Evening star., 1948-01-02
|Hitch-Hiker, Arrested
|As Prison Fugitive,
Admits Killing Driver
BY the Asseeiuisd Press

HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, Colo,
Jan. IA zs-year-old man Identity :
ing himself as Don Tucker of Peru,
Ind, admitted in a signed state
ment last night the fatal shooting
a few hours earlier Of Robert Hutch
ms. 40, and the wounding Of his
wife, Shirley, 20.
He first was arrested by officers
who were looking for James Sher-
bondy, escaped Colorado convict.
A blaze Of gunfire struck the
young couple in their automo-
bile Is miles south Of Denver under
circumstances still not explained to
the satisfaction Of police. Mrs.
Hutchins' critical condition has pre-
vented her being questioned ex-
tensively by detectives.
Her 4-year-old son Larry, unin-
jured In the shooting, told q simple
story how "the man shot daddy
and indicated the man had been a
hitchhiker picked up along the
highway.
The 4-year-old related they saw
q man, standing in the road.
He waved his arm like this"
Larry said, motioning his arms up
and down.
Shot With Own Weapon.
"The man got into the car and
We rode for a long time. He shot
daddy.
TT was daddy's gun. Daddy had
two guns"
Asked why the man shot his father,
Larry answered:
HE told him to turn around and
he didn't and he shot him.
Mama was crying and talking
and he shot her. He lifted her like
this and put her in the back seat.
"Yes I cried. He told me to shut
up and I did. I didn't cry any more,
but told him I could talk if I
wanted to. He drove the car real
fast and I was scared and held onto
the edge OF the seat. He drove
real fast.
THE man pulled daddy out of the
car and dragged him beside the
car He got blood all over him
and he took of his coat and threw
it away.
Had Stolen Checks on Coast.
Il didn't like the man. He was
mean to daddy. He shot daddy and
momma That's why l cried"
Sheriff Chester McQueary said
Tucker told this story In a signed
statement:
He had worked for a Los Angeles
company but left there hurriedly
after stealing and cashing some
company checks.
Tucker became acquainted in a
tavern with Mr.. Hutchins and ar
were made for Tucker
to ride back to Denver with the
Hutchins family.
After doing on the back seat OF
the automobile, Tucker awoke yes
terday near Castle Rock, Colo, to
discover his wallet missing. He ac-
cused Hutchins and the latter
picked up revolver lying on the
front seat. =.
Arrested on Train.
In the ensuing scuf1ie, Mr.. Hutch
ms was shot fatally in the back and
Mrs. Hutchins was wounded "acci-
dentally' in the head, Mr.. Hutchins
body was pushed from the car onto
the snow-covered roadside and Mrs.
Hutchins was placed in the back
seat,
Tucker drove the car to Denver
where it crashed into another auto
mobile. He abandoned the car and
boarded streetcar, later trans
ferring to taxicab. He purchased
new clothing and then boarded the
San Francisco bound train. He
possessed 1882 when jailed.
He was arrested on the train at
CRANKY, Colo.
Sheriff McQueary and his deputies
had believed the sought man on the
train was Sherbondy, killer of q
deputy sheriff, who then was the
only one of IL incorrigible Colorado
convicts still at large after a spec
tacular dash for freedom last Tues
day. Sherbondy was captured to-
day.