The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-31
A FIENDIsH CRIME.
Recently Married Couple Horribly Butch
cred in Their Humble Home near st.
Louis, Mo.-The Crime Shrouded in Mys-
tery--The Generally Accepted Theory of
the Tragedy.

tery--The Generally Accepted Theory of
the Tragedy.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Jan. "a.
About five O'Clock yesterday afternoon
Justice Lippeman, residing in the vicinity
of Trenton, No., walked hastily into Chief
Harrigan's Office and reported that newly
married couple named Bodicker had beer
murdered in their bed in log cabin foul
miles south of Fenton, in Jefferson county,
Mo. In December last Bodicker married 8
young girl in this city named Josephine
Glatt, who lived at 1904 Hickory street.
The young couple Immediately moved te
log cabin on the High Ridge road, few
miles south of Fenton, where her husband
had rented land, which he intended to cul
tivate in the spring. They were esteemed
by their neighbors, and to all outward ap-
pearances the honeymoon in the log cabin
was as happy as the young folks could de-
sire. Both were industrious, and were in
fair way to gain the better things of the
world in the future.
Yesterday morning a resident of the
neighborhood, named Thomas Harrington,
had occasion to pass along the High Ridge
road, which runs past the threshold of the
humble cabin. On reaching the home
Of the young couple he noticed the
gate, which opened on a pathway lead.
ing to the door, wide open. There
was a suspicious silence about the
house which caused him to stop, and
on looking at the gate more closely he no.
ticed some bloody marks which seemed to
have been imprinted with a wounded OF
bloody hand. a second glance at the
cabin showed the front door open. He hal
loed to the occupants, but there was nc
answer. Fearing that something unusual
had happened, he determined to invests.
70 4 laslln
partition into two rooms-a kitchen and bed.
room. The kitchen door, which was ajar,
was on the north side of the cabin. On enter.
ing Harrington was Mortified to find the
dead body of Bodicker lying on the kitchen
floor literally chopped 10 pieces. He shud-
dered at the sight and ran to neighbours
named Mrs. Ford, where he reported his
- 'ly discovery. \ man named Stock,
w. was present, volunteered 10 go with
him and make further examination of the
cabin. The two men entered the cabin and
found Bodicker lying in a frozen pool of
blood.
His head was so mutilated and hacked
that it was barely recognizable. The floor
of the cabin was mass of CONCEALED blood
and brains. He was lying on his back with
his head toward the door and his feet di.
rectly under the stove, which stood near the
center of the kitchen. The body was robed
only in night clothes, and life had left il
several hours before. The men pushed
open the door leading into the bedroom
and their horI or was increased two-fold by
the sight that presented itself to their
view. Lying on the floor beside the bed.
was the body of Mrs. Bodicker, bathed in
blood from head to foot.
Her throat had been cut from ear to ear
and the head only hung to the body by
strip of flesh. The body was hacked and
chopped in a frigitful manner, and a
ghastlier looking object than her dead body
clothed only in night garments whose
Wilderness could be seen only here anG
there in the bloOd-soaked garment, coulc
hardly be imagined. The bed-clothing was
saturated with blood, and the walls
blotched and stained with brains. The mer
attempted to place the body in the bed anG
found that it was frozen to the floor, the
hair and limbs being meShed in blood
Turning away from the sickening sight
Harrington noticed bloody trail leading
from the room across the kitchen and Oui
toward the road.
He followed it until he reached a spot in
the middle of the highway, which gave
every evidence that deadly struggle haC
taken place. A portion of the wOman's
bloody night garment was found on the
ground, and the ruts and cavities of the
country road were stained and filled with
blood. The trail again turned and LED
back toward the house, but the back TRACK
was of a different character. The ground
looked as if a body had been dragged over
it. On further examination the men found
that Mrs. BOdicker'S body was covered
with earth, showing that she had been
dragged from the road back into the house.
The next discovery made was that trunk
which stood in one corner of the room had
been forced open by some bloody nipple.
ment and rifled. Bloody tinger-marks were
imprinted on the cover, and what was left
of the contents of the trunk were fiecked
with gore. The shirt which the assassin
wore when he committed the deed was
found rolled up i'll one corner of the kitch-
eli. The sleeves and breast were saturated
with blood and the murderer, after wash
ing, evidently put on one of Mr.. Bodicker's
shirts which he found in the trunk.
Outside i'll the yard a blOOd-covered ak
was found with which the terrible crime
was committed. IL was sharp and deadly
and an examination showed pieces of flesh
and hair still adhering to the blade. The
racks of the murderer were plainly dis
cernible around the cabin, as the ground
was soft and muddy Tuesday night ard did
1ot begin to freeze until early yesterday
A probable solution of the mysterious
,rime has been accepted by nearly all the
leighbors. Tuesday evening, it is sup
posed, a tramp came to the cabin and asked
or lodging, and pallet was prepared for
him in the kitchen. During the evening his
we rested on the trunk and learning the
habits of the young people believed that it
money and valuablss. After the
,ouple retired he concocted his devilish
,lan of double murder. After being as
ured that husband and wife were sleeping
oundly, he rose from his imprOmptu bed
md searched around until hs found the ak.
1e then stole into the bedroom of the /
leeping couple and dealt crushing blow
N the head of the man. The noise awak- /.
ned tie young wife and she started up in
.ffright. The murderer then struck the /
but she partially eevaded the blow, |
eceiYing it on the shoulder, and leap !
ng up grappled with the assassin, and in /
ne struggle reached the door, where she |
roke away and ran into the road.
The murderer pursued and finally over |
ook his victim in the public road. There /
e struck her a second blow, knocking her
leeding to the earth. She continued to
truggle, and while on her knees he almost
ecapItated her with a blow on the NECK.
lie then dragged the body into the house
nd threw it beside tue bed. BOdicker,
till showing signs of life, had walked To-
7ard the door that led into the yard,
Yhen the murderer met him and dis
atched him with couple of blows. He
hen forced the trunk, taking what valua-
fater and washed himself, taking OF his
loody shirt and putting on one that be-
)nged to mis- victim and left Harrington
nd Stock spread tue news in the neighDOr-
God and all yesterday afternoon the cabin
Tas surrounded by a Mortified crowd OF
Ountry people. Two or three parties were
rganized and started out to search the
gan ordered couple Of mounted men TO
IA