The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-31
FOSS Is ARRESTED
HE Is CHARGED WITH THE MURDER
OFAFARMER NAMED DERR.
Accused is Prominent StOckman OF
KingfiSher County and Formerly
Lived in Southern kanSaS-A
Woman is in the Case
OF Course.

j. J. Derr, a we'll to do farmer who liv-
ed seventeen miles southwest of Guthrie.
Friday night Mr.. Derr was at his home
and between and 10 o'clock he heard
strange noises in his barn yard. Think
ing that some animal was disturbing the
chickens he went out to drive it away.
Two shots were heard, but nothing was
thought OF the matter as the family
thought that Mr.. Derr might have taken
his revolver with him and shot at what,
ever was making the noise. When he
failed to return to the house after a
reasonable time some members OF the
family went out to see what was causing
the delay and to their great hor ror they
found Mr.. Dsrr lying dead near the barn
with two bullet holes throught his head.
IL was found also that when he left the
house he was not armed. 1t was at once
concluded that he was assassinated and
suspicion pointed to we'll known COW
man aud farmer named Foss, OF kingfiher
county. Yesterday Foss was arrested ac
cording to information received from
Kingfisher, near which place he resides
The story told is subtaEtially as follows:
Sometime along about November 1892
George Derr, son of the murdered man,
found that Foss was paying attentions to
his sister that were not quite legitimate,
and he told him SO in very
plain language. Hot words were
exchanged, quarrel followed and shot
or two were fired on both sides, without
any serious effect. Foss was forbidden
permission to see Miss Derr under any
circumstances, and bitter feud sprang
up between him and the Derr family,
especially George Derr.
About six months ago wounded man
arrived in this city and was taken direct
from the Scnta Fs train from the south
to this Wichita hospital. There ae refused
to give his name or any facts concerning
how he came by his wounds. He trumped
up a story which nobody at the hospital
believed, nor body else for that mates:
He was shot above the right ear; the bull
let passed through the corner of the fore.
bead and came out directly over the
right eye. 1t was very dangerous
wound, rs it penetrated part of the
brain. While he was in very critical
condition, and liable to die at any moment,
yet he steadfastly refused to give the facts
concerning his wounds. A few nights be-
fore that constable at Winfield shot
burglar, and when the officers of Cowley
county read in the EAGLE the story about
the wounded man in the hospital they
came up here and claimed him as the al
legged burglar shot by the constable at
Winfield. A few days more and letter
came from George Derr to the physician
in charge of the hospital. D.rr stated
hat fnIC nj oil hafn
to assassinate him, bnt failed, as
be (Derr) was quicker with his gun than
the assassin. Derr shot the man in
the head. but the man escaped
he furnished description Of his
would be assassin in the letter and it
Tailed TO dot with the description of the /
man In the hospital. 1t was
afterwards learned by reporter for the
EAGLE that Derr claimed that Foss hired
this man to kill him, and that he was the |
the identical man that came to the Wich-
ita hospital under such suspicious circum-
1t is said that the wounded man |
maintained that he had nothing to do with !
the Winfield burglary till he heard the !
suspicious that came from the territory |
and that then he half way acknowledged |
that he was, in reality. the Winfield bur- |
glar. 1t is supposed that he did this pre-
ferring TO be held in Kansas for burglary |
to being taken to Oklahoma on charge |
of attempted murder
George Derr was at one time soldier in \
the regular army aud it is he'd by his /
friends that Foss hates and fears him to /,
such an extent as to warrant people in be- |
lirving that his death would be pleasing 10 I
Foss 1t is also the current belief that /
there was no intention to kill the elder |
Derr, but that the assassin, whoever be /
was, intended to kill George Derr, and evil |
iently thought he was doing it when he |
killed the father.
1t is said that Foss lived for many years |
in Southern Kansas aud that during that |
time he was considered good citizen, al |
though not popular with his neighba1s.