Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-12-28
A Trail OF Blood.

On the evening of November 20 there
arrived in Medora, small town in In.
diana, woman describing herself as
Eliza Kemp, agent for the sale OF dress
patterns. Seventeen years ago there
occurred in Seymour, town near
Medora, one Of the most blood eurdling
and mysterious murders ever committed
in that section. Subsequently three
other murders were committed, caused
directly by the first. For the past sew.
enteen years these murders have been
entirely surrounded in the deepest mys-
terry, and not until this morning, when
the testimony of Eliza Kemp was given,
was the true history of the crime
known.
On January 3, 1866, Moore Wood.
mansee, wealthy merchant Of Medora,
came TO Seymour on his way to Cincin.
natl. He had $1,000 in cash to buy
goods with He registered at the RAIDER
House for the night. Next morning he
was missing from his room. Nine
months after, a body was found in
White River with the head cut off, and
on examination the doctors proved it to
be the remains OF Woodmansee. The
RAIDER House was ransacked for evidence
of the suspected murderer. On remov.
ing the carpet of the room occupied by
oodmansee, blood stains were found
upon the floor. Gordon Kinney, an
employe of the hotel, was suspected of
having knowledge of the murder.
When the excitement caused by the
finding of the body was at its highest
point an unknown man called Kinney
from his door one night. As Kinney
opened the door he was shot and instant
ly killed by the strAhger After this all
effort to find the murderer was aban-
doned.
In 1872 Ruben Wheeler was mortally
wounded. and on his deathbed confessed
that On the night OF the Woodmansee
murder two men had taken from RAIDERS
stable horse and wagon, which they
returned next morning with the bottom
of the wagon covered with blood. RAIDER
was arrested for the murder, but was ac.
quilted, and the affair was again mys-
terry.
On the night of the murder dance
was being held at the RAIDER House. To-
ward the close Sam Long and w. A.
Flynn, two gamblers, left suddenly. 1t
was known that Flynn and Wootlmansee
had had difficulty over lawsuit.
Flynn threatened to kill him, and his
partner, Sam Long, said the case should
never come to another trial. After the
murder these men returned to Medora.
Every time during the many years that
any new evidence concerning the Wood
mansee murder was reported, it was fol-
lowed by meeting of these men. Sus-
picion began to point strongly toward
them.
Flynn then threatened to shoot one
Emery, who bad accused him of the
murder, but Emery shot first and in
stantly killed Flynn.
Sam Long then disappeared, and Alden
Rodman, his suspected accomplice, was
taken from the Jail by mob and hung.
Thus, from knowing the murder of
Woodmansee, Kinney was killed, Wheel
or mortally wounded, Flynn shot dead
and Rodman hung. Seventeen years
passed away, but the mystery had not
yet been solved. Eliza Kemp testified
that she occupied room No. 8, next to
Woodmansee, in the RAIDER House, on
the fatal night.
She said: ''On that night l was sud
denly awakened by noise in Wood
mansees room. In second was fully
awake and realized that some one in the
next room was begging for his life, |
then heard some one say "Sam, kill the
-.' There was IA blow, fol-
lowed by heavy fall Then one said:
He's dead, d-n him. They then agreed
to take his body, cut the head of, and
throw the body into the river"
81 left Seymour early next morning,
and have never told what j heard, as
my life has been threatened time and
again through anonymous letters and
other MnYsn