Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-09-04
A FAMOUS KANSAS CASE COMES UP
AGAIN AT SEDAN.
PARDoNED CONVICT TEsTIFIEs
SEEKS TO SEND HIS ALLEGED con-
FEDERATEs TO PRISON.
John New, a Cattle Thief, swears That
He and the Five. Defendants
Were Concerned In the Plot
to Murder John
Frazer.

terday by the placing OF James w. Bur-
CESS, one of the defendants, who had de-
manded a separate hearing. upon trial for
his life. The history of this case is SUBJ
stantially as follows: W. n. Gibson, q
farmer and money lender, who lived about
twelve miles northwest Of Sedan, and John
Frazer, stockman, living at Moline, were
in partnership in the cattle business. Some
time in February. 1880, they brought into
Chautauqua county a large herd of Texas
cattle to Craze for the summer. A large
number of them were placed in a pasture
Of about 2C0O acres, about two miles north
west of Sedan. Some of the native cattle
commenced to die Of splenic or Texas fever
about this time, and great excitement pre-
vailed throughout the vicinity, the feeling
against Gibson and Frazer for bringing dis
eased cattle into the territory being most
intense.
Some time in April, fifteen or twenty
miles of wire fence surrounding pastures
where the cattle were to be grazed was
cut. presumably by enraged stockmen.
About the middle of May. W. H. Gibson
died suddenly at Moline, Kas., where he
had stopped over night on his way home
from Howard, Kas. DR.. F. s. Olney, at
that time coroner OF Elk county, in con-
nection with DR.. Smethers, of Moline, held
post mortem examination, at which the
doctors differed somewhat as to the cause
of death, the jury returning verdict
Of heart disease. DR.. Olney took charge
of the dead mans stomach.
On Friday, June q, $780, Mr.. Frazer went
from Moline to Wesley Bests place. where
number of cattle were sick with fever
and where some had died. From there he
went to Mrs. Gibson's house and stayed all
night.
pasture and was seen by John Glen, who
lived on the road a couple Of miles from
the pasture. On Sunday morning. a horse,
saddled and bridled, was found by Frank
Burgess, son Of J. w. Burgess, who was
riding the fence. The sheriff was notified
and on Monday the body of Frazer was
found in pool Of water, a short distance
south of ard outside Of the pasture his
throat cut from ear to ear and seveRl
stabs and cuts on his breast about the
heart.
A. L. Gray. stockman. living just north
was released on preliminary Hn eIamination. on.
In the summer of 1892, Frank Kunzy and
Jerry Hutton. stockmen, who lived near
loose after a preliminary hearing.
In August. 1894. one John New, who had
been sent to the penitentiary for stealing
cattle, communicated with the officers. Of
fering to turn states evidence for a par
don. Upon information given by him, Theo.
Cox, Elmer Cox William Licklieter. Mark
McBes and Wesley Best were arrested.
Sedan to testify at the preliminary hear
ing, and these men were, in turn, released,
Some time last February Mr.. New again
result Mark McBee. Theo. Coz, William
Lcklieter, James Burgess and later DR.
F. g. Olney were arrested and bound over
to the district court for trial.
The jury in the Burgess case was Sc
cured in about two hours and court then
adjourned to the opera house, in order to
accommodate the crowd. Most of yester-
day was consumed in laying the founda-
tion, locating places, establishing the facts
already related, etc.
put upon the stand. and calmly and coolly
told how he went to DR.. olney to have
him perform criminal operation on his
wife; wife; hoy how OH olney agreed to give him medi-
some poison down to Moline and give It to
man by the name of Strait; with which
as he was told. and that he went we ito to oiney. 1I e
and. together with the other defendants
agreed to murder Frazer. They secured
school house, expecting to find i Frazer rH in q
tat vicinity. Later he went back to How
ard he said, and Defendants McBee. Cox
lie in walt for Frazer. He and Idcklieter
went down to the pasture on Saturday
night and carried the body about a mile
He said he took the dead mans vest
$500. which was in the vest pocket, and
brought the vest back to the pasture on
Wednesday night following and hung 1t in
a tree near the pool. He said he and Theo-
dore Cox made the knife in Cox's black
smith shop at Howard and that he wrapped
1t in the vest and when he hung the vest
up threw the knife out in the grass near
the pool. These and many other alleged
details of the horrible deed were related by
New. He Is corroborated in many Instances
by other witnesses and the state is making
a strong case. The other evidence against