The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-07-07
MONTSERRAT MYSTERY
a Murder Most Foul. the Out
come of q Debauch.
The Dead Body of Clark
Sharpe Found on the
Railroad.
The Cause Of Death Enveloped in
the Deepest Mystery.

Tor yeaTo past utdIly Gil Vi suS huIucsS
committed in Johnson equity have been
shrouded in mystery, but sooner or later
her yigilant officers and law aud order
loving inhabitants ferret out the perpetra-
tors and bring them to a speedy and just
punishment
In March, 1884, poor Carl Steidel,
German boy who had been working at the
railroad shops at Sedalia, was found on
the railroad track near Warrensburg,
dead. Mystery clouded the whole affair.
Later the Hamilton boys were suspicioued,
srrested, tried, convicted, and executed
In the July following. So in the case OF
old man
sHARPE's MURDERER,
Monday night. That he was foully
killed there is no doubt, and the
responsibility rests with officers and citi-
zens of Johnson county, to prove tue to
their trust and not lax until the guilty
ones are brought to justice.
THE CRIME.
Clark Sharpe, Lewis Fry and William
Smith, all residents of Moptserrat, were in
Knob Noster Monday, drinking to excess
They started on the tract together toward
Montserrat. Clear Fork bridge is shout
one and half mills east Cf MoDtserrat.
Late Monday night the dead body of Clark
Sharpe was found about thirty yards east
of the bridge. Testimony before the coro-
Der's Jury shows that the three men were
four hours walking from Knob Noster to
the bridge, two and a half miles, and were
quarrelling all the way along the ROAD.
THE INQUEST.
Yesterday morning Coroner DR.. J. 1.
Anderson, Sheriff n. Fl. Russell, and
County Attorney w. w. Russell arrived at
Montserrat. A coroner's jury was i'm
panelled of the following named gentle
men: w. II. Anderson. John T. Gillian,
Arch Mays, John Daley, w. r. McCarty
and Sam Filings.
Lewis Fry, William Smith and Anthony
Haney were arrested on suspicion of being
implicated in the killing.
The cornoner's jury took possession of the
town school house and several witnesses
were examined. The most important tes-
timony given will be found below:
William Smith, one of the men arrested,
swore that he was in Sedalia Monday and
come to Knobnoster on the "bob tail"
saw Clark Sharpe there. He was drink
lug. Lewis Fry and Sharpe left together
about p. m, toward Montserrat. Antho-
ny Haney lett toward Montserrat at /. II
was later when / left. Ii was dark when |
went toward Montserrat. When / was near
Clear Fork bridge / ian on TO Fry and
Sharpe. They were lying on the ground
on the north side of the track. When /
came up they got up and commenced to
quarrel and heard Fry call Sharp S.
of b. and struck him (Sharpe) in the
breast. Sharp made no resistance, but fell
on his back In the middle of the railroad
track, think possibly his head struck the
rail. think this was about $50 p. m. 1
went home to my boarding house. was
asleep when the trains passed that night.
Alter Sharpe was knocked down he col
mp and went on side of the rails on south
side of the track and laid down. went
home then. / had jug of whisky when
left Knobnoster, but it was "busted on the
road" the handle of the jug was so small
i could not carry it good and it dropped
and broke. During the night I was
by the boys and went with them
to where Shsrpe's body was found. / saw
Lewis Fry at the west end of the bridge.
He asked me
WHATS UP"
That is all he said and / made no reply
but walked on. Tommy johnson was with
me. was pretty full when / came home
Monday night l hurt my nose on the wire
fence.
Judge r. C. Walker, of Sedalia, sworn,
said he knew Sharpe, Fry and Smith when
he saw them. He did not see the men on
the track Monday evening.
/ did see man who said he saw three
men.
Matthew Heery sworn: Am fireman.
Passed east of here between IL and II Mon
day night. Saw no man lying on or near
the track at Clear Fork bridge. / was
standing on the north side of the engine.
John Calvin sworn: am an engineer.
I was on train "a June f9. Passed Mont.
serrst at HIP p. m. going east. Saw moth
ing on the track east of Clear Fork bridge.
Saw no body on or by the side of the track.
Lewis Fry sworn: / know Clark Sharpe.
Saw him at Knob Noster. I don't know
what time il was saw him, as I was
drink g. Saw Smith there. / left there
with Bill Smith and Sharpe for Mont
serrat about 6 o'clock. / saw
Haney Monday afternoon at the Knobs.
He was ahead of US coming home. Sharpe
had quart of whisky. Smith had Jug
don know what he had in it. Smith
and ,rted at the railroad bridge. We
left S, arpe about thirty yards east of the
bridge, sitting up. This was near 10
o'cloc We were all drunk and wee
four purs getting from Knob Noster to
Clea, rk. 1 did not see Smith at west
end bridge about midnight. / had no
NTH Sh.rraa Snnitb u al Il fl
cul, 18th Sharpe. 1t is not true that /
struc ,narpe and killed him.
w m smith Was recalled, and At
torn God told him that Fry had been
on md and made clean breast, and
it D., Il g little dark tor ham. Smith said
last lrdsy night Fry abused him
fSa.s .ecsuse be would not give him a
glss o-er-called him all the names he
COZ u a his tongue 10, but nothing new
wa q ped.