The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-20
DEAD HAD ARISEN
PATTERSON OF ARKANSAS CITY
Has WRITTEN 4 LETTER.
He Tells How He Escaped from the Peni-
Tertiary or at Least How Chicago
Corpse had Been Substituted for Him
and Shipped TO IFS Home-Re said He
Paid $1,000 TO PopuIist state Officer
for Practicing the Deception-Ee Now
Wants the Wife Who Wept over His
Supposed Corpse.

supposed Corpse.
j. j. Thompson, the well known drug
g;st az 6Ol East Douglas avenue. has
letter in his possession that contains a
skeleton that viii face Populism IN
Kansas some day and make its hair
stand on end.
The letter in question is from ". p.
Patterson, formerly Of Arkansas City,
and was written TO Mr.. Thompson in
curing the whereabouts Of Mrs. Pat
| terson, who was last heard Of in Wich-
tia.
Some three or four years ago ". P.
Patterson was proprietor of a hotel in
Arkansas City, having moved from
Kiowa where he was member Of the
city council and prominent and sub
stantial citizen.
One night cattleman named Young
was mysteriously shot and killed at
Arkansas City, which caused a great
sensation, especially when Landlord
Patterson and man named Boucher
were arrested for the crime. II was
proven at the trial that Boucher shot
and killed the cattleman and that the
fatal revolver was handed to him by
Patterson The result OF the trial was
that Patterson was sentenced to fourier
years in the penitentiary after des-
perate and expensive defense. An dp-
peal was taken but in vain and about
two years ago Patterson was taken to
the penitentiary and confined there.
About a year ago there were daily
rumors of the falling health Of Pat
! terson in the penitentiary and finally
il was announced that he was dead
One day a coffin left the penitentiary
and was placed on board the train and
shipped 10 Arkansas City. Il was
given out that it was the body of w. Z.
! Patterson and the story was accepted
in full faith although after its burial
there were hints that it was not the
body of Patterson a all
At any rate the wife Of Patterson
wore widows weed and shed many
tears over the corpse.
Now. then. Patterson writes to J. J.
Thompson from a foreign country and
in the letter he tells the story of his
escape from the penitentiary. y re-
porter for the Eagle saw the letter last
night through the courtesy of Mr..
| Thompson. Mr.. Patterson states in
the letter that the body purporting TO
be his was "a stiff" shipped TO Chicago;
that the whole thing was a deception
carried out successfully at the cost Of
1000 paid to a certain Populist state
officer which he names in the miSsive.
Mr.. Thompson exacted only one promise
from the reporter and that was not TO
give away Patterson's whereabouts.
81 am true to people who put their
trust in me-" said Mr. Thompson. 1
never violated the confidence Of a man
in my life and If you tell me you Will
not say where Patterson is, / will take
your word of honor for it,
Mr.. Thompson is very anxious to find
Mrs. Patterson and kindly asks any
body who knows her whereabouts 10 let
him know as soon as possible.
There is some question whether Mrs.
Patterson knew anything about the de-
ception which resulted in the release
of her husband. The opinion Of Mr..
Thompson is that she did not and that
her grief over her husbands remains
was perfectly sincere and natural.