Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-03-25
4 Kansas Horror.

Since the Bender herrot in Labette
county was discovered there has been
nothing that SO much excited the peo-
pie of this community as an atr0city
that came to light last night in this
city. A whole family-father, mother
and son-by the name of Olds were
were arrested on suspicion of having
murdered neighbor named Daniel
Ferris. He kept grocery and provis-
ion store on Sixth avenue, near the
east side of the city, and was carrying
on thriving trade. He slept in his
store and scarcely ever left, doing his
own cooking and having few intimate
acquaintance in the city. He was a
very prudent dealer and was generally
believed to have a good deal of money.
Fred Olds, the son, who is about
seventeen years of age, has not done
any work this Winter, and was known
to be without money. His being flush
for several days past excited the sus-
picions of the neighbors and Mr.. Cot
trell informed J. M. Hightshoe, a
relative of the deceased, that Ferris
had not been seen around his place of
business for the past two days, and
that he had better look into the mat
ter. Mr. Hightshoe, on receiving this
word called on officer Streeter and
with Sheriff Wade, Marshal Harmon
and Deputy Sheriff Davis, went to the
store of Mr.. Ferris, which they found
in possession of Frank Olds and his
son Fred. These men, who are well
known in this city and who have been
seen carrying goods away from the
place at various times during the past
two days, as stated by persons living
in the vicinity, on being questioned
by the officers, said that Ferris had
gone East on the night train for the
purpose of getting married and would
be back in two or three days. This
was denied by Mr.. Hightshoe as an
impossible thing to happen; for he
felt sure if such had been the intention
of Ferris it would have been commu-
nicated to him. On further question:
ing the Oldses they made contradictory
statements, saying that Ferris had
gone South to remain some time, and
in short, SO conducted themselves that
they We're arrested and locked up in
the county Jail. The officers then pro-
ceeded to search the premises and after
a short time it was shown that their
fears We're well grounded; for it took
but short time to look through the
place and to find blood on the stairway
leading to the cellar. The eXamina-
ton was continued by digging in two
or three places in the earth, and under
a pile of potatoes which were there
and covered about a foot deep the dead
body was found, but it was not dis
turbed, just enough of one arm being
uncovered to show the officers they
were right.
Coroner Sheldon was at once called
to the scene, and summoning jury
proceeded to the fearful task of UNI
earthing the remains. After removing
the potatoes and digging down about
foot the corpse was lifted from the
place where the villains who commit
ted the bloody deed had hidden it and
brought up into the stOreroom. An
examination showed that Mr.. Ferris
had been shot through the head and
had his throat cut almost from ear to
ear, and was buried in this shallow
hole with all his clothes on. The ball
had entered the left side of the face
just below the temple and gone clean
through the head, coming out little
lower on the left side than where it
entered on the right. An examination
of the store showed hole in the plas-
tering with blood scattered around,
where it is probable that the bullet
struck.
Several witnesses were examined,
after which the suspected murderer,
Fred Odds, was next placed upon the
witness stand, and his testimony occu-
pied the time from three O'Clock till
dark. Your correspondent never saw
so much nerve exhibited by hard
ened criminal as is possessed by this
slight stripping of seventeen. He was
led to the side of the corpse and asked
if he could identify the murdered man.
He answered, ayes, 1 can; that is
David Ferris.u The Doctor took hold
of the head while he stood close to the
body, and suddenly pulled it to one
side, exposing the horrible gaping
wound in the neck to his view, but he
never quailed nor moved muscle.
He has red hair and cold gray eyes,
and his face is somewhat freckled. He
said that he had visited the theater on
Friday night, and afterwards visited
several saloons in company with sew
eral young companions; told how
many drinks and cigars he had taken,
how much money he had spent for
them and how much he afterwards lost
at cards with an indifference that
would have done credit to the hero of
a hundred murders.
County Attorney Ryan trapped him
into making several inconsistent state
ments; but he would try to explain
without even for a moment losing his
presence of mind. He identified the
gun and boots as belonging to him,
and explained that he had taken the
gun to the store and left it there sew
eral days before for the purpose of
trading with young man who had
sometimes visited the store. He de-
MED being any place where he could
have got fresh blood on his boots. His
shirt sleeve had large spot of blood
on it which he had evidently tried to
wash out. He claimed that it was
stained with tobacco juice. The store
was closed all day Friday, yet he
claimed that he had been in the store
and contracted with Ferris that day at
twelve o'clock, and had received twen-
ty-five dollars from him to replenish
the supplies of the store, and he had
met him again that night about eight
o'clock, near the store, in company
with a strange man. He said that
Ferris told him that he was going
East on the night train, and wanted
him to take charge of the store in the
morning. His story was very thin,
and he Kept contradicting himself and
making matters worse every time he
tried to better it. About six o'clock
Judge Hanback, came into court, and
appeared as counsel for the witness,
and told him to refuse answering any