The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-12-31
4 MURDER AND SUICIDE
A Santa Fe Railroad Man Newly
Married,
Is Killed by a Rival While Riding
Ont With His Bride.
The Murderer Beng Closely Pursued
shoots Himself.

From the Kansas City Times Dec. %.
The cOwardly murder yesterday after
noon in the presence of a young wife CT
a bridegroom OF three days, and the sui
eide OF the murderer q short time after
ward. form the incidents IN the most
sensational tradedY that has occurred in
this vicinity for years.
The victims name Wss MIR. Frank
Vaughn, and he was shot dead while
out riding in carriage accompanied by
his bride and Mr. and Mrs. Charles
St1yer. brother and slster-in-law of
MTs. Vaughn. The murder occurred
about three miles east of town on what
is known as the Rsytown road, mile
ca OF the Catholic cemetery. The as
sassin WAS Abram Nave, cousin OF Mr.
Vaughn's wife, who was riding horse
back behind the carriage and formed
one of the party who were en- route from
| Argentine, where the deceased lived to
| pay visit % tbs brides mother, Mrs.Ab-
| igail StoVer, VINO lives about q mile and
8 half west of Little Blue tank, flag
station on the Missouri Pacific. The
cause of tie murder appears TO have
been Jealousy Oh The part of Nave, who
IS cousin vi hrs. Vaughn,
! aud who had formed an
| attachment for her which ripened
| into love, and his proffers OF marriage
| being refused he threatened to end his
life or hers, and ON learning that she
was about to be Married, included the
prospective bridegroom In his threat.
81 Nhal
pie took place on Christmas eve
81 the residence of The brides
mother, The Rev. MIR. Robinson
OF Raytown officiating, and scarcely had
the Ceremony been finished when the
| crack OF revolver was heard aud bull
let crashed through the window aud
passing between the bridal couple, graz.
ed the neck of Miss Matte Slower, a sis
ter of the bride. Suspicion fell upon
| Nave as the would be assassin, although
search that evening failed to give any
| clue to the party who fired the shot. On
Christmas day, Mr.. aud Mrs. Vaughn
went over to Argentine, where they eX-
Dected 10 reside. and visited Dir. Charles
| Slower, the brides brother. Salur-
oaY evening Nave put in an ap-
| pearauce aud held a conversation with
Slower In relation 10 the suspicion that
had attached TO him in regard TO the
| Christmas eve shooting aud remarked
that he wanted to settle il, fearing that
| his aunt would cause his arrest as there
| had been some talk oft The result was il
| was arranged that Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn,
| Dir. and Mrs Slower and Nave should
visit Mrs. Abigail Slower on Sunday at.
| ternOOn ana talk over the matter. That
night Sir. Nave slept at StOver's resi-
| dence, and after dinner yesterday the
| TWO married couples took a carriage.
Nave mouated his horse and the party
set out tor the Little Blue Nave at
times would ride up along side OF the
| carriage and engage III COMPENSATION
with the occupants aud then fail IN be-
hind the carriage.
NAvE's COLD-BLooDED ACT.
Arriving at u rOint where the road
| turned to the right toward the Blue,
Nave deliberately lode his horse up
close To the rear of the carriage. which
was dOuble-seated pbaeton, and peer
ing through the small pane OF glass sci
10 the curtain, coolly drew his revolver
and placing 1t directly against the cur
tain. fired. Without wsitirg to see the
effect of the shot, he spurred up his
! horse and rode of t,ward Independence
| at a rapid gait.
Vaughn, ON being shot, fell forward to.
ward the front seat, on which Mr.. Sto-
/ NSl1 VIM was was cSoAOOt WIN
the cry of Charlie, Pm shot," AMI at
| the same time pulled out his revolver, q
| 38-calibre Smith s. Wesson, but il
slipped from his gr sp. Mr. Slower was
| paralyzed for q moment and the ladies
| screamed. The murdered man
| never spoke again and al
most instantly alter receIy-
! ing the wound he wss desd man. The
| scene. that ensued Was most narrowing
one The young wife was overwhelm-
| Cd with grief and Dried piteUusly as it
became apparent that her husband
| was III The sgonirs ot death, aEd her en-
| dearIng words ia, ed Ia bring any re-
| Spouse. A mtn named john Woodruff,
who was sitting on ftnce near by when
| the shooting occurred, offered his assls.
tancs, aud at the solicitation of Slower
| he g Il into the carriage, and the horses
Il, JUS were turned toward this city. The
| bride of Christmas eve, now weeping
| aud hrart broken widow, clssped her
husbands body in her arms, aud as she
| recovered from the shock of the tragic
shooting and Uegan to TealIze her lone
| illness, abe sobbed and mosned in a PHI
| full manner.
About O'Clock the carriage arrived at
| Shines undertaking rooms, on Walnut
| street, and the corpse Was taken out and
| laid on a stEetcher. The occurrence soon
| attracted the attention of passers-by and
the news of the tragedy spreading like
| wiIdfire, the sidewalk and street in front
of Stine's was crowded with an eager,
excited lot of men. all anxious to
learn the particulars AS the story was
| detailed and passed from mouth to
| mouth, the utmost Indignation was ex-
pressed and lynching was freely talked
| OF.
In the meantime Coroner Mcdonald
had been notified and arriving sooR al
| ter took charge of the body. On examin-
alton be found that the ball ha>. entered at
the lower end of the shoulder blade and
ranging downward passed through the
lungs An sr.erY mad evidently been
severed, as blood was ooziDg out of the
| mouth, nOsiriIs and ears in profusion
The wound also bed quite freely. Dur
ing all this time the devoted young wife
continued TO sob and moan, ard was
with difficulty persuaded to return to
1 the carriage.
The coroner turned over to Mr. Slower
the deceased effects, with the exception
of the revolver, which he considered
necessary TO retain until the inquest
should be concluded. He also cut out
| of the curtain of the carriage q square
| piece of the leather containing the rent
| made by the bullet. Il indicated that
the bullet was about q 45-eaiiber, and
had been held very close to the curtain
which was powder burnt. During the
afternoon and evening the undertaking
rooms were beseiged with persons wish
ing TO view the body and eager to hear
any gossip about the tragedy.
Il The second act in the terrible tragedy
occurred about dark when the murderer
reached his fathers home six miles
| south of Independence. Pursuers were
hot at his heels and with the conscious.
J ness of his horrible crime preYIng upon
his now more sober senses he was evil
IDENTIFY so overcome with remorse that he
: was no longer willing TO live. He rode
directly through his fathers yard ano
} out TO 3 havstack q short distance from
: the house and dismounting placed bis
/ murderous weapon against his temple
: and ended his existence by blowing cut
} his brains.
7 The murdered man Vaughn had been
Q freight caller at Argentine for two
years, in the employ of the Santa Fe
raiIrosd company. aud was welt known
and highly respected by all his fellow
employees of the road.
s The Cannon BAH. ThunderboIt and Cy
! clone trains are all side-traeked for the
: | ST. Louis Limited. via. the Missouri
!. Pacific, the only line running three ex
+ press trains from Kansas City 20 st
|. | Louis. ST. Louls day express at J 80 3
- TO4Ifa NIGHT azR@aaa at H.1E n