Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-30
THE evidence IN THE CASE.
DEFENDANT AND HIS WIFE FOR
MERLY LIVED IN MISSOURI.
Young Hnxband Who Killed His Ac-
complished Wife, 1t In Alleged,
to Secure Life Insurance.
Claims 1t Was an
Accident.

ant will be in the hands of the jury.
This case is admittedly the most sensa-
tional tried in this section in years. Cor
don Bradshaw was raised near West Plains.
Mo-, where his parents and other relatives
still reside. He had relatives in Tennessee,
among them being a cousin, Allie Ousley,
noted for her beauty and accomplishments.
This girl was of a decidedly romantic dis
position and to this. can be attributed her
untimeIy death. Early in 1886. while at
Pertle Springs, Mo-. for the benefit of her
health, she was much with young Brad
shaw and an attachment sprang up be-
tween them. $500
Returning to her home at Fayetteville,
Tenn, she remained until about October !,
1886. The girl had decided, so she informed
her parents, to enter an art school in Men,
phis, and her father being i'll at the time,
the mother drove with her to the train in
the downpour of an incessant rain. The
farewells said at the depot in Fayetteville
were the last between mother and daugh-
ter. Miss Ousley went to Memphis, but
not to an art school. for she there met and
married her cousin, Gordon Bradshaw.
Immediately after the performance of the
ceremony the young couple came to this
little village and began living at a hotel
later beginning housekeeping. Being ana
BILE, each soon made friends and as Brad
soon became popular. Residing near here
they had some cousins! well-to-do farm
Story of the Crime.
The first of last March. Mr.. and Mrs.
Bradshaw drove out to w. ]. Bearden's
farm, about eleyen miles distant, to spend
the night, he taking with him hammerless
shotgun. Early the next morning their
buggy was driven up to the front gate OF
the Bearden home for their departure,
when the tragedy occurred.
After the death of the young wife Brad
shaw's grief was seemingly inconsoiable PIE
to prevent him from doing violence to him
sell. The remains of the young wife were
taken to her old home at Fayetteville and
there inferred by the side of her father,
who had died since her marriage.
- Uron.the return of the young husband
to this place his conduct at once became
such as to provoke comment, and when
1t developed that the dead woman had
large policies of insurance on her life pay
able to him. some of which had only re-
Gently been taken out, and further that ir-
regularities existed in some OF the app!i-
cations, an investigation was had with the
result that the grand jury in May last In
dicted him, not only for the murder Of Mrs
Bradshaw, but for forging DR.. Oxford's
name to some of the insurance papers.
His tria! on the murder charge. now In
progress, is exciting the Keenest interest.
w. j. Bearden, his cousin, testified sub
stantially as follows in regard to the kill
ing; gjy,sn t,o, started to leave mvse,f and
wife and little boy went with them to the
gate. Bradshaw's wife told US all good
by. The defendant stepped up, took her by
both arms and led her to the buggy. He
said something about his gun and went in
to the house, got his gun. came by US, and
told us good-by. He walked up near to the
buggy and looked square at my wife. His
wife was sitting on the left and west side
Of the buggy. The defendant got. up near
the wheels. the gun made quick lunge
toward his wife and fired. The gun was
within two or three inches Of her breast. I
snatched the gun out of his hands. De
fendant asked what 1 meant: When my
what was the matter. 1 threw the gun
down at first, then picked it up and fired
off the other barrel; It was double.ba
ant raised up the gun he gave it a sudden
lunge toward his wife's breast. and it fired.
He first raised the gun up. then raised It
fired. Mrs. Bradshaw and my wife were
cousins. Defendant and my wife are also
cousins. The buggy was about fifteen or
Mas aePS to fIo% oak
trated how defendant carried his gun from
the house and how he held it when telling
..T said to him. Cousin Gordie. you have
killed your wife,
PreparinE for the Murder.
HE said, No, she is not hurt and then
he helped me take her into the house.
first put out her clothes. which We're on
fire. When We got her to he'd he gave her
a kind of lunge and fell back. told him
to come and help me fix the body. I then
discovered that her clothes were still burn
ing: l put this .. out: I then then started for q
as fast as I could go.
81 had a conversation with defendant
about coroner. 1t was the first time he
stayed all night at my, house. We went to
a literary society and when we got back
he asked me If We had a coroner in this
county. told him the justice of the peace
ALL fn1f
ent in Missouri, and went on to tell how
inquests were held in Missouri. Defendant
also asked me about the lawyers in Erath.
last conversation was on the night before
the killing. 1t was brought up by the de-
fsndant fen The killing was on March 2 OF
Prior to coming to Texas I lived in
kentucky in the same neighborhood as de-
fendant. He left there first. He was about
for Missouri. His family were Cumberland
Presbyterians, mine We're Baptists. 1t was
scme time in October. 1896, l think, that I
the next time they came to my house. We
| came here to see them. It was not a great
while before they visited US again. They
ba s some three or bov -four tines
Reece and Mr.. Hamblett, in my neighbor-
heed. The defendant and his wife seemed
very agreeable. He told me he was going
into the life insurance business and told
him not to do it The conversation with
the defendant about the lawyers occurred
after mention was made of the White
Compton failure.
.'The defendant and his wife were at my
house when l got home. I noticed nothing
unusual between the defendant and his
wife that night nor the next morning be-
fore they. got ready to leave. He tried to
sell me his household goods, saying he was
| going to move to Gatesville to so into busi-
ness. l mentioned the conversation about
the coroner to Messrs.- Oxford and Young
at my house. l think / mentioned it to
my wife just after the habeas corpus trial
HIS wife and mine semed sad at parting
that f ernng nna at at the the sate His wife kissed
If she was not going to kiss me. She said
yes. and did: l thought the defendant
looked like he did not like it. The tone
| pleased about something. 1 saw the gun
| in the house. 1t was in the front room
There We're some loose, cartridges by the
gun he came out holding the gun in his
| left hand with the muzzls down. He was
| within a foot or two of the buggy. Just
about the time he got between the wheels
he brought the gun up and placed his right
| hand on the gun. L do not think he acted
naturally in the way he took hold of the
| gun 1 would not take hold of a gun and
way he did. 1 think the top of the buggy
was let half down. was standing little
further toward the hind wheel. / did moi
that fpabrssHary u1t after
| gun fired l do not know exactly the posi-
| ton Of the breech and bed I was stand.
ing at defendant's back; could see about
! No. did not think 1t was an accident.
When saw the killing I then thought
| it was purposely done. I did talk to my
IAN and my wife were to S tell % that agsSt dsfendan1
| had killed his wife that the people would
lynch him.that ! feared they would. j
wi fa I hofo H.