The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-06-22


unknown person or persons had brutal!
! murdered Return Lutz, eldest son of Lew
is Lutz, while he was asleep at Mr.. Lutz'i
: cattle rancho, on Dow creek, about ter
miles north OF the city. The intelligence
, sent q thrill Of horror and indignation Al
so cOwardly and unproYoked 3 murder
through the entire community, and by
nine o'clock in the forenoon hundreds OF
: men were driving out to the rancho, with
the stern determination Of sitting the mat
ter to the bottom, and discovering the
murderer IL possible to do SO.
We arrived ON the ground abouE nine
o'clock, and found q large number or peo-
pie present from the city and township,
and the body lying in the small board
house, such as is often used on 8 cattle
ranch, covered with wraps and wei
cloths on the head, but with the wounds
undressed, awaiting the necessary coro-
ner's inquest.
AS the coroner, DIR. Chittenden, lives .
number Of miles west~of the city, and
the body needed prompt preparation, ii
was deemed best 70 proceed immediately
with the inquest, and Justice c. b. Bach
eller acted as coroner and empannelled
the following jury:
Thad. &. Davidson, A. 8. Smith, John
Cowan. 81. B. Lowe, Van r. Holmes and
I. L. Ryan.
Tha jury was sworn in, and the house,
. small one story board building, used as
the place OF investigation, and County
Attorney Sedgwick, who bad from an
early hour been actively investigating the
affair, had the following parties, being the
nearest residents and the persons present
soon after the murder took place, subpe-
naed as witnesses: Charles Medaris, VIM.
Safer, ST., Erastus Safer, Albert Safer,
Jesse Mann, Henry Anderson, Joseph
Thomas, Jesse Jones, j. F. Jones and VIM.
Saf1er, Jr., DIR. j. w. TrueworthY and DR..
j. s. Lawrence.
The witnesses having appeared and
been sworn, were put in charge Of consta-
BILE T. johnson, with orders not to let
them converse with each other or with
any persons, during the Investigation,
and that they would be called in one by
one and examined. Justice Bachelor
also very properly ordered that all per-
sons be excluded from or near the build
Ing except the officers and jury holding
the inquest, the physicians, and the news
paper reporters. DR.. Chittenden arrived
about noon, and participated. The inquest
then began and was continued without
cessation until six O'Clock in the evening,
when the jury adjourned to finish its work
IN the city the next day, and by direction
OF County Attorney Sedgwick, Henry An
derson, Albert Safer, and an axe found
at the Safer house, and which was sup
posed to have been the weapon used, were
taken in charge by Sheriff Conner and
brought to the Court House for safe keep
ing.
1t would not be best at present for US to
publish the testimony adduced on
Wednesday. The witnesses were exam.
ined in the following order: Chas. Meda-
ris, DIPS TruewOrthy and Lawrence, and
the jury after q careful examination of the
body then permitted it to be taken away
for proper preparation before being re-
moved to the grief stricken home in the
city,) VIM. Safer, ST., Joseph Thomas,
Jesse Jones, j. +. Jones, Jesse Mann, VIM.
Safer Jr., Erastus Safer, Albert Safer,
and Henry Anderson. It was during the
examination OF the latter that an axe was
produced, with spots of blood and few
fine hairs on its back, and some spots OF
blood rust upon its side, and he identified
it as belonging to Erastus Safer. 1t was
found lying near the Safer house, which
Is the nearest residence to, and about a
quarter of a mile from the scene of the
J murder. A chemical analysis Will un.
cOubtedly be made of the spots of blood
} upon it.
We write this on Thursday, our day Of
} going to press, before the inquest is fin
lshed, and hence cannot to-day report thu
result Of the investigation, and we would
even in this moment Of excitement, b.
cautious in charging this most atrocioui
murder upon any one not officially In
dictcd for the crime. But we have little
doubt that the jury Will cause one, Of
more, parties to be arrested and held fol
trial as the murderer, or murderers.
The manner OF the murder was briefly
this: Charles Medaris, young man o.
q good character, whose father is one Of ouI
we'll known farmers. has been for three
months living at Mr.. Lutz's cattle ranch
: where Return Lutz has also passed mos
Of his time, both the young men lOokin!
5 after the cattle and cultiVating and i'm
proving the farm. MIR. Safer, Sem, anC
his son-in-law, Henry Anderson, VIII
: lives at the Safer residence both rent
and work some of Mr.. Lutz's ground
1 Anderson has for some time been soIic
y tIous to have Mr.. Lutz rent him the place
and wished the present house on 1t or
new one to be built by Mr. Lutz for hi
use. Until within q few weeks ago, Me
daris and Lutz would be disturbed near
ly every night, as soon as they laid dow
70 sleep, by three successive raps on tn
side OF the house, and finally got dol
from the city, and then q shotgun. TIL
raps were considerably interfered witt
by the dog, who seemed to have to grow
at and chase some one away, the boys be
- Ing afraid to go out themselves. Whe
they got the gun, they told the Safer
that they would put a load Of sho
through the side OF the house the mex
: time any raps were heard, and the rap
ceased, although the dog soon after be
came scared at the gun being snappe'
over his head and ran home to the city
Last Tuesday night, on account OF tn
81
been made for some time, Lutz and Me
daris went to sleep out Of doors, Lutz ly
ing with his head close to the door, Of
the south side of the house, on q cot, on,
end Of which rested on the step and tn
other on \ 10 W bench, and the wagon GOV
er over him. Medaris laid down on tn
. earth about "a feet south Of the house
:, and got up and went in about $50 to &c
something to keep on the mosquitoes anC
by request Of Lutz, handed the latter hi
hat, and went and laid down again, put
ting over his head an apron, which ha
been left there few days before by Mrs
- Luiz. The two talked awhile and gradu
i ally fell on to sleep, and Medaris was doz
q ing but not, he thinks, quite asleep, whe
+ he heard three knocks like those -whie
. had formerly disturbed them. He says b
e thought Lutz was pIayfully knocking hi
II boot heel on the house, and therefore b
n felt no alarm, only calling out that b
II eouldt fool him that way. He next hear