the killing.
His confession was about as fol-
lows: On the afternoon preceding the
murder Frank Powell and Lee Pitts,
both of whom had been working in
the Iron Mountain mines, came to
him and asked him to take them in
his Ford to Frankclay, the mines at
that time being closed down. Think
ing, perhaps, of making little mon
ey, he agreed to and did drive them
to Frankclay, where, it seems, they
had expected to commit a robbery.
But on reaching there they found an
entertainment in progress under the
auspices of the American Legion. Ow-
ing to the large number of people
there present they decided to forego
their contemplated robbery, and di-
rected Boatright to take them to Bis
marck. They soon passed Birchall
and his father in his peddler's cart,
and Immediately decided they should
be in possession of some money, and
forthwith decided to direct their activ-
tiles in that direction.
After passing the road where they
knew the Birchalls would turn to
reach home, they got out of the car
and told Boatright to drive on to the
brow of hill and wait for them.
They then returned to where the
roads forked, and when the Birchalls
arrived commanded them to halt and
throw up their hands. The younger
man failed to comply with their COM
mand, hut drew his revolver and
commenced shooting. The two hold
up men returned the fire, and a bullet
entered young Birchalps head, which
is supposed to have killed him almost
instantly. Soon after the shooting,
according to Boatright, Powell joined
him, but Pitts failed to arrive. Powell
told Boatright that he was afraid
they had killed a man, which they
had not intended to do, as their sole
purpose was to rob him. He then
to kill Boatright # he told
of the occurrences Of the
evening. They waited for Pitts
short time, Powell signalling with
low whistles, before starting home 1t
is said Pitts reached Iron Mountain
the next morning, packed his things,
and left for parts unknown. He has
not yet been apprehended, but the
vigorous search that is now in prog
ress will perhaps soon disclose his
After telling his story, which abb
,ol,,LoI,, Jouo 4cs1oJ 80 1u;th eauo,.o1