The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-08-12
WHO Is HEl
A Queer Character Taken i'm
Custody by sheriff Smith
Yesterday.
He Talks Intelligently, Yet His
Writings Would Indicate
Insanity.

Sheriff Ellis x. Smith arrested 8
queer character some five miles south
o. the city Yesterday afternoon, on
suspicion that he was wife murderer
and fugitive from Justice from St
Clair county.
Parties who came in from the
locality where the arrest was made
informed the sheriff Of the mans
presence, and the officer lost no time
In taking him in custody.
When arrested, the prisoner gave
his name as Nels,-n, but beyond this
he had very lite to say. He is
about 80 years of age, wears a long
beard, aud talks very intelligently,
but some papers found in his p SEES.
sion would lead to the belief th t he
he insane.
A BAzoo reporter visited Nelson,
or whatever his name may be, in the
county Jail last night, but the inter
view was far from satisfactory. The
old gentleman was stark naked, and
Was taking a bath at the hydrant, ap-
parently oblivious to the gaze of
Murderer Tom Williamson and others
on that side Of the Jail.
He was asked on what charge he
wss arrested and answered, Drunk
and disturbing the peace" he guessed,
but he did not anticipats any trouble
from the accusation. He stated that
he was a native of New York state,
but had lived in Missouri number of
years. and ten years ag, was a resi-
dent ofSt. Joseph.
He bad practiced medicine some,
and recently had been travelling over
The state, bit was silent as TO h s
mission.
Among his effects were two labs on
which a sort of diary had been kept,
and while the chirography was fair,
the composition would indicate that
the writer was possessed ,,of an unbal-
lanced mind.
There was al a Letter from L. B.
Vose, an attorney of Macomb, ILL.,,
addressed to r. F. CrAnmer, Chilli
cothe, Mo-, and an agreement between
the latter and his wife, Elizabeth T..
Cranmer, to dispose of a tract of land
10 the said Woo.
The prisoner was asked if his name |
was Cranmer and his place of
residence Chillicoihe, and for a time
the question appeared to surprise him
so that he was at loss for an answer.
He finally admitted that he had been
in Chillicothe, but denied that his
name was Cranmer, although he gave
no explanation as to how he became
possessed of the letter bearing the adj
dress.
A half hour was spent in converse
ton with the prisoner without iliciting
like satisfactory information,
and the reporter bade the old gentle
man good night.
George Yeater, near whose country
home Nelson was first discovered yes
terday, informed a BAzoo reporter
this morning that prior to calling the
sheriff the man acted so strangely that |
it was believed he was a fugitive from
Justice.
81 thought" said Mr.. Yea
ter, "that he might be
who killed Collins near
Lowrey City, in St. Clair county, |
some time ago, and for whom a re.
ward is offered by the county and
state, and for this reason | had my |
men notify Sheriff Smith
The prisoner is still in
Jail, but nothing additional
was learned to-day in regard to his
history. He viii be held few days
liz the hope that there may be further
developments, Of which there does not /
seem to be much probability at this
writing.