The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-01-28
FOR HIS LIFE
Will John I. West be Tried To-
Morrow.
The Murdered Stranger at Pilot.
Grove.

OF the discovery oil murueIeu seIsuEeS
near Pilot Grove, in Cooper county, on the
morning Of October 5,h. A week later .
man named John /. West was arrested
charged with the deed. He declared his
innocence, but the evidence, although
purely circumstantial, is very strong
against him. He was indicted by the
grand jury. and tomorrow the case will De
called in the Cooper County Circuit Court
a. Boonyilie.
As the BAzoo will report the trial in
full, and in order that the chain OF cir-
cumstances may be kept complete, ~ we'll
az for the informsti Of those who never
read the details of the affair We give .
synopsis Of il.
On Friday afternoon. October 5th, two
men walked into Pilot Grove on foot, com.
ing from the direction of Sedalis, on the
railroad track. One was . small man.
respectfully dressed, carrying a large and
peculiarly marked cane. The other vas
very tall man, rather stability attired
They went into store and the small man
asked for
AGLAss OF BEER
They was told by the merchant that hs
had nothing but bottled beer, and that
they would have to buy bottle a. he
could not sell them q glass. The smalleI
man replied that they only wanted two
glasses, and they left the store. From
there the went to drug store and
THE SMALL NAN
asked Mr. Harris for something, that HI
now forgets, but did not have. After THU
the two men departed, going from PHO
Grove out into the country in a north
westerly direction.
The next that il heard of them thai
evening, they went to farm house, about
one and quarter miles from Pilot Grove
and asked for drink of water. Here, too
they inquired
THE ROAD TO ROCKVILLE
They were told that they had passed the
road that branched of to Boonville. AT
ter they reached the gate they parleyed q
few moments, and one of them pointed
westwardly, they continued on their origi
nal course instead of going back to the
Boonville road About mile and hall
from this point they vent into an orchard
Of . Mr.. Kaley's and gathered some ap
Piles. Mrs. Haley saw them. hut rs heI
husband was absent she Was afraid to e
near them to order them away. After GIL
ing their pockets with apples they con-
timued their course en- the Briant's bottom
road, until, At a distance of a quarter Of Z
mile from Maley's orchard, they came Il
A SMALL DESERTED CABIN.
built of logs. The cabin is in . cornfeld
about one hundred feet from the road, and
owned by Cornelius Canine. Ithad goot
roof, Fireplace, etc, and formed very
comfortable place to camp for the night
which they res lived to do. They put aom,
straw on the floor, tore out the dry chinkinl
from between the logs, and built FIRE in tn,
fireplace.
The next morning Saturday
Mr.. MEREDITH,
who rents the land upon which the cabir
stands, sent his two sons to gather som,
corn, from the field around the cabin, t.
feed his stock over Sunday. The yooni
men drove down there and entered the CAT,
in front of the cabin between 10 and II
o'clock. One of them, wishing to light hi
pipe, entered the cabin. As he came in h,
saw that somebody had besn there the nigh
before. There was straw on the floor and
embers in the fireplace. Looking further
he saw vest hanging up behind the door
Continuing his investigations he Observes
that the straw upon the floor was coveret
with blood and also that straw Vas sticking
up in the crevices between the planks o
the floor. The ends of two plsnks wer
loose, and upon raising these, he saw
AGHAsTLY AND BLOODY cORPsE!
The body, which was without hat, coat O
boots, was lying upon its breast, With it
face turned upon its right side. The spac
between the ground and the floor is abou
eight inches, and order to get the bod.
into this, the murderer, had crowded j
with some force, and cramped the knees.
Young Merideth WAS horror struck an,
ran to the door and called to his brothel
The body was still limp and warm, whicl
showed that the murder must have beef
committed that morning.
THE WOUNDS
that caused the mans death were upon hi
forehead, which had evidently been crush
ed with some heavy, jagged object. On
deep cash reached straight across the man
forehead, just above the eyes; another dec
cash was farther up on the left side Of th
forehead-eiiher of these wounds was suit
cient to produce instant death.
A careful search Of the premises "a
then made, which resulted in finding tn
instrument with which the murder "a
committed, carefully hidden in the fir,
place and covered up with ashes. II was
LARGE STONE,
with sharp uneven edges, covered viii
blood. IL weighed s. pounds. Beyond thi
and three apples upon shelf over the lir'
place nothing was found. A search Of tn,
field and surroundings for the dead man.
hat, coat and boots was made but they
could not be found.
In an clubhouse was found the BLOODY
shirt of the murderer. which had evidently
been hurridIy torn of. 1t having rained
the night before, his tracks were found out
side the cabin, and traced in the road lead
ing Of in . northerly direction.
An inquest was held and verdict rem.
dered in accordance with the above facts.
Neither of the men had been seen before
tho d.v nrevions and mn one ~onh ,>,o,