The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-01-19


Howard in the fall of 1888, and for
which he was executed on the ideuti.
cal spot whence STAR vas launched
into eternity.
Some two weeks after the Stairs ar
rived in Nevada Jacub Sewell and bis
16-year-o!d son campei with two
wagons and teams and some loose
property of small value. having also
come from the vicinity of F,rt Scott,
where they had raised crop. The
Stairs and S wells hal formed a
slight acquaintance at that place, and
after going ito camp the ei Ter Sc
well visited Sair for tue purpose at
securing the latIer's assistance in Oh
la ming pasture for his four horses.
From that time the Stairs paid fire.
quent visits tn SewelI's camp, always
at night, and often remaining until
near morninE. The elder Sewell took
SICK at last and was compelled TO keep
his bed IN one Of the Wagons, which
was provided with a cover. 1t was
during these visits to the camp, Os-
teGSibly for the purpose of waiting OH
the sick man, that Stair conc ucted the
scheme To murder the Sewells, take
possession of their property and skip
out for his former home in Indiana.
On the night of August 8 Stair and
the woman visited the camp as usual.
Stair went out a second time near
midnight, and finding the Sewells
asleep, tie old man IN the wagon and
the boy ON a pallet On the gTound.
KILLED THEM BOTH
with an axe. A few DAYS previous to !
the murder, Stair had made trip to |
the MarmstOn river bottom, some Fix |
miles north OF Nevada, osrensibly tor
the purpose OF l. OkIng at tract of
land from which he pretended II be
endeavoriDg to secure a contract for
cutting the timber. The real object
o! his visit, however, was to choose
some spot in the louely, swampy bot
tom, In which to secrete the bodies OF
his victims. After he had completed
his horrible bu'chery of the Sewells,
Stair placed the body of the boy in
the covered wagon with thrt of his
father, covered them with portion of
the old bed clothes belonging to the
outfit, aud went home after the woman.
Both then went to the camp, picket
up and loaded into the wagons few
loose articles, hitched up the two
teams, and about 2 o'clock in the
drove into Nevada, Stair
driving the covered wagon containing
the bodies, and the woman following
with the other. They stopped at their
own house, loaded in few articles
from their scanty supply of furniture,
and struck out north for the Marina
ton timber. They arrived at spot
previously visited by Stair at about
$50 o'clock in the morning. the
route chosen Was over an unfrequent-
3D. and extremely rough road, which
fact and the early hour attracted the
attention of parties in the vicinity, and
led to an early
DISCOVERY OF THE CRIME
They drove into the timbered bot
tom, and found body of prospectors
1t work near the spot Stair had select
ed for depositing the bodies. This
made slight change of programme
necessary aud The bodies remained in
he wagon during the day. That
night Stair took them from the wagon,
dragged them to the edge of a cliff
hear by, deposited them under an
over hanging rock, and covered them
With an old gunny sack and dry
caves.
That night they left the bottom by
he same road they entered it, and
after reaching the prairie turned
,ast, and travelled some Is
niles. Early the same morning,
parties who had suspected that all was
lot right, went into the bottom and
discovered the dead bodies. The off,
,ers were notified and at once went in {
pursuit Of the wagons, captured the
nan and woman, and bad them be-
lind the bars before night.
TRIED FOR MURDER.
A special term Of court was called, ,
stair and his so-called wife, Nannetta
stair, were indicted for murder in the
irst degree by the grand jury, and c
Ifter trial occupying four days, the Z
ury brought in q verdict of guilty, 4
md both were sentenced to be hanged
N Friday, October %. A stay of
was granted by the supreme
,ourt and later that tribunal sus- {
aimed the finding of the lower court G