The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-06-06

TAYLOR UNDERWOOD.
Tavlor Underwood, the noted criminal.
having pleaded guilty on his second trial
10 murder in the second degree, and been
sentenced to ninety-nire years imprison
melr was taken through Srdaiia Oh Thurs
sIa.. aud before shutdown of that day had
bidder adieu forever to all Of this world
There i, outside the gloomy walls of the
peniteutiary.
HIS CRIME
was no ordinary murder An officer in the
simple and faithful discharge of his duty,
was shot down in cold blood, and rushed
any: pared into eternity. j. d. McEirath,
the worthy marshal of the city of Green
fed, Dade county, was his victim
The marshal had merely told Underwood
hat il was his duty to arrest him. He had
as yet not made the attempt, when Under
wood watched his opportunity and
after firing with fatal effect,
closely pursued, at last effected his escape
Certainly If ever killing deserves the pun
ishment of death, the wanton murder OF
this faithful officer deserves it.
The above likeness is one of the best
Poor McElrath was to have been mar
ried to a very beautiful and es imabie
young lady ON the Sunday following his
murder. He is represented to have ap-
peared very cheerful and kindly disposed
towards all, in this near contamination of
his happiness. In this mood he met the des-
perado, an old acquaintance it seems, on
the Goth of June, 1881, on the street.
planned to Underwood that he was suspected
of connection with some recent hose thefts
and il was his duty to arrest him. Then,
without making the endeavor the marshall
walked away. Very soon, however, they
door of Whites saloon. He insisted that
drink with him. They had their drink
and were standing at the counter, when
McElrath again remarked that he
MUST ARREST HIM.
At this juncture . third man, suspected
by Underwood to be the marshals assist
ant, came into the saloon, when suddenly
Underwood drew his revolver and fired,
hitting the marshal. Then the alert rascal
backed through the rear door and fed,
with crowd following. He intimidated
them with few shots, and quickly COM
ing upon a hitched team, cut one of the
horses loose, and mounting,
MADE HIS ESCAPE
to the woods.
Thence Underwood sought the Indian
territory, striking the line at Seneca. From
there he went to Vinita, where he met
friends of his own stripe and was
furnished with money. After few
days rest he went to Chetopa, Kansas
where brother lived. In
HIS NARRATIVE
of what followed, Underwood saws:
After staying at my brothers a couple
of days, | went back south, getting off the
train at Gibson station and walking to Oc-
mulgee, sixty miles southwest From
there | went by freight teams 10 Sac
Agency, not showing up, however, in any
of these towns. Went from Sac Agency
about nine miles north on Red Fork. and
from there wrote q letter to nv brother
near Chetopa. In reply, he said his oldest
HAD BEEN HUNG
for horse stealing by mob at Greenwood.
Mo-, and also another son was in Jail at
Carthage, where he had been taken from
Kansas without any requisition from the
governor. He told me q prominent lawyer
at Carthage said he could get him ont on
a writ of habeas corpus, and wanted me to
come back and get him ont of the country
As | was we'll acquainted with it. He
said the lawyer informed him that the boy
could be arrested again, unless taken out
OF Missouri at once. After getting that
letter, | went to Chetopa, reaching my
brothers just before daylight. He was
then at home, and We
HADA TALK
about how we would manage TO get his
son away. was to 20 with him TO Car
thage. He was to get bin out, bring him
down to cornfeld, where I was to be !;
then the boy and I were to travel at night
till we reached the nation; my brother
vas to take the train and 20 back home.
was to take the boy to point near Sac
Agency, where he could get work. Then
my brother, who had sold ont while was
at his house, was to come down where his
son was.
REACHING CARTHAGE
on the night of August 5th. We took a
nap 10 Lambs cornfeld, northwest of the
town. My brother went up i'm town next
morning and got US some Bologna sausage,