Carr had stood around carelessly up to this time, but as the young man started to the train he said, _sotto voce_, "No you don't," and walking up to the young man laid his heavy hand on his shoulder, causing the youth to look with something of an astonished air, and exclaim:
"For murder--for the murder of young Turner."
"So you've overtaken me. Well, by G--d, I suppose I'll have to go! I did it, and there is no use to kick. Where are you taking me?"
"To meet the father of the man you murdered."
[Illustration: Arrest of Welcome by T. Jeff Carr, in Cheyenne.]
At this suggestion the fellow trembled visibly, but went along. When he was brought face to face with old man Turner, the latter's face turned ashen pale, his teeth were set in a moment, and his hand was thrust into his hip pocket. A moment later and the sun's rays were gleaming along the barrel of a large revolver which the old man had pulled, and with which, in a second more, he would have laid his son's murderer low.
Mr. Carr, seeing the turn affairs were taking, stepped in to prevent further bloodshed.
Welcome was taciturn and sullen in the presence of the father of his victim, but being again alone with Carr, he said:
"By G--d I done it, and I expect to swing for it. I killed Turner and sold his team, and have spent the money. I am guilty and I expect to swing; of course I do."
Before leaving for home with the prisoner, Mr. Turner said to a Cheyenne reporter, with whom he talked:
"I want you to distinctly understand that Mr. Carr of your place deserves all the credit of catching this rascal, and had it not been for him he would have slipped our fingers."
The reward in this case amounted to a round thousand.
Once on board the train bound for Utah, Welcome became quite communicative. He had told Carr before leaving that he himself had killed young Turner, and that he had done so because he had a grudge against him, and because he wanted his property. Now he denied all connection with the murder, and said that the crime had been committed by Emerson, saying that Emerson and Turner had quarreled, and that Emerson killed Turner in the fight.
The trial took place at Salt Lake City, on the 18th day of February, 1881, and resulted in proving a clear case against Welcome, who did not introduce a particle of rebutting testimony. The jury was out only a few minutes, when it brought in a verdict of guilty in the first degree. The sentence would necessarily have been death, had not Welcome's lawyers succeeded in getting his case before the supreme court, where it was remanded back for a new trial.