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. “ Hole wos o self-appointed pallbearer at Roan's funer m3ey upon viewing the body pretended to be deeply affec ay Pp Q- re eo Roan n. the back of the head since it had bgen plonned to make ? it war that Roan committed suicide. _ r 5 rs 20" fhe facts surrounding the murder of Roan were corrobdé- a3 ‘.. rated by the confeasions of Ramsey and Ernest Burkaart who wes | 140 present at all negottations relative to the murder. — : - RNS “2 a It was developed through investigation that Hale hired w+. John Romsey and Asa "Ace" Kirby fo murder William £. Smith and B oig-%,. Bis wife, subsequently paying Ramsey $1,600. Ernest Burkhart, gust acting under instructions from hia uncle, pointed aut Smith's nde, house to Ramséy‘and Xirby and sought Ramsey out on the day’of the . 20-83 gurder to tell him that Hole and Henry Grammer were going to .:%. p21" Fort Worth, Tezas, to a cattlemen's convention in order to cllay suspicion, and that the. Smiths should be murdered that nighte - : - Agents learned that a five-gallon keg of nitroglycerin ~ 23 ‘2 had been placed under the Smith residence and ignited. 3 ' "Agents also learned that Hule liad attempted to hire ° ~ 4.28 °.-* Al Spencer, the notorious outlaw, to kill the Smiths but Spencer .... B29: declined, saying that he had no compunction at robbing a train or * 30:7; .blowing a safe End killing indtutduals in the course of suca Bait? crimes but he had not sunk so‘low as to murder helpless individuals | m2>.° for money. After Spencer's refusal Hale attempted to hire other =. 33. ©. oriminals to murder William Smith and his wife but all refused. oa “After the Smith massacre, Hale became afraid that "ace! | M36: Xirby would make known Hale's connection with the murders. # a 3c.>. - Accordingly he persuaded Kirby to attempt the robbery of a crecery 3g°° Store where he would allegedly find valuable gems. The owner Of 8 1 ae the store was in turn informed of the ezact hour of the contemplated EA Lo rvobbery and.as Kirby forced entrance into the store through a window» - 4 » “he was greeted with several shotgun blasts resulting in his Gea thy 3 42 &; Thus another witness who could have implicated Hale and his - a3 _ G@ssociates was removed. acs Ernest Burkhart proved to be the weak link in tne Fale : a 36 . organization and was the first to confess. Burkhart wes a weak~ £4 qo. BEiled tndividual completely dominated by Hale and would not a a 3 hesitate to do anything his uncle desired. When John Ramsey learned 3 2 § -' Row much evidence the FBI Agents had compiled, he too made a com~ noe ¢ 50 plete confession of his part in the murders. < 7 '. Hale and his conspirators attempted to get Ernest Burkhart. - 352° under§their control again to make him revoke his confession. Ernest: m3 Rimsedf pleaded with the FBI for protection since he feared thaé ) £ j 54.7 #ale uld have Atm killed. When Ernest Burkhart was placed ca B25 Ci the witness stand at Hale's preliminary hearing, Hale's atterneyt - Bee 568 declared they were representing Burkhart and demanded the privilege a iS? = os talking to hima few minutes before he testified. This permission: ee ee ee rh A cane a “3 ~ . vy eager ee pen , poe Rn SER hy ae _* . - : tke GT Uap Ra PU, ee Sat Comet) ENS RL CC he aa a i lil a pyeh ee eR mT at erm eee