The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-28

father ate a hastened breakfast and
started away in search of his son. He
came to Topeka and found that the boy
had loaded his sand and started home
He made inquiries along the road but
could gain no clue He told his story TO
the sheriff who at once became interested
and promised to aid in the search.
When Mr. Illston returned in the after
noon his wife met him at the gate Her
heart sank when she saw her husbands
face and together the couple entered the
house Something terrible had hap
peued to their son. he would never
have gone away without their knowl-
edge Some of the neighbor who were
told of the disappearance of the BOY dis
missed the matter Lightly He had run
away and would como home in day OF
two. The mother said no; but she hoped
what they said was tFue.
The second and third day came and the
boy had not returned and then the neigh
borhood was aroused A searching
party was organized and the route by
which the boy was supposed TO have re-
turned WAS huVriedly gone over. Failure
gives spirit TO the mems energies and
the next day there was larger party or
ganized but the result was the same.
Cards bearing desert ptions of the boy,
team and wagon were printed by Sheriff
Burdge and sent all over the country.
Then something WAS found. It was
the first pile OF sand, but it was on a road
leading away from Edward Ills;on's
home. Soon after the second pile of
sand was discovered Both had been
scattered with shovel so that they
would not be noticed from the road by
the casual passer by. This waa indeed
a clue, but what did it prove? If it was
really the sand which was being taken
home by Edward Illsvon why was it on
an unfrequented road by which he would
in no case have como to reach home?
Did the boy drive to this out of the way
place to dump his load SO that he might
more easily get away with his fathers
team and escape without suspicion? Had
he been kidnapped, and had his cap
turer enticed him to this lonely spot to
secure him and dispose of the load?
All these theories were advanc but
they were only theories. They gave
little trace of the missing boy. There
could have been no motive for kiduap-
ing. The parents OF the boy are very
poor and nothing could be gained. He
had not run away because he was too
dilfident to make his way alone in the
world, and he could not have been MUIR
dered because he mad not single cent
in his pockets TO enrich the murderer.
Very few thought that there lived man
desperate and debased enough to take
the boys life SO that he might escape
with the almost worthless team he drove
Meetings were held at school houses
and reward OF $500 was offered for the
finding of the boy and team. Searching
parties secured the country for miles
around. Then Sturgis BecAtol,a seventeen
year old boy who lives across the road
from the house of Ir Garlin ghouse told
a story. lie said that on the day Edward
Iilston disappeared he was
walking south from his home
when he came upon a man sitting
at the.cOrner of the fence where the To-
peka-Rlchland road turns east. He de-
scribed the man and said that he carried
IA twenty two caliber rifle He asked the
mans name and he refused to tell him
but said he lived in Topeka. The stranger
and he then shot at mark with the r.tls
and soon after boy with load of sand
came in sight
"Who is that boy?" asked the stranger
with the gun.
81 do not know" replied Sturgis Bech,
tol. l have seen him hauling sand but
l do not know who he is.
''Well am going to ride with him"
said the man and as the wagon came
along he threw his gun into the sand and
caught the side of the wagon and got on.
The boy in the wagon paid No attention.
This was the story told by young Bech
tOl, but few believed him, and even the
officers laughed at what they considered
the fruits of the boys imagination. The
JOURNAL printed the story last Friday as
the first reliable clue to the disappear
ance of Edward Illston. and it go proved.
At the meeting of citizens at the Lyon
school house Friday evening, there was
f.,4 oil
done at the meeting. 1t was decided to
renew tho search, and this was done
Saturday morning.
Saturday evening Herman Schone, who
lives eight miles from Topeka, was driv-
ing up the Topeka a-Richland road. When
near the cross roads, one milo east of
the Clearinghouse place. he noticed very
disagreeabIe smell and his suspicions
were at once aroused and he determined
to make careful search in the vicinity.
Sunday morning he induced w. II.
Hixon, who was formerly conductor on
the Topeka trolley line to accompany
him on his search.
The men came down to the cross roads
and then went west several hundred
feet They got over into the pasture on
the south side of the road and going
about hundred yards from the fence
again turned east They had not gone
far when their dogs, which were in the
lead stopped; they sniffed the air and then
ran to what appearded to be thick bunch
of grass and stopped. The men followed
them and in the tall grass lay the dead
body of half grown boy. The coat was
open and there was no hat on the head
A red bandanna handkerchief was
stuffed in the boys mouth and it was
evident that he had been dragged to the
spot, for the grass was beaten down in
path leading 10 where the body was dis
covered.
1t was not long until the whole neigh
borhood was wild with excitement and
people came focking from every direc-
ton The body was identified as that of
Edward Illston by half dozen people,
though the face was not recognizable
The clothes were the same that the boy
wore when he left for ToDeka on Mon