Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-09-17
DIR. w. E. ADAMS KILLED
Ina Mysterious Manner While Journey
ing Through Kentucky. The
Community Shocked.

shocked for long time as it was last
Saturday about noon when Il telegram
was received from A. McCracken, of
Louisville, KY, general superintendent
of the Louisville, st. Louis AZ Texas
railway, to Agent West, of the Bur
lington road, saying:
"Dr. w. Il. Adams, from Hot Springs,
5. OAK, was found on our train this a..
M. in an unconscious condition and
was put off at Henderson. Ky, and sent
to sanitarium and it is thought can
not live but "a short time. Indications
are that he has been sandbaggcd. lie
came from ST. Louis"
The Masonic orders of the city at
once united in sending ii telegram to
Henderson requesting that DIR. Adams
be given every attention and care, but
in short time the sad news came that
the doctor had died at 10:45 at the hos
pital at Henderson
The following telegraphic report of
the sad and mysterious affair appeared
in the Chicago Times-fIerald of Sun.
day morning:
Henderson, KY, Sept. 12-Police
and railroad officials here are puzzled
by murder mystery of Il most peculiar
nature.
'Dr. w. r. Adams. a member of the
school board of Hot Springs, S. d.. and
prominent physician of that place,
was found unconscious and in dying
condition on Louisville, st. Louis
u Texas train which arrived here at
3:lO yesterday morning. He died six
hours later without regaining con-
sciousness.
"Death was the direct result of a
blow on the back of the head from
some blunt instrument, producing
fracture of the skull, but how or when
the murderous deed was committed
the officials have been unable to ascer-
tain.
"One theory is that he was attacked
by robbers while in his seat, but this
seems almost an improbability. An
other theory, and the one which obtains
general belief, is that he] was struck
and robbed while walking in the
Evansville depot, and that his assail-
ants, trusting to the confusion, placed
him Oh the train i'll an unconscious
condition.
"Conductor Joseph Smith says DIR.
Adams boarded his train at st. Louis
at $50 o'clock Friday night with a
ticket to Evansville. He took IA seat
in a day coach which.goes through to
Louisville by way of a branch out of
Evansville. After taking up DIR.
Adams ticket Conductor Smith paid
no further attention to him. He re-
members, however, that he had ii valise
and one or two parcels.
eat Evansville Conductor Charles
Netherton took Smiths place. When
he went to collect fares in the coach
where DIR. Adams was sitting he noticed
the physician was sprawled out on his
seat, with his head lying back. appar.
emily asleep. He shook and attempted
to arouse him. but could not succeed
in doing so. Although no bruises
were apparent Nctherton saw the pas
senser was not in Il drunken stupor
When the train arrived at Henderson
DIR. Letcher made Il superficial exam
nation on the depot platform and de.
cidetl ho remove the man to II hospital
AT that time it was apparent DIR
Adams could not live. lie was barely
breathing and his pulse was very faint
AT the hospital IL deep depression was
found at the base o! Or. Adams skull
and II trephining operation was decid.
ed upon. Before it could be perform
ed. however, DIR. Adams died.
"rhere is no doubt that he was the
victim of IL murderous assault by some
robbcr, but the police are entirely at
sea in the matter. They say they can
not understand how DIR. Adams could
have been sandbagged on the train
without other passengers seeing it,
sit j. believed that Dr. Adams left
the train ut Evansville aud that he was
sandbagged Will" walking about the
Thought to l,ve riiled his pockets of
everything OF amy value and pat ilim
on the train again
''1n the pocket of the murdered man.
an annual pass over the Burlington
road, IL prescription book, several sur.
gical Instruments and only three cents
in money were found. The address OF
DR.. ID. A. Defores., of Bonneville. Ind.
later ascertainel to be his uncle, was
found in note book which DR.. Adams
carried. The former WAS notified at
once and came to Henderson immedi.
ately. He said DIR. Albums was on his
way to visit relatives in Indiana and
Ohio, and that he had a considerable
sum Of money on his person, in ad.
dition to handsome watch and other
jewellery"