The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-09
A BLOODY AK
And a Manned and Amputated
Hand
Furnish Remarkable Clues to a
Strange Horton Story.
e. w. WELCHOFHORT
Says That Three Men Cut Off
His Hand,
But 1t Is Believed He Did 1t
Himself.

AAOAsOA AL years has dIOuS0Q Lu0 pQUlAC
interest to such an extent as the mutila-
ton of Edwin W. Welch, an ex railroad
fireman of Horton, in this city on Tues
day evening, of which short dispatches
were printed in the STATE JOURNAL last
evening.
There is a suspicion in Horton, appa-
rently we'll founded that Welch commit
ted the act himself
Welch is a man SO years of age,married
and is we'll known in Horton, having re-
sided here for several years. For the
first two years after moving to Horton
he was employed as freight brakeman
on the Rock Island, afterwards SECURING
a position as fireman. On June 8,
1894. on account of misunder-
standing, he was discharged from the
service of the road, and since that time
has been unemployed On May 80, 1895,
while il the act of boarding Missouri
Pacific train at Atchison, Kan, he slipped
and fell, his left hand extending on the
rail and one wheel passing over it, crush
ing it so severely that an amputation of
the three last fingers and a portion of the
hand was necessary.
At the time of his discharge from the
service of the Rock Island, he was a
u
1913, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
of Omaha, Neb.
This membership was continued after
his discharge by the voluntary action of
the lodge in keeping his dues paid up,
and imm ediately after the injury to his
hand he made application to the lodge
for accident insurance, stating total dis
ability of one hand. 1t appears that the
bylaws of the brotherhood state that to-
tai disability of one hand cannot be re-
covered unless the hand is lost above the
wrist joint. AS he had still the use of
his thumb and finger, the lodge did not
consider that he was totally disa bled,
aud referred his case to the supreme
lodge which is to meet next Septem ber
a short time ago, it is said, he received
letter from the officers of lodge 1913 TO
the effect that after March, 1885, if he
was unable personally to keep the dues
paid, his mem bership would cease. 1t
now appears that should his mem mbership
cease, he would become ineligible to all
benefits in the way of insurance for the
injury to his hand, as his claim has not
been allowed by the lodge. Should he,
however, lose the rest of his hand before
the expiration of his membership, he
would he entitled to the amount of iu-
surance, $500. This is one of the cir
cumstances which has occasioned the
suspicion that he was the perpetrator of
the deed.
Welch's house is situated in the out
skirts of Horton, about three-quarters of
a mile east of the principal thorough
fare. 1t is a thTee-room cottage, with u
yard fenced with wire on one side. and
faces toward the north, The country to
the north and east is almost entirely
without settlement.
Welch was seen at his home last night
by your reporter and related his version
of the story. He is large man, weigh
ing 169 pounds, and is about five feet
nine inches tall. He was lying on
lounge in the room which he says the
three men entered
He said: 81 was sitting alone in this
room last night, my wife being on visit
with her parents at Shannon, Kan, with
my feet in the stove oven, about half
past seven or eight o'clock, 1 can't re-
member the exact time. The room was
dark with the exception OF the light
from the stove, and l was just thinking
of getting up and lighting the lamp and
retiring, when the door opened and
three men walked in. AS soon as the
first one came ia the door he leveled
revolver at me and said: We've got you
now. Don't speak above whisper, or
speak unless you are spoken to, or Pill
blow your brains out
81 was so surprised and shocked that l
fell from the chair onto the floor. 1t was
so dark in the room that l could not tell
whether the men wore masks, or had
boards or moustaches. While the first
man kept his revolver pointed at me,
one of the others took pair OF overalls
and a small apron from the wall where
they were hanging, and wrapped them
around my head, completely blindfold-
ing me and drawing one leg of the over
alls across my mouth as gag.
"While one man kept guard of me as
I lay on the floor. the other two went
through the house, staying about thirty
minutes, and taking suit of clothes and
overcoat which were hanging in the
bedroom, my wife's gold watch
and bracelets, and S4.75 in money,
which. was in pocket book on
the top of the safe. This morning the
pocketzbook was found on the table
empty. After going through the house,
they helped me from the floor. and
man took hold of each of my arms with
a firm grip, and marched me through
the door and into the yard. l had walked
buta short distance when they came to
wire fence, aud one of the men said:
Here is wire fence; stoop, go through
the wires These were the last words
that 1 heard any of the men say, al
though they were whispering to each
other almost continually. We started
out, in what direction l have no idea,
and must have walked for an hour
and a half or two hours During
that time a man kept hold of each arm,
and four or five times they threw me on
the ground face downwards, and
stretched my arms out. @~ -.e-~
eat last they stopped and released my