Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-10-21
THE PARSONS STORY.
He is Accused of Horse Stealing But
Denies It-Has Served q Term in
the Penitsntiary-Green
Ashby Located.

Thursday night about 1880 Marshal
J. II. Lane and nightwatchman j. P.
Sanford arrested Rev. W. Fl. Winston,
colored, on the charge of horse steal
ing. The crime with which the par
son Is charged is that OF stealing q
horse and buggy from Jack Magru-
der, Of 31S miles southwest Of Shelbi-
ma, on Tuesday, October Is.
The way the arrest came about was
this: On Wednesday night he drove
q black horse into Mexico and put up
with Clabe Morris, colored. The
horse was put up In the stable and
the next day, Thursday, got out.
When it passed the home OF Rube
McCord, o neighbor thinking 1t be-
longed to Rube, caught and tied 1t in
his yard. When McCord came home
he thought something was wrong
about the stray horse and made a re-
port to the police.
In the Thursday afternoon mail
Marshal Lane received the following
postal:
SToLEN-Look ont for black sad
die horse, 1sk hands high with high
carriage, which was stolen Tuesday,
October 13, from Jack Magruder, So
miles southwest of Shelbina.
The marshal went to work on the
case ana soon learned that colored
man was looking for . stray horse.
He was hunted up and arrested at
John Henderson's, o colored man liv-
ing on Jackson street and Western
avenue.
When shown the horse found in Nc
Cords yard (the horse tailed with
the description in the postal) the par
son said that the horse was his and
he had bought him before sun-up on
Wednesday morning at Monroe City.
A LEDGER reporter called on Rev.
W. Fl. Winston at Hotel de City this
morning and cleaned the fact that
the parson was an evangelistic worker
and that, although he tried hard to
deny 1t, he had served eighteen
months In the Missouri penitentiary
on the charge of performing an Illegal
operation upon q woman In Kansas
City.
When asked how he came in pos
session OF the horse and buggy the
parson told the reporter he had
bought them for $50 from q colored
man by the name Of Green Ashby,
who is wanted on the charge Of at
tempted murder upon the persons of
his sweetheart near Santa Fe and
upon q colored man from Mexico.
1t will be remembered by the read
ers of the LEDGER that Ashby shot
the above parties while they were
riding together last summer.
The parson said that he had no flxed
place Of abode, but spent most Of his
time at Shelbina and Monroe City.
He said that he was coming to Mexico
to see If they needed the services OF
an evangelist. He claims that he was
sent here by Rev. T. NJ. Mudd, OF
Alton, Ill. When told by the reporter
that Ashby was wanted on the charge
of attempted murder he denied that
he knew Of Ashby's hard reputation.
He also stated that he thought nothing
of Ashby wanting to sell him 80 valu-
able horse and buggy for a paltry
$50.
When the reporter accused the par
son of having done time for the state,
he said it would have to be proven
before he would believe that he had
ever done SO.
The reporter "sweated" the parsor
until he admitted that he had operated
upon q woman in Kansas City and
that he had produced unexpected
results and had received q two years
sentence for performing crimina
operation. He said he was imposed
upon, but admitted that he was not
legalized surgeon.
Take the parsons story ali in all ana
it was q conglomeration Of lies yer!
poorly told, but it is fact that tn
parson has acted az q doctor, preacher
soapmaker and stateworker.
He said that he was ordained as
minister Of the gospel at Garnett
Kas., about ten years ago. He claim
to be q Baptist.