We are again called upon to record a cold-blooded and vindictive murder in our very midst. Yesterday about two o'clock, William West was deliberately shot down in the street, within less than one hundred yards of our office, by Moses Young, both formerly of Leavenworth city, where West leaves a wife and six children--one of them the wife of Dr. Bull. West was preparing to remove to the mountains to resume mining, and called upon Young to make a settlement, and collect some money due from the latter, for the security of which he held the title to some town lots belonging to Young. The latter refused to make a settlement, and demanded a surrender of the securities, which demand West declined complying with, and rose to leave Young's house; when about a rod distant Young fired upon him from the door, with one barrel of a double barreled shot gun, lodging the charge--eighteen of the largest sized buck-shot--in West's body, from which he died in ten or fifteen minutes. Young made his escape for the time being, passing through crowded streets in various directions, and finally disappearing in a very mysterious manner. A vigorous search was immediately instituted, in which over a hundred men participated; the country was scoured for miles in every direction without avail, until almost night, when he was unearthed from a snug hiding place beneath a pile of harness in the attic of a building on Blake street. The excitement was intense, and for a time it seemed probable that the prisoner would be summarily dealt with, but wise counsels prevailed and he was placed in the custody of a committee of twenty citizens, for safe keeping during the night, and the hour of his trial fixed for nine o'clock this morning. Order and quiet prevailed throughout the night, all citizens seeming disposed to give the prisoner a fair and impartial trial, and abide the result.
    Moses Young's trial on the charge of "murder in the first degree"; before a Court and Jury of the People, commenced at nine o'clock this morning. After empanelling the jury and presentation of the charge by the prosecution, the Court adjourned until two o'clock P.M., when the evidence will be presented.

Source:

Unknown, "The Murder of William West--Escape and Subsequent Arrest of the Murderer," Weekly Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Colorado, Wednesday, 14 March, 1860, page 2.