The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-12-30
WAsyHEMURDERED.
The Strange Story Told By .
Little Girl.
'sThat Man Killed Ny Mama and
Hung Her UP in the Barn"

ASDo A3Ss - s0S OoA
Sometime last September there arrived
10 Sedslia . stranger who gave his naWe ~
NATHAN J. FLErCHER,
and cough, for aud obtained work at the
brick yard south Of to~n, beyond the rail
rosd track. He began boarding 1t the
house vi Mr.. Croft, in the vicinity Of the
bricky ard, and wss si FIRE, v.sy re,icent ~
TO his family sfiair, but afterwards ihswed
out 10 . remsrk able extent. aud 10 Mr..
Croft said that he Wa = married man, but
that bic
WIFE HAD Ran OFF
With . man by the maine Of Packet. bu, that
he had two children, boy aud girl, and
wanted 10 arrange with Mr.. Croft for their
board. This Mr.. Croft acc~ded 10, and
the children we're brought on. The little
girl was about four years old, ard The boy
two years younger. They were poorly clad
and ia dilspidaied looking condition, but
this Fletcher explained by raying they had
been dragged around considerable Of late
he having taken them 10 the numerou.
places at which he had lived. To the lady
portion OF the houae, however, he said that
HIs WIFE WAS DEAD
had died rather suddenly last May, and
this Was what first aroused the suspicion.
Of the good people with whom he was !iv'
ing.
Shortly after making the arrangement,
for their board. the chiiren came. and ihs
dsy after their arrival. just after Fletcher
had left house, the little girl .aid 10 Mrs
Croft.
THAT MAN KILLED Ny MANA
| and hung her in q barn." To say tha
Mrs. Croft Gas sstonished, would but faint
y express the meaning. However, elk
kept her thoughts to herself, and il appear
ing tbs, Fletcher wsa anxious TO get rid O
the children, Mrs. Croft agreed 10 adopt th'
little girl. and the boy, after b<ing in sew
ersl families. Was 6,sl'y taken in ch.rg'
BY Mr. Crofts son-in.law, Ferdinsns
Meyers, living 3 piece out in the country
To I'll inquiries Fletcher eaid inat the
children had been for some time where h
last worked, on a farm on Tie waters O
Big Muddy, Owned by some one whom HI
called One Eyed Ford. He sIso claim
TO have known and been on ,nost iEtimst,
terms with
JOHN I. WEST,
Who, IA the reader il sware, was recently
hanged. Time wore on, aud the propri
etor finding Fletcher to be Of . no-sccoun
6isposiiion. gave him his walking psperr
The little chit had almost dsiiv repeated
her accusation against her father, and
about this time. one evening when Mrs
Croft wa st work, Fletcher writing aud the
child citing in the chair murchine sugar
the latter spoke mp and pointing 10 Fetch.
er repeated the rocu-atiou.
Fletcher heard her, and going over to the
chair and paiting her on the cheek said
"YOU MUSTN'T TALK So"
Al THE Mn. Croft spoke up and said,
81 FLETCHER. I believe your hands are stained
wiih the blood Of your wife! !" To the
charge he colored to the roots Of his hair
but said nothing. The next morni. <, how.
ever. he didnt 60 to work, and where he
did 60 to is ~ We, an nnfa,hoDed mys.
terry.
He left behind him some papers, which
fell into the hands of the BAzco reporter
last night, smong them
A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE.
which clearly et.blished the fact of his
marriage in Mcni,esu or Cole county (ihe
cerii6ea,e h.d BEEN isml~red .i,h) to
Mary Joaer, che ceremony being perfurn,ed
By james H. Rcddy. and witnessed BY H.
F. Putt and A. L. vssdiver. From other
papen. however, il appear that his vif.'-
name 80 Margaret, - . receipt for . rgis-
tered letter s.s touad directed ie
MRS MARGARET A. FLErC Err,
Jacksonville, H., dated la~s June. or one
month after the death of his wiie. He sI.o
lived in Cen,ertown, Cole county, a. letters.
wi,h the pencil writing wore %, were found
directed to him 1t that place.
Taken all in MI, there il q myssery con-
aected With the ~hole affair. The children
are bright. fat and intelligent locking. and
to al who come the little girl repeats her
accusation against her father, always in
the esme worda. The children are in good
hantsa. and will be we'll provided for, both
bodily and mentally. II is to be hoped
something may room turn mp to clear away
What nov looks like very dark sff.ir, or
establish the charge made against Fieich-
er and lei the lac be eufoyced.