Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-01-02
wAs xin.d Yo.nr ci..a,

Frequently, within the past few
months, the INDEX has referred to the
mysterious disappearance of a youne
man named Cloud, who left his home In
Newton county, NO., last May and came
west with the intention of locating
The last heard of young Cloud was
through postal card mailed at Medi-
cine Lodge on the I'D day Of May.
In October last the body of an UNI
known man was found murdered about
seven miles from Sun City. in Conan
che county, and it was afterward iden-
tined as the remains of Cloud by the
father of deceased. Prom the accurate
description given Of the wagon and
team by the father, VIM. Murdoch, who
lives near this place remembered that
he had seen such an outfit, he having
traded horses with a young man that
was with Cloud.
Suspicion pointed to former neigh
Der of Cloud, who had left Missouri and
come west; and an effort was made to
find the whereabouts OF this party; but
without success. In the meantime all
OF Newton county, Mo-, had learned of
the murder OF Cloud. and his friends
were untiring In their efforts to hunt
down the murderer.
A few weeks ago a young man named
Peter Culpepper, whose home Is near
CRANKY, in Newton county, and who
had made frequent trips to southwest
ern Kansas, remarked in the hearing Of
some of Clouds friends that he saw the
deceased tout west" last spring; but
he gave no particulars. At once it was
decided to arrest Culpepper, and notify
the officials Of Barber county, and this
was accordingly done. About three
weeks ago, VIM. Murdoch was appoint
ed deputy sheriff and sent to Neosho.
Mo-, to identify the prisoner. He ar
rived there, saw Culpepper and identi-
fed him as the man he had traded hor-
ses with last May. The prisoner did
not make any denial Of this, and volun-
tarily stated that he went as far as Sun
City with Cloud; but denied that he
went any further.
This admission appeared to warrant
the detention of Culpepper, and so Mr..
Murdoch went to Topeka, obtained
from the governor q requisition and
this he took to Jefferson City where it
was properly honored. and with this
authority Mr.. Murdoch went to Neosho,
obtained the prisoner and arrived here
last Friday evening with him.
The prisoner was arraigned Saturday
afternoon before Justice McCandless;
but by consent of all parties the case
was postponed until Tuesday, when it
was again continued until to-day, that
the presence of important witnesses for
both sides might be obtained. And so
the matter now rests.
Culpepper is young man of perhaps
Is years; light complexion, hair and
eyes; he wears light mustache and u
new growth of chin whiskers. He has
not what may be considered a prepos-
sessing cOuntenance, and at the same
time there is nothing particularly bad or
desperate in his looks. He was raised
ia Newton county, Mo-, though it ap-
pears that he and the Clouds were not
acquainted. He has been out west sew
eral times, and is slightly acquainted on
some OF the ranges in the Territory,
south of here His father died "a years
ago, and his mother, who married again.
with two sisters, live in Cherokee coun-
ty, this state His family is well spoken
OF by those who should know. A broth
er-in-law. A. d. States, is the editor of
the Cyclone, newspaper published at
Cherokee, Kansas. He is here now.
and with Gen. Thos. Freeman, Of New
ton county, defendants attorney, will
watch the progress Of this trial.
Culpepper is reticent, and so far has
not seen fit to make any public state
ment; though he has casually let drop
fragments Of just such evidence as the
prosecution will be glad to take adyan-
tage OF.
In this connection a party this week
announced that he now has in his DOS.
session the identical pony that Culpep-
per got from Murdoch. He says he
found the pony last June on the prairie
a short distance from where the body of
Cloud was found. How the pony got
there remains to be explained.
So far the wagon and team Cloud was
driving have not been located. OF
course these will cut an important fig
ure in the case. Detectives are hunting