The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-11-05
.ARTOEAR
ANOTHER ATROCI0Us ACT
Found With His Throat Cut from
Ear TO Ear.

FOUND With His Throat Cut nom
Ear 70 Ear.
Fun Particulars of the Terrible
On Friday night . correspondent fur
nished % With the information that Mr..
Thomas G. Cockrell had been inhumanly
butchered on Thursday night At Ridge
Prairie, in Saline county. Early yesterday
morning BAzoo reporter vss dispatched
to the scene, and after . ride Of City miles
on horseback, returned last night With the
following full particulars Of the
BLOOD cURDLING Br'TCHERY:
Ridge Prairie il . email crossroads
villsse, in the southeastern part Of Saline
county. II Is twenty-six miles from Soda
lie, sixteen miles from ManshaIl, and
twelve miles south Of Arrow Rock. The
village consists Of one store owned BY Mr.
F. NJ. Siosts, . blacksmith shop. carpenter
shop, and few dwellings.
THOMAS q. cOCKRELL
vas man Of about forty FIVE years Of age,
and At the time Of his death Vas clerking
for Mr.. Stoits, Who vas absent. Mr.. Cock.
rell boarded at the houae Of NJ. Cook. .
blacksmith, Who resided hut short dis.
lance from the store. Cockrell slept in the
store. and during Nr. Stott's absence vas
left alone in charge.
II has been the custom Of Mr.. Stotts "a
send his receipts once . week to Sedslia OF
Arrow Rock for deposit, but there had
been no money sent from the store for 9
week, .sd at the time If the murder and
robbery there ::uas = weeks receipts in th.
drawer.
THE MURDER.
Mr.. Cockrell ate his supper At the usus
hour ut Cooks and -eturned TO the store
At seven o'clock Mr.. George Womack, .
young man who resides close by, vent down
to the sfore to have little chat with Cock
reil. When he goi 10 the store be found Il
cl,sed for the night. Seeing . light on the
inside. he raped on the door. but receiving
no anewer. he walked away. A he va
leaving the store Nj. Cockrell opened the
door and calle1 him back. Womack went
in and sat down and talked With him fo
about an hour. At FIVE minute
to seven o'clock Womack got up and biz
him
GOOD NIGHT FOR THE LAST TINE.
Cockrell closed the store, and that Is las
that was seen Of him alive by anybody ex'
cept the murderer or murderer.
On Friday morning. Mr.. Cockrell not ap
pearing at Mr.. Cooks At the usual hour fol
breakfast. the latter sent his little boy dovr
to the store to call him. The boy vent &
the store and found the do,r unlocked. II,
pushed il open and looked in but saw no
body. and returning TO the house informed
his father.
After that Mr.. Cook started to call Cock
rell On his way to the store he met San
CockrelI, nephew OF Mr.. Cockrell. . young
man about 26 years old. They enieres
the store together, but saw nobody. Mr.
Cook, however, went through the store TO s
hack room where the liquor vas kept, and
there lying upon the door he saw Mr.
Cockrell. He instantly called out:
SAN, HERE HE Hw
And there poor Cockrell Wa. sure enough
cold in death. and veltering in his blood
Upon making an examination they found
four deep wounds upon the left side Of his
head, and horrible cash in his throat,
runninelaround from the left side. severing
the juguIar vein and ell the principal ar
teries Of the neck. The body vss lying on
its aide in pool Of blood. Il vas cold
and siia. and il was thought from sPpear.
ances that he had been murdered about g
o'clock the night before. He had on all
hi clothing. except his cap, which lay on
the Aoor beside him.
THE TOOLS OF DEATH.
In . pool Of blood lay an opened
common jack-kniie. the blade Of
which vas about three inches long.
This Was the weapon With which
his ihroat vas cut. Near the body, and
also lying on the floor, vas
q large. heavy and old-fashio"ed
iron stove leg, weighing several pounds.
This vas covered With blood and hair,
and vss evidently the weapon With which
the murAeroua blows were inflicted
vhiskey bottle vas found lying or the
6oor. with = little liquor left in It, and
marks upon the door - il some had been
spilled.
IN THE STORE ROOM
in 'front.' upon one counter vas his bed
made up. - il be had been just ready to
retire. Near the opposite counter was 4
chair, and on the counter near il vas .
pair Of spectscies. his navy revolver thst
Us usually kePt in the money drawer. and
. nevspaper covered the pistol. The money
drawer had been broken open and robbed
Of in conteots except some small change.
The following
DIAGRAM
vill give The reader pretty accurate idea
Of The premises.