The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-12
KILLS HIM AT HOME
CHARLES WATKINS WAS FOUND
DEAD IN HIS OWN HOUSE


dered--A False Face Was Found in the
Middle of the F1oor--Belief That the
Deadly Sand Bag Was Used--His Money
Was Taken and Watch Left--Tried to
Guard the Blows--On the Hunt for the
Murderers.
Charles Watkins was found dead in
his home, corner Emporia avenue and
Gilbert street, yesterday morning.
He was found lying on the floor
deressed in his underciothing and there
were wounds on his head which lead his
friends to believe that Matkin had been
murdered Coroner McCollister was
notified and commenced to investigate,
and will summon jury today to hold
an inquest.
Charley Matkins was we'll known
around town and was considered
harmless, good natured man, and he
had few, if any enemies.
1t was supposed that Watkins was
murdered by tramps, as he was known
to have had some money and none was
found at the time of the discovery of
his death.
Watkins was a widower and lived
alone at the above described place, and
it is supposed that he died Friday night.
He had been working in Whitlock's
butche- shop, 213 East Douglas and
the men in the shop had seen or heard
nothing of him since Thursday night.
He had been working irregular and
when he failed to come around to the
shop Friday and Saturday morning
nothing was thought of it.
Mr.. Whitlock said this morning: Il
think Charlie was murdered. The
boys here know that ne had at least 81
or So in his pocket when he left the
shop, and now his money is gone"
Charles was here on Thursday and
about o'clock at night he walked
down Topeka avenue with me as far as
my home. He was all right then and
he had a basket on his arm and said he
was going over to the round-house and
pick up some coal from the ground. He
said he was acquainted with the boys
over there and that they allowed him
to pick up bits of coal that was wasted
in the unloading.
That basket was found in the house
with some coal in it and he must have
gone over to the round-house and pick
ed up his coal and come home all right
and went to bed and been murdered in
the night.
Charlie was an inoffensive man and
/ never knew him to drink TO excess.
There is certainly something wrong
about this. ] heard Charley tell some
of the boys only a few days ago that he
was 37-years-old."
Mr.. Whitlock must have been mistak-
en- about the time of Watkins death as
the neighbors saw him at he house
about o'clock Friday evening. The
police are inclined to think that the
man died a natural death for the rea-
son that the doors were found locked
and no evidence that any one had been
in the house except Watkins.
Coroner McCollister and Dr. McCiees,
however, take a different view OF the
matter. They were the first to open
the house and they think there is plenty
of evidence that the man was murder
ed
The doors were all locked but when
Coroner McCollister burst in the south
door of Watkins house he says they
found the key lying on the door Sill
and he believes that some one locked
the door from the outside and stuck the
key under the door.
Mr. Watkins clothes We're found scat
tered around the room. and in the mid
die of the floor was new false face.
1t was a hideous thing with red mouth
and green eyes and had string tied
across the cdCh OI COIlSiCtf iCiS III
When Coroner McColliSter put the
mask over his face and the string over
his hat ii fit snugly.
DR. McCleeS made an examination
and he is convinced that the man was
killed with a sand bag. There are
m arks on his head and small bruises
on his hands which look like they might
have bene made with a sand bag filled
with gravel. The superstition is that
Mr.. Watkins held his hands over his
head to ward off the blows and thus re-
ceived the ticks on his hands.
The only articles of clothing not dis
turbed was Mr. Watkins vest which
hung across the back of the chair in the
pocket of which was his silver watch.
The watch had run down and stopped
at ten minutes past 10 o'clock.
Coroner McCollister is of the opin-
ion that the burglars left the watch af-
ter they found Watkins was dead for
fear itmight be identified. but that they
took what money he had in his pock-
cts which from the best evidence OBJ
tainable seems to be about seven dol
lars.
Further investigation will be had to-
day and IT is expected that some new
developments will result Coroner Nc
Collister says that Chief of Police Mas
Sey will help in the matter and Bedford
Wood and Harry Sutton will be put to
work on the case.
The remedy rests with the afflicted.
If consumers strictly taboo so-called