Show Robberies Confessed In Letter Lefter r Jefferson Howell I Writes to Wife of Jobs With Leslie DeWitt DeWittA CHAIN of ot circumstances A over Oer which I had no control forced me to some things s but I have haa alas ala's al as a's b been e able to hold my own self respect I have been honest and loyal to my friends and I have been beer clean and true In my dally daily life lite If It I ha have 0 stepped ov over r the bounds bom of or society In Jn this one re respect respect respect re- re it is too late now for regrets This I is an extract extra t from a a. letter written writ writ- written ten by J Jefferson Howell self con e sed bandit to his hits wife in Salt I Lake k kIt It is not the letter of ot an ignorant m map man p. p for tor Howell was not ignorant however criminal he ma may have been lIe He was was i J born in Ouray Oura Colo and was a a. schoolmate schoolmate school school- mate of ot three prominent men of Salt SaltI Lake I ake He lie was apparently always normal normal normal nor nor- mal and of ot pleasing personality MOVED IN GOOD SOCIETY lIe He is said to have received a a. good education in mining engineering In Salt Lake he was the acme pf ot Howell II his wife and Leslie de Je WI Witt Vitt t were Vere often seen at M the bess best bes s shows They Ther occupied a box and ana were frequently in full dress dress- The instincts of ot tine tIle bandit outside pf pt his criminal career were apparently those of a a. dutiful du- du dutiful du du- and loving father and husband The pair frequently ventured Into society and 1 Howell W was S I-S a beautiful beautiful beautiful ful and charming woman How Howells Howell's II's frequent absences from the city at attracted attracted attracted at- at no attention as his occupation of ot mining engineer furnished him with sufficient excuse for prolonged jour jour- Following each daring robbery r Howell would return to Salt Lake a little more mort prosperous than ever er and nd I always appearing gentle and reserved The most interesting document in inthe inthe inthe the case js is a a. lett letter r which he lie wrote to o ohis his hla wife following the robbery of J.P. J.P. J. J P. P Boswell Doswell and his at Holland Ore De Witt who ho was his partner r rIn in this enterprise had been captured lie He said sahl that Howell Howen had robbed and deserted him Howell Bowel believed that De Witt had fallen Callen in n love with Mrs Howell and had purposely surrendered and was attempting to tP win her affections b by a virtuous pose of ot having re re re- formed FLAYS HIS COMPANION COMPANION- The letter in part follows My Iy Dear Jean I am m writing this little le history ry because I 1 want you to know the absolute truth about my dear friend tIeM De Do Witt When I went to tp Marysvale l Utah tw twenty five r years ears ago I became ac acquainted acquainted ac- ac with De Witt and during the thelong tong long period of acquaintance I have always Al Always al- al ways ways acted a a. true tree friend to him lm I Ineer never ne refused him a a. dollar when he ap appealed appealed appealed ap- ap pealed to me which was wall often and the total was many mallY hundreds of ot dol dollars rs I I have been with Mm In the camp and and nd on the hunt hunte We e slept In the same ame bed we shared the same hard hard- ships s I nursed him In sickness Ton Toil know how we both made him welcome to our home We e was one of ot the he fam tam ily lIy lIe He sat fat with us In a R box at the file I shows show But Dut I 1 Ip know oW now that hM even en at that time he was trying to strike a It ablow blow in the dark at t the home at the fireside and he poses out there as Innocent in innocent In- In as injured that I am the villain vii vil lain of the tile pl play tha that I J got ot him hint in and then l deserted him ONLY HALF A MAN Listen to me Ho lie begged me he pleaded with sue Ine v e to ta take 3 him lm and go o and make a t. t turn I finally consented against lg m my best judgment We Ve went Into the wilderness together but he I was only half a a. man at any point We Wei 0 I had hall no animals and packed our loads t I parried canted from sixty five to ninety I pounds He jle Ie never more then than twenty pounds and always a a. fuss at that Ills long suit was in robbing cabins of or a little grub left b by the owner against his Ills return The Th feel bad and sore and andI I dont don't blame them but as ns a a. matter of ot fact they both owe their li lives to me nie When thc they were tied up tho the younger r I Boswell made madea a foolish remark showing showIng show show- Ing Ing- that he recognized Wess ess by br the missing finger and after atter the they were put in the tho cabin Wess Wese Insisted on killing them both lUll Ills remark was Dead men tell no tales lie lIe Hev insisted that we burn them or shoot them because of ot the tho boys bays remark The trail was hard and he weakened weak weak- ened onca I told him that If It anything h happen to m mo mp and he got pot cl clear ar tp to look 1001 out for m my and you fOu that my s share are should be bo placed in your hands From that da day he seem seemed d a changed 1 man always hung hung- back on the trail Something In his Ils attitude caused me to toh him even at nt night for tor I W wa was 8 confident pf ot his feeling for tor you I I Know now he ice would hive have killed me knew that he lathed lacked the nerve to at attempt attempt attempt at- at tempt It roily only In lu the most co ar cowardly I way so I gave him no chance POSED AS INNOCENT lion Howell tells of Qt how De Witt de deserted deserted deserted de- de him hint and then continue lIe Ire poses as aa an innocent lad led into evil I am branded as the worst type of ot crl criminal I a am not a bab baby nor noram noram noram am I whining I was was simply a fool tool to trust a L yellow rellow dog My remorse conies comes for my Je Jean n and our boy and poor old old mother The innocent they suffer for the acts of ot the guilty This yellow cur knew what his action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion way was youlie you He lie knows that he is a a. liar and he Is i incapable of even deluding himself into I bellev believing otherwise lie He left me helpless helpless helpless help help- less and without a a. gun If I had thought of deserting him would I have i given my rifle to him Or even eveh easier had I wanted hits his share of ot the gold I cou could d I not have killed him in the hills at a hun hundred lonely places s apt ap and 1 hid his body That would have ha-e been een absolutely absolutely safe sate for Cor fI me pip fIand and for or the Cut future re I LOVE HELD MOTIVE r. No o No o Iris His stor story is a joke I r cant can't pt figure ure his motives motive unless it I was to get rid of ot me and try tn- and win winou you ou in the long run And even that does dofOs not reason in h harmony rmon for if It he would know know- I had any l sense at all ll he lie that you ou would despise him more than cv everI ever I I I suppose suppose he will get set off oct with a I year or two sentence Yellow cusses custes have a t wa way of or getting out easy I am I writing this so that you will know the exact act truth If It I was to die dio within the hour I could not in honesty change chane one line Your Tour loving In and heartbroken I JJ JEFF FF |