The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-09

placed about my left wrist. A man took
each end of the cord, and making one
knot pulled it so tight that l thought my
thumb and finger would burst The pain
was awful. One of the men held his
thumb on the first knot while they made
the second to prevent it from stacking.
After tying the cord on my wrist, they
walked me around for about fifteen min
utes when they again threw me on the
ground. This time they stretched
out my left arm and one fellow put his
foot on my arm above the wrist. Then
felt something strike my hand twice, l
don't know what it was. the second blow
being lighter than the first.
81 was then helped up and walked on
for fifteen minutes, when l realized that
the men had let go of my arms. Think
ing that they were still with me. how
ever, l walked for about forty rods far
ther, when l stumbled and fell. / lay
where fell for several minutes, and
hearing no voices or footsteps, decided
that they had left me. / jumped up
and pulled the bandage from my head.
and found that l was in the road about
seventy-five feet from my house. The
first thing did was to hold my arm up,
and saw that the hand was gone, and the
stump bleeding. / wrapped the over
alls and apron around the stump, and
commenced to holler for help, starting
towards Mr.. McDonald's house, which is
just across the road. [ STUN bled and
crawled as far as his porch and he helped
me into the house and sent for DR.. Rey-
nolds. think it was about 10. 30" When
asked if he had any theory as to who
the men were, or what object they would
have in inj juring him in the manner they
did. Welch replied that he had no theory
whatever, and knew of no reason for the
outrage except burglary.
DIR T.. RaVnolHS was oaIlad f0 Qttan6
Welch about II o'clock. The two
men who called him carried shot
guns and were very much excited.
City Marshal H. F. KilIion was also
aroused and arrived shortly after DR..
Reynolds When Dr. Reynolds ap-
preached Welch to examine the stump,
the latter said, when you take it eff,
doctor, take it off at the wrist. 1t is SO
near any way that it will make no differ
ence. and that will make my insurance
sure"
DR.. Reynolds cut the cord from around
the wrist. which is the kind used in
hanging window weights and says that
it was deeply imbedded in the flesh. This
is attested by the fact that it only meas
ures four aud one-half inches around
The cord was evidently prepared, as it
was of convenient length, new and
neatly knotted at both ends. The stump
was amputated at the wrist joint.
At 10 o'clock yesterday morning a
party of fourteen men headed by mar
shall KiIlion met at Welch's house and
divided in several parties for the pur-
pose of searching the open country in
that vicinity. At 12 80 two of the men
found the hand and the ak which did the
chopping in small grove of cotton
wood trees about one quarter OF mile
north east of Welch's house, A stump
of tree. standing fifteen inches from
the ground, was used on which to lay the
hand while it was chopped off, and
was smeared with blood. About fifteen
feet from the stump, thrown in
hedge. was found the hand, and few
feet farther on, in the same hedge, the
ak was found. The two men state that
the tracks of only one man was visible in
the snow. The hand aud ak were taken
to Doctor Reynolds Office. and an exami-
nation of the hand showed that three
new, of ordinary make, and the blood
on the head reveals the fact that
only one hand was used in
the chopping. The blood is on
the inner end of the blade only, and
easily illustrates that the chopping was
done with the ak grasped with one hand
near the blade, the handle extending
downwards. and by person in stoop-
ing position. Had the blows been dealt
by person in an upright position, hold
ing the ak with both hands, the blood
would have been on the center of the
blade or on the outer end.
Taking all points into consideration,
the matter of insurance pending for to-
tai disability, the remarks made to DR..
Reynolds, the single tracks in the snow
and the blood on the ak, it appears that
the suspicious are reasonable Although
Welch is considered an honest, upright
man by the citizens of Horton, his story
is merely granted a possibility, and be-
Iieved to lack plausibility by those who
have heard it.
Apparently it would seem almost i'm
possible for a man to deliberately main
himself in such a manner, but consider
ing that the hand was already crippled,
the man out of employment and probably
discouraged, and $500 depending on
such condition, it is reasonable to sup
pose that he might persuade himself to
do it.
member of the B. of L. F. stated
last night that whether it was proven
that Welch's story was correct, or that he
cut the hand off himself, he would uu-
doubtedly receive the $500 insurance
for the total disability of one hand.