The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-03-11
WINDSOR, March 8.

WINDSOR, March 5.
THE WINDSOR MURDER.
Never since the killing of John Will
hanson, nearly fourteen years ago, has this
place undergone such a ferment of excite
nent as it has Saturday, Sunday and to-
day.
The killing of John Wells, so wantonly,
and the crime being so unprovoked by that
harmless old man, again brought to the
surface the feelings oil an outraged cummu-
nifty, and the blood of the murderers was
demanded 10 satisfy the law in such cases
made and provided.
THE FUNERAL OF THE VICTIM
took place from his late residence at IL
o'clock a M, Sunday, and WAS attended by
q large concOurse OF people, MANY of whom
were attracted there by the tragic event,
and others by friendship to the family who
have long resided here. The decease was
buried with Masonic honors, bestowed upon
him by Windsor lodge No 90, of which he
was a respected member The religious
services were conducted by Rev Dewitt, of
the Southern Methodist church of this
place.
AN INCIDENT AT THE FUNERAL.
While the services were in progress,
Mrs. Burton who resided In the vicinity
Of the Wells place, Came there and called
Mrs. Hopkirk, another neighbor out from
the assemblage and whispered some intel
Isence which seemed TO overcome her and
she was heard to exclaim:
My God my son back here I"
The two neighbors left together before
The services were concluded, going toward
their respective homes.
MOUNTED MEN
Were out early Sunday morning. going in
different directions hunting clews to the
perpetrators Of the crime. John r. Casou
formerly sheriff of Saline county, who has
been very successful In ferreling OUT some
81 the worst crimes that ha been commit
ted In Central Missouri the past decade.
was wired on Saturday and arrived here
early Sunday morning. He took charge
81 the search and to him all evidences were
reported.
STARTED FOR THE ARREST
On the incident at the funeral being re- /
ported to Cason, some sixty or seventy men
On horseback started for the Burton house
10 see ii the young man had arrived The |
house about five miles southwest of Wind |
sor was reached, and young Hopkirk ar |
arrested. He told the officers he had been |
put OF OF a train near Calhoun. and had |
walked from there to Mr.. Burton's.
While here the arrival of Tom Brown
held, we'll known character, was also re- |
ported, and thence the party went to Mrs. |
hrown6elds and found their man.
TO CALIFORNIA AND TEXAS.
Tom Brown6eld had once worked for
Uncle Bennie" Wells. While there he
had some difficulty with John E Wells,
HE murdered man. This trouble grew out
o. some ADVICE that John had given Tom
regarding some acts and depredations he
had committed In the neighborhood
Tom Brown6eld and Frank Hopkirk
were boon companions. Brownfield is
about Il and Hopkirk about I7-both
known, for their age, hard cases About
the fourteenth OF February, Hopkirk left
Sstenslbly for California, and Brownfeld
isit the same time, giving out that he was
seIng to Texas. HopkiIk stole from his
1sther $l2O, which he had brought home
and secreted in the clock. With this nancy
ne skipped the country without the knowl-
edge or consent of his parents Hence the
-Aat be had returned.
SEARCHING FOR CLEWs.
After the arrest of the two boys a series
OF questions were put TO them apart, which
revealed something strange in their move.
nents the past few days. They both wore
gum coats and a boy named Earnest Bur.
ton had been told to take the coats out in
the timber and heap some leaves on them
and set fire to the pile. The boy took the
coats out and in place of burning them he
secreted them in a culvert on the railroad.
To this culkert the boy led John Carson
and Constable Bennett, and the coats we're .
produced.
THE SUPPOSED hURDERERs
were then started for town at the head of
the procession-oDe riding In buggy with
an officer and the ether behind an officer
en- horse And In this manner they were
brought In, carefully guarded by men on
horseback armed with guns and pistols,
making quite . formidable army number
ing nearly one hundred. They arrived in ,
Windsor about 4.30 p. m. Sunday and the
prisoners taken TO the Bass house and put
In different rooms.
MOB MUrTERIEGs
At nightfall there were two or three
hundred people scattered around-some at
the hotel and some on the corners, dis
oussing the situation. On the arrival oil
the train from Sedslis the crowd was
augmented by . liberal supply of men who
had boarded the train at Green Ridge. Z
The Bass house was a perfect arsenal. On
the arrival of the representative Of the 9
BAzoo he found . guard at both the front e
and back doors. On the inside on the 3
stains leading to the second story of the 7
house stood two men with guns 10 repel q