[From Tuesday’s Daily, Aug. 3.]

               MURDER.

              ____________

“Emerson,” the Accomplice of Welcome, Arrives in Ogden.

             ____________

 

It will be remembered that on the 3rd of last month the son of Mr. John Turner, Sheriff of Utah County, was foully murdered, and a man named Welcome, was arrested as his murderer.  It was proven that this man had been seen in the company of young Turner just previous to his murder, and after the capture of Welcome the latter confessed to a knowledge of the crime, but stated that a man by the name of Emerson was the principal party engaged in the fearful crime.  After the U.P. train arrived at the depot, last night, a JUNCTION reporter accompanied by Sheriff Wm. Brown of this county, stepped into the U. C. baggage car, occupied by Mr. A. J. Moore, constable of Park City, a Mr. Thomas, who assisted in the capture, and the prisoner, the latter started out with his story  which he declared he had given so many times that he was getting fatigued.

                   THE PRISONER

is not, by any means a repulsive looking man.  He is of medium stature, and upon the suggestion of Mr. Moore, stated his case, which he was evidently studied and gotten off to perfection.  He tells the same story everywhere, but makes a few changes at each place where he tells his story.  He denies ever having seen the body of the murdered man, but states that he was arrested by Welcome on the 4th of July last, at Park City, who asked him if he would like to go to the

           GUNNISON COUNTRY.

The answer was “Yes.”  Welcome said he had tow teams.  Had had a d-d young yap” driving for him, but had dispensed with his services.  (At this juncture the officer said, “You had better tell the reporter your correct name, Johnny.”)

  Reporter-Then the name “Emerson” is an alias?

  Emerson-Well you see, years ago I used to belong to a minstrel company, and for a “draw” used to announce myself as “Emerson,” after Billy Emerson, the great negro minstrel.  My right name is McCormick, but the “boys” have called me Emerson ever since I joined the company I told you about.  He told in substance the same as appears in the Salt Lake papers of this morning.  When he drove one of the teams from Park City to the place where they camped, and where the body was discovered, he was tired and went to bed, and that Welcome remained up for a long time after and made some tea and then went to bed, and that Welcome got up about 4 o’clock and they made a start.  At another repetition of this version he said that Welcome made the tea for him (Emerson) because he was sick, and they went to bed together.  He states that Welcome never gave him any of the money received from the sale of the teams.  He had on, when arrested, and still has on the hat, coat, vest and shoes worn by young Turner at the time of the murder, and when asked how he came to get them , her replied that Welcome gave them to him.  Though he drove the wagon behind Welcome all the way he states positively that he never saw the boy either before or after the murder, or at any time in his life.

  Here it may be stated that upon being asked whether or not he found out what was in each wagon, he replied that he had no curiosity to find out for himself, being informed by Welcome (Hopt) that both wagons contained wheat, some of which Welcome sold when they arrived at a certain point on their trip.  On reaching Echo (so Emerson told our reporter), he went to bed some hours before Welcome, and when the latter came to bed Emerson called his attention to a bad smell that he detected.  Welcome replied that “some carrion must be lying around”-(this differs from the story he afterwards told the Salt Lake reporters upon arriving in that city.)  There, upon being questioned in regard to this, he stated that when he and Welcome had camped, he asked Welcome if it was his (Welcome’s) feet, when the latter laughed and said, “You’re always nosing something.”  He was asked if he did not notice any blood, and he said he had noticed some on the pillow, and had asked Welcome what it was.  Welcome said his nose had bled.

  Emerson was present when Welcome sold both teams, and also when Welcome departed by train from Green River in company with another man named Roach.

  In justice to Emerson we will state that when he, upon reaching Carbon, W. T. found his name mention in the papers, in connection with the murder, he immediately telegraphed the following to Mr. J. E. Moore:

                    CARBON, Wyoming Ter.,

                                     July 29th, 1880

   I see by the papers that I am accused of murdering 

   John Turner.  I can be found here at any time.

                                     J. Emerson.

  But the fact of this man Emerson having the murdered man’s clothes on, is a damaging piece of evidence against him.  Sheriff Turner, the father of the murdered gentleman, who accompanied the prisoner and officers from Green River, states that he was a clear array of evidence against Emerson.  We trust that the guilty parties may be punished to the full extent of the law.