Show FOUL MURDER J r a f T L A gentleman here gives the f o flowing f-lowing particulars of an alleged murder at Green River the latter pajf of November a man named Srn th killing a young man named I Re i fi b Stnith is one of the first settlers I onGreen RIver below Split Rock canyon and is well known amongst His neighbors as being very troublesome trouble-some and a terrible mischief maker He has had several fights and lawsuits law-suits oversight df water roads and I fen e which have always terminated termin-ated in his being in the wrongs F J wrong-s young man Rice was not i I over t twentytwo years of age and i was a stranger in the country He located on Green River this tall and he and a gentleman by the name of Muloy took up a ranch or farm about two miles below Smiths farm on Green River Mr Muloy being a telegraph qperator left and put Rice in charge of the further I I improvements of the farm Things WjOUt on very smoothly Mr Rice making b several acquaintances who speak very highly of him also they asssisted him in putting put-ting up a cabin etc The ground located had considerable able timber on it which of course was very valuable for fencing purposes etc Two days previous to the shooting a son of Smith went down to Rices place He and Rice had an altercation Smith however ended it by breaking a gun stock over Rices head the m < rks of which he carried te his grave This did not suffice their villainous passions pas-sions so on Thursday November 24th Smith armed himself with a rifle and took his son with him to Rices place after a load of firewood a distance of two miles He Smith had plenty of wood at home within his own fence Rice did not see them until they had partly loaded their wagon with wood When he did see them he got into his wagon and drove down from the cabin on a road which intersected the main traveled road about 200 yards from the cabin Smiths wagon stood about twentyfive or thirty yards from the junction of the roads distance from the house not over 200 yards Rice of course felt he was imposed upon and no doubt tried to maintain his rights when Smith shot him dead The bullet entered his left breast and came out at the shoulder Death mnst have been instantaneous Smith then drove his wagon home and came to Ash leys Fork the county seat and acknowledged having killed Rice but of course in selfdefense Next morning the coroners jury were impaneled by Coroner Alfred Johnson viz W C Britt Charles Carroll and J M Davis They went down and found the body on the ground about 200 yards from the cabin frozen hard He was lying on his back Smith says he turned him over on bis back His right wrist lay over the breach of a Sharps rifle the trigger of which was down and exactly under the breech of the rifle was the hole made in the ground by the victims blood when it gushed out of the heart but strange to say there was not a particle of blood on the rifle only what came off from his sleeve and hand Had Rice had the gun in hip hands at the time he met his death it would have been impossible for him to have fallen with the gun in his hand as when found without all this blood that passed from his body going over the breech of the gun But not a sign of blood could be found which of course prove that the gun must have bean placed here alter the bloody deed had been done to try and delude whoever who-ever should investigate the affair Two tracks wire found going to and coming from the cabin on Rices wagon tracks which proves that some one went to the cabin after the man was dead anl the tracks no doubtwere made by Smith when he went after the victims rifle Rices whip was also found between his arm dud breastall smeared with blood Many other points of circumstantial circum-stantial evidence will be made known at the proper time which will prove the deed one of the most cruel and premeditated murders ever committed |