Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1896-12-30
rlURDER WILL OUT.
The Body of the Kissing John
kensler Found Buried In an
Irrigation Ditch, Near His
House--Attempted Suicide.

u the latest discovery regarding the
death of John Kensler. The inn
preston here from the first has been
generally that Mr.. Kensler met with
/ foul play, and the citizens of this
place, to their great credit, never re-
Taxed in their determination TO un.
ravel the mystery and if a foul deed
was committed to bring the perpe-
traitors to justice. AS soon as the
thaw set in, after the heavy cold
snap, the search for traces of Mr..
Kensler was resumed and pursued
and at last was rewarded.
Last Wednesday, the Esd, Con-
stable Smith and Sig Morelle, while
pursuing the search, determined to
probe the irrigation ditch that run
by the east side of the Kensler
dwelling house and through the
ranch, and at once started with q
barbed spear to carry out the new
idea. Starting at the fence they
kept driving the spear through the
soil at the bottom of the ditch, and
at a place about 100 feet from the
fence and about so feet northeast of
the house, almost on a direct line
with the cellar, they noticed the
bottom softer there than any place
they had yet probed. Driving the
steel spear down as far as it would
go, they felt something soft stop
ping it from going farther, and on
pulling it up found some rags at
tached to the barb. Acting on this
clue, they turned off the water and
dug there, and after digging down
about four feet they found the body
of Mr.. Kensler lying face downward,
dressed in shirt and drawers. On
taking up the corpse and examin-
ing it they found the forehead
smashed in badly at the right side.
Being excluded from the air and
water flowing over it, the body was
in state of preservation, no de-
composition having yet set in. In
this grave they also found Mr..
Kensler's hat, vest, overalls and
shoes, with his socks stuffed into
one shoe. The body was wrapped
in a quilt, and these articles of
clothing were thrown in over the
body. In the clothing were found
an empty purse, piece of tobacco,
pass-book and some matches.
After getting the body out, the
officers were notified and Justice
Mullany, acting coroner, ordered an
inquest to be held on the Oath and
notified DR.. Smith at Mountn Home
to make a post norton examina-
ton of the body.
Thursday the inquisition COM
menced. w. M. Stockton, ]. ".
Latty, Albert Clark, Charles Null
lany, H. C.Tingley and Wm.Mullany
were sworn in as jurors. A. M. Sin
mott was appointed as attorney to
conduct the examination on behalf
of the State. DR.. Smith was there
and Immediately proceeded with
post norton examination.
Hiram Garfield, the first witness,
testified to seeing the body disinter-
red from beneath the ditch and pos
lively identified the body as that
of Kensler.
The court then ordered the body
to be buried decently in the Glenn's
Ferry cemetery, and inquisition was
continued to the 26th.
The funeral was attended by a
large crowd of Johns old friends,
Rev. Smirl conducting the burial
ceremonies. Mr.. Kensler having
served dering the civil war and hav-
ing an honorable discharge from the
First Iowa cavalry, the body also
received military honor.
On the Goth the inquest resumed
G. A. lobe and Ed Bayles testified
to the same matter as Mr.. Garfield
G. e. Corker testified to finding 8
bullet mark in the partition wall ir
Kensler's house, between the from
room and kitchen, a bullet having
entered into the wall, travelling OBJ
liquely downward and to the right
and burying itself there, but after
! ward gouged out, and evidently
: recent occurrence. The hole hat
been covered over with paper.
bed had been in this room, the hea'
against the wall and covering THU
place. On examing the bed-hea'
:, it was found that the board ha
: been struck and split in twain d
+ rectly on line with the bulle
: mark. The lower portion of TIL
!, board had been removed from tn
q bedposts, the jagged edge, cause
! by the board splitting, whitfield
: little and the piece put back on til
" posts upside down and end for emf
4 A Sharp's U. S. cavalry rifle ws
! identified by Mr.. Lawrence, fathe
= in-law of Kensler, as one kept b
Kensler and issued to him by Il
u government during the Bannock WI
- in 1873.
8 The inquest was then continue
u until this morning at 10 o'cloc
T. when new and extraordinary Sc
ID sational feature was developed. A
III bert Clark, one of the jurors of i