Mexico weekly ledger., 1881-12-15
WAS wELDEN KILLED.
Finding Of his Dead Body In the Woods
Near Mexico, Mo.-Did Ed. Ramey Have
Anything to do With the Strange Mys-
tery9

From the Sedaiia Bazoo.
On the morning of the 22nd of Oc-
tober, young man named Ed. Ra-
mey was arrested in this city on a
charge of committing murder at
Oswego, Kas. The arrest was made
on confession made by himself to a
reporter Of this paper, he claiming
that he had killed man named John
King in bagnio at the above named
place the night before.
After his arrest here the authorities
at Oswego were notified by telegraph
but before an answer was received,
Ramey, who had been locked up in
the workhouse, made his escape.
Search was at once made for him, but
no trace could be found. Later in
the day, however, telegram signed
by the mayor of Oswego was re-
ceived, stating that no murder had
been committed there and that Ra-
mey was not wanted there. Search
for the self-accused murderer was
abandoned, and the officers came to
the conclusion that he was little
ratified, or else he had been on a
protracted spree and was laboring
under an attack of delirium tremens.
Nothing more was thought of the mat
ter until the 25th, when Sheriff Con
nor received a telegram from Sheriff
Bender, of Labette county, telling
him to hold Ramey as he was wanted
there for killing a man on October
IA. OF course this could not be
done as Ramey had skipped, leaving
no clew as to his whereabouts. This
was telegraphed to the Kansas sheriff.
A few days later an officer from
Oswego arrived in the city and from
a Bazoo reporter learned that man
named Weiden had been missing
from a small town near Oswego and
the last that had been seen of him
was on the night of the 14th of Octo-
ber. He had considerable money on
his person, and the officer was of the
opinion that he had been murdered
by Ramey, as he had been in the COM
pany of a man suiting his description
during the day and night.
As the officer failed to get any
clew here that would clear up the
mystery or learn anything of Ra-
mey's Whereabouts, he returned to
Oswego, Kansas. A few days later
on, picking up a copy of the St.
Louis Globe-Democrat, the officer
read An account of the finding of the
remains of q dead man near Mexico
in this State. From the description
given the officer at once recognized
it as that of the missing Welden.
Welden's two sons were notified
and one of them at once started to
Mexico to see if he could identify
the remains. On arriving there, the
remains which we're buried at the ex-
pense of the county, were taken up.
On taking glance at them the young
man at once recognized them as those
Of his father. AS they were in an
advanced State of decomposition he
decided not to remove them but re-
inter them there.
After spending several days in try
ing to find out something regarding
the strange affair, the young man
started for his home and arrived in
this city last evening.
To Bazoo reporter he stated that
from the appearance of the body
he could not help but believe
that his father had been killed and
his remains shipped to that point.
They were found by an old negro
man in the woods about a mile from
Mexico on the 25th of October. A
Coroner's inquest was held but the
cause of death was not determined
upon by the jury.
The young man thinks that Ramey
and hotel keeper, who until quite re,
Gently resided in Oswego are respon.
sible for his death.
The editor Of this paper was one
among the first on the grounds and
saw Welden before he had beer
moved. He showed no sign of VIC
lence. If murdered he was poisoned
and if poisoned, how came he away
out in the woods?