The Forrest City times., 1893-11-17
Hou the Bodtes Were Ted Dotca.

lfoN Nt bOdtfs Hf7f ftt1 DotsH.
 Sons continued to live at the home place. In 1879 his house was destroyed by fire and the family was broken up Alexander did not return to the home place again, but made his home with his father in Central City, near his home. The farm fell into the hands of trust and loan company. from which 1t was purchased by John \.
 Testimony of John A. McClelland. eldest son of the missing squire:
 lived on the old farm from 1881 to 1888 then went to St. Louis and resided there about one year. Father left the farm in 1873 as the house burned down at that date and he never resided there afterward I lived on the farm some time after with my brothers. residing in another building. Don't know where my ia ther is now. I saw father last in Centralfa in August, 1881. We met and merely passed the time Of day. No one else was present I heard from him again at different times in 82 and S3 in Springfield, H.. Arizona and the last time in Mexico. The letters are all lost or de. stroyed. Father would be 7g years of age if living The pond has been there for twenty i've years, never was dry and was always from shree to seven feet deep. I and my brothers filled up the cistern the place. Father was supposed 10 be in Springfield at the time He never was back afterwards to my knowledge Brother Oscar and father went away in the fall Of Sl. l have seen the skeletons and they bear evidence Of some perso-~ --,->~e a~7l P9t nave no reason to think .lC, ..- sEr Y 1aa..s of my father and hrother. Never had any trouble with father or brother. I bought an in terest in some land owned by Oscar and sent him the money to Pueblo, Col The letter vas not registered, but was in hills-seven or eight or them, think l have had the deed recorded but forgot the date. also told persons what Knew Of my father when asked We had hoe and ax on the farm, but no hatChet or pick Used to have company on the farm Of nights Never told anyone that had not heard from father since he left
 This son. John, is a workman in the shops of the Illinois Central railway at Centralia. The second son, Oliver J.. IS railroad man, and is engaged as freight conductor on the main line of the Illinois Central He testified that he accompanied his father in Decem Der. 1881, four months after the supposed disa ppearance from Chicago, to Decatur, H.; that his brother Oscar was along at that time. and tha: he went with them to St Louis, where he left them at the Union depot, en route for some place in the west This was the last he knew of them.
 The testimony of the third son. who is at present brakeman in the employ of the Illinois Central and who was a boy of i3 years at the time of their dis appearance, consisted of statements similar to those made by his brothers.
 PUBLIC OPINION.
 Public opinion is divided. Those people who believe that the skeletons found are those of Alexander and Oscar MeClelland and that they met their deaths at the hands of those who mi ght he interested in their removal advance the theory that Oscar his fathers fayorite son, and in the family difere nees was arrayed with his father against the remaining broth CTS; that John A had purchasel the farm and only needed his father s release, which was re. fused, to make his title good that it would have teen impossible tor strangers to bury the bodies in the manner in which they were found without the people in the house becoming aware of it.
 On the other hand, John and Oliver tell re- markably straight stories and are careful us to date. In one instance only did the testimony or John show evidence of improoability and that was when he told of sending sI0o to his missing brother in an ordinary letter. The money was sent to Leadville Col and the acknowledgment Of it's receipt was the last tidings of the boy. A. J. Matthews. who mar ried Alexander McCleland's daughter. has in hs possession packet Of papers given by Oscar 10 his sister, Matthews wife for safe keeping. This IS referred to as cvidclae tha, he intended leaving tho country.