Bluebeard buried wife in valley on Astini News

May 5 1920, EL CENTRO, CALIF. - The body of Mrs. Nina Lee Deloney was located yesterday by her husband William B. Huirt, who is said to have admitted that he killed her and hid the body in the unfrequented valley in the mountains near El Centro, Calif. When the officers who were escorting Huirt, or Watson, as he is now called, told him that they had found the body, he collapsed. Watson is charged with murder. The picture is that of Mrs. Deloney.

As the hour approached for the officers to place Watson on the train for his return to Los Angeles tonight, after he had located the grave of Nina Lee Deloney and calmly testified at the inquest that he had killed her, a growing mob gathered at he railroad station and threats of lynching grew so loud that Sheriff Applestill and the Los Angeles deputies spirited their prisoner to another station by automobile, concealing their destination.

The mob had not learned of the change of plans and was still waiting at the depot at 9 o'clock.

CHARGED WITH MURDER

The alleged bigamist-murderer was formally charged with murder here late today, when a coroner's jury which held an inquest over the body on Nina Lee Deloney, which was recovered this morning from is hidden burial spot in Western Imperial country, returned a verdict that "death was caused by a blow on the head by James Watson." The latter is another name by which the prisoner is known.

The verdict also recounted the long period the body had lain in the lonely spot near Coyote Wells, where Watson piloted a party of official searchers from Los Angeles and added that the blow which caused death had been by a "blunt instrument, presumably a hammer, and by Watson, he having admitted it."

Watson was the principal witness at the inquest. He identified the body as that of "my wife, Mrs. Deloney." He also told the jury he had killed her and had buried the body in the lonely grave in a gulch in the mountains, 30 miles west of El Centro.

AT NEW WESTMINSTER

In answer to Sheriff Cline of Los Angeles who appears very anxious to obtain more information as to the visit of Huirt to New Westminster last summer, Chief of Police Bradshaw yesterday sent him the following additional information, secured by himself in this city:

It was July 8 last year that Huirt, known by the chief's information as Watson, came to the express office with a woman whom he interfaced as his wife. He stated that they were stopping at the Russell Hotel and had wired to Edmonton, Alta., for a tent and tire covers for which they were waiting. The tent and tire covers arrived at the express office, on the 14th of July and were addressed to Mrs. Kate Watson, New Westminster. Watson, or Huirt, signed for this article and stated that they were going south to California via automobile. He left the tire covers with the express agent until November 18, when he returned alone an stated that he and his wife were going to Vancouver.

Mr. Labadins, the chief's informant, did not see the woman on this second visit, but of course, at that time thought nothing of it.

It was not until he saw the story and photograph in the Vancouver Sun that he connected this Watson with Huirt, the alleged bluebeard.

Last Sunday he positively identified the photographs of Huirt as Watson, from the sheriff of Los Angeles, and which Chief Bradshaw had just received. The woman on the first visit of Watson to the express office told the express agent that they had been married in Proctor, a little place just ousted of Nelson, B.C. She was about 30 or 35 years of age, jovial disposition, and wore glasses.

WHERE IS BEATRICE LEWIS?

Winnipeg, May 4. - The name of Beatrice M. Lewis, a Winnipeg woman, was added today to the list of missing wives of James B. Huirt, Los Angeles bluebeard, who has confessed to murdering several of his 27 "help-mates."

Huirt, according to a telegram received from Los Angeles, married the Lewis woman in Winnipeg about 12 years ago. She has dropped from sight and police believe she is another of the wives whom Huirt says he is not sure whether he murdered her or not.

Another woman whom Huirt married in Winnipeg was Mrs. H. L. Gordon, now residing in the city.

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