Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1895-03-22
WORK OF GHOULs
The Body of Miss Leona Gates Sto!-
en- from Bell Cemetery Near
WestviNe.
TWO ARRESTS MADE.

TWO ARRESTS MADE.
James Fox, a MarceHne Druggist,
and j. +. Woods. MarceliDe
Livery Hand. Charged
With the Crime.
A perfect Juror of excitement and
feelings of deep Indignation have pre-
vailed at Westville and vicinity for
the past ten days over the stealing
of the dead body of Miss Leona
Gates from Bell cemetery. near West
vile. week ago last Monday night.
Miss Leona Gates was STEP
daughter OF Rev. j. w. Estes OF
westville, She was 10 years old and
died OF consumption on Sunday.
March 10th, interment taking
place stsBell cemetery on the follow
ing day.4nd that night her remains
were exbumed and carried away by
ghouls.
The devoted mother and other
members of the family were almost
driven distracted by the dastardly
theft of their loved ones dead body.
while the antire community ielt out
ragged at 10 bold and heartless a
crime. aud at once set to work to
learn who.th ghouls were.
Suspicion soon fastened upon
James For, Marceline druggist, as
the principal, with j. f. Woods. who
e1okks ID Jack Zimmerman's livery
- hi Marceline. as an accom-
pie Both Fox and Woods were
arrsE0d. Ii is understood. however,
that Woods will be permitted to
turr state's evidence in order
- nk&Ns case again u
Fox. who. when first arrest
ed, stoutly denied his guilt.
Ii seems that Fox and Woods ex
humed Miss Gates body, and that
Woods drove the team which con.
veyed the corpse from Bell cemetery
to Fox's residence at Marceline, and
that Peter Noll, Marceline dray-
man, hauled what he supposed was
a corpse from Fox's residence TO the
latter's drug store between 5 and 6
O'Clock on Tuesday morning of last
seek.
Last Sunday afternoon the coffin
was taken from Bell cemetery to
Marceline by friends OF the Estes
family and new lid made as the top
had been broken to pieces by the
grave robbers.
On Monday night last about 8
O'Clock a mob, composed OF resi-
dents of Charlton county, rode into
Marceline, went to Fox's drug store,
placed a rope around bis neck and
told him to come with them. They
took him outside of the city limits
and gave him choice OF two alterna-
tives, viz: To either tell them where
he had hidden the body or be swung
up. OF course he chose the former,
aud escorted the determined men, who
had him in charge, To a place about
2 IA miles northeast of MarceIine,
where he had buried the body OF the
young lady. The corpse was taken
up, carried back to Bell cemetery
and re-interred, and Fox released. he
having previously been put under a
bond OF 81, 200 for HE appearance
for trial before Squire Wm. Clark,
at westville on Wednesday, March
9th.
1t was reported on Wednesday
last that Mrs. Estes, Miss Gates al
must crazed mother, had agreed not
to prosecute Fox il he would return
her daughters corpse, but as he
still denied any knowledge of the
crime, and did not confess his guilt
until forced to do So, he will be prose
cuted TO the fullest extent of the law.
Fox is a medical student, and
recently returned from a course OF
lectures at the Kansas City Medical
college. Whether he wanted Miss
Gates bo6y for the purpose of dis
section himself, or whether he intend
ed To sell it, is not known. but in
either event he took desperate
chances on being caught up with in
his ghoulish prauss.
Fox once lived in Keytesville and
attended school here, his step-father
and mother, Mr.. and Mrs. w. j.
n a;r1 baino nronriarora of tha old