The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1884-03-13
Va. M cold.sIooded murder

On Monday morning last, . neigh
Dor on visiting the home IF. John
Beck, living in the vicinity. OF Iron
Mound, found the body Of Beck lying
stiff aud stark on the floor. Coroner
GROCER, on being Informed OF the
matter, speedily summoned q jury,
and they spent Monday and Tuesday
In investigating the mysterious affair.
Beck was an unmarried man. He
hiss lived the life Of hermit for sew
eral years on his farm, which takes
within its limits the sterile sur
face Of Iron Mound. The few acres
he had nc for cultivation made him 3
seant living, 20 that he could not be
counted 3 man Of mach means He
was full sixty yeurs old. having
served In both the Mexiean war and
the Reb elllon. II was proved by tes-
timOny that he had not drawn pen
sion, Is Il vas ct first reported, but
had stated emphatieaIly TO . nelghbor
that he could make . living without
any aid from the Government, and
proposed 10 do go. There was moth
ing to show that be had ever had any
great amount Of money about his per
son, but was verE careless generally
with his few dollars, casting them In
the presence Of others into q box
which seemed to Be q sort Of general
receptacle. However, the Coroner
upon personal examination Of an old
pair Of breeches thrown caraiessly
about, discovered SIS in gold sewn up
In them. The testimony before the
Jury showed that g stab had been
made In the neck With an instrument
that must have been q ehissl that the
instrument entered the neck Ia such
g manner as not 70 touch the jUgular,
and thus prevented the free d0W Of
blood that his fingers we're set as ha
struggle had been made that the
contents Of the room looked as IL they
had been rified that there must have
been an attempt to burn the body, IS
the two shirts be wore we're burned to
the skin Of the body, which showed
no blIster-Fhich is common where
there IL no life In the body that
Beck was seen Ct noon the day before
In COED health and spirits In view
Of these circumstances, e was con
Guided b. many that Beck had been
murdered-not by some chance visit
OF but By some acquaintance or SC
0ualntanees. But It seems frOm the
verdict Of the jury, which We give be
low, that Il was not entirely clear to
their minds that such Eas the case
Everything that can be done 20 clear
the mystery will no doubt be done.
Bsck's body Eas buried yesterday Il
will b rumsmbeF0d that he vas the
old man who visited our city ofte1,
With q dIlapIdafed rig. selling veget-
ahlas during the summer weather.
The Vsriict, spoken 81, Il as follows:
SFATR or KAEsAa.
County q eRlina
A AnQuigtion holden - s..llta9 -
GreeleT township, March lO-ll,
1854, before ne, John B. Groger, cor
onef 81 Saline Co, on the body %
John Beck, thea lying dead. By he
Iur6fs whose names are hereto sub
scFibsd. The aid juror upon Their
oaths Do say that the above named
John Beck, cane % his death By the
hand Of some pers0n o. Pefsona IN.
known b the jury, q Inn AounoI
Greeley township, between the hours
oil A. n, Sunday, and - A. NJ
10Th, 1855.
aiCned i. 8. Peck,
A +. Andemon,
Marten Erickson.
v. II. Siren,
n p. Str0m,
Andrew Anderson.
Subaeribed % before ne e Saline,
tke1ith day'cf Nareh, 1854.
J.B. Gr0gsT, C0ToRoF.