The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-11-05


rect. First, that the murder Vas com
mitied By some one Who knew the habits Of
and vas known TO the deceased. for the
latter was careful man, and would mot b
apt to open the store at that hour Of the
night TO stranger. Il is supposed that Mr..
Cockrell had made his bed upon the coun-
tsr AMI then sat down in chair near the
other counter. upon which WAS found =
lamp. and Vas reading newspaper. He had
taken his revolver out and laid il upon the
counter near him. Some one came to the
door aud wanted to get in to get some
whisky. lie recognized the person, took
OF his spectacles. laid them on the coua,er,
threw the newspaper he vas reading upon
the pistol. and got up and vent to the door
and unlocked il. Admitting the murderer.
Mr.. Cockrell took the bottle and projected
to the hack room where the whisky vas
kept He entered the room, followed by
his assassin, stopped down with his right
side to the barrel to turn the faucet. As
he did 20. the villain must have Knocked
his cap OF With his right hand, and, with
the stove leg which he had kept concealed,
dealt
FOUR RAPID, TERRIFIC BLOWS
upon the left side Of his head, any one Of
which would have caused death. But 10
make assurance doubly sure, the murderer
then took his knife and, plunginx il into
the left side Of his neck, slsshed il clear
around to the front, from which wound. Of
course. his unconscious victim speedily bled
to death. Then going to the money drawer
he. successfully accomplished the object Of
his terrible deed, leaving the knife and the
stove leg behind him.
One peculiar and significant thing must
he here mentioned. From the position in
which Mr.. Cockrell vas placed, and the
manner in which the blows we're struck
With the stove leg, shows conciusively that
THE MURDERER WAS LEyr-HASDFD.
All Of the blows, ~ we'll as the cut with
the knife, being upon the left side Of the
head and throat. The knife wa common,
cheap one, With red wood handle. The
stove leg, however, no one seemed to
recognize. but it is said that at the inquest
. negro swore that he saw that same stove
leg about week ago in the cooper shop.
The murder is not thought TO he the
work Of . tramp, bu, Of some one with
whom the deceaced was acqusinisd. liz
knew the habits Of the deceased, knew
that the whiskey Wa kept in the bach
room. and carefully planned and promptly
carried out his terrible designs.
THE AMOUNT STOLEN.
Mr.. Stotis has been absent about tws
weeks and vas expected home Yesterday
He went to st. Louis 10 transact bushes,
and from there he went To Charleston
Mississippi county, to get his wife, vhs
was at that place on visit. Mr.. Cock
rell being left in charge of tn,
store alone. of course no one can know how
much money there vas in the drawer, bu
there was probably the receipts Of weeks
business.
THE INQUEST.
An inquest was held by Justice O. d
Finley, at n school house about half .
mile vest Of s:,dge Prairie, at ten o'clocl
yesterday morning. A large crowd va.
in attendance and the following is a lis,
Of the jurors:
G. b. Hooper, G. B. Fletcher,
Jno. Mari, Jas. A. Harvey.
Stephen Dial, X. l.. Stevens.
Mr.. Jno. Cason, who was present, went
and arrested . negro Who had once had
a difficulty with the deceased. lie was q
bad character and had been in the peni-
Tertiary. He was brought before the
coroner and examined, but afierward re
leased.
Several other negroes were brought be-
fore the coroner and examined.
A white man by the name OF Rains
vas also examined, but nothing Was ellie.
tied Of any consequence. Nothing could
be discovered throwing any light upon the
perpetrators Of the deed, and the jury
brought in . verdict that the deceased
came TO his death from wounds inflicted
With the stove leg and knife in the hands
Of some per.on CT Persons unknown.
THE FUNERAL
The funeral took place Yesterday morn
ing. The remains, after being viesed BY
the Coroneris jury, were taken to Pleasant
Green. and inferred in the family burying
ground With appropriate services. A large
concourse cf friends and relatives assembled
to pay the last sad rites to their unfortunate
relative and friend.
DIR. BARNES.
A BAzo0 reporter interviewed Dr.. Barnes.
He said it was very mysterious case. Any
one Of the wounds upon the head would
have caused death, but no doubt death i'm
metliately resulted from the sever
ing Of the jugulsr vein. His opinion WA
that, from surrounding circumstances he
thought the murder was committed by some
one acquainted with the deceased.
| SUSPICIOUS CHARACTER.
Late in the afternoon before the murder,
. stranger on foot Vas seen coming from
Arrow Rock toward Ridge Prairie. He
vas q little above medium hight, sandy
complected, red moussache and Roaiee,
weighs about l60 pounds, wore . long
black coat, exceedingly yell dressed
for . tramp or footman. A man
suPpoaed 70 be the same one
was seen next evening in Cooper county,
near the Lamine bridge, about nine miles
from BoonvilIe. lie seemed to be in .
hurry and wanted to get to Boonv,lls on
the first train. This IL all that is known
Of him.
ArPgMpr