Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-06-17

tOAu budt Wullc uc huu JILL JohAooh
stood guard Faucet entered the yard
and after shooting Apgar ran out and
said: "I've killed some d-ns-of-a-b-."
johnson was arrested Thursday
afternoon. J. B. Botkin induced Mil
Ter to 60 with him and an officer to
Mortimer's house in search of Morti-
mer's pistol, which was found in the
fire box of the cook stove. One ex-
ploded shell was in the revolver,
which was a 22-ealibre. The pistol
was stolen from Logan Mundy's house
during the winter.
On Saturday evening, April 81, a
colored girl told a LEDGER reporter
that 81 Faucet and a woman, Bird
Ellis, had been cen east of town that
morning. The sheriff was notified
and he organized a posse, composed
of himself, Tom Atchison, j. B. Bot
kin, Emmett Cunningham, Tom Har-
rison, Bob Kemp, ]. T. Bunton and
two LEDGER reporters. They went to
the Lawder place, east of town, and
searched the houses of Ben Pringle
and Chas. Douglass, both colored. The
two negroes had been there, but had
gone east and were seen by a section
boss at Littleby, who notified the
officers late Saturday evening. Tom
Harrison and Bob Kemp went to Lad
donia on the Hummer that night and
Jim Saunders and Hop Kemp to Van
dalia, where the latter couple learned
that Faucet had just boarded a west
bound freight. They telegraphed the
two at Laddonia and also the con-
duotnr of tho freight, who caught the
man after they left Laddonia and
turned him over to the officers whom
he had telegraphed to at Mexico.
The following were placed under
arrest as suspects: Frank Benson, Bird
Ellis, John Lyons, John Johnson, Matte
Mortimer and Judy Miller. All were
held under $500 bond each; none was
furnished. Sunday night mob violence
was threatened a number of times.
Corner Cave continued the adjourned
inquest or Monday, the 23rd, and ex-
amined John Miller, Geo. Mortimer,
| 81 Faucet, John johnson, Jim john
son, Matte Mortimer, Mrs. John Mil
Ter, Kittie Thornton, Sophia Bell, Bird
| Ellis and Frank Benson.
Miller testified that Mortimer had
confessed to the killing of Apgar, but
swore that he did not 60 along. Nor
timer persisted in saying that Faucet
did the killing and that he and John
son went with him. He admitted also,
that an organized gang, "The Royal
Nine," had been doing a great deal of
stealing.
Henry Waller, of Kansas City, was
arrested and brought to Mexico
Thursday, thought to be connected
with ''The Royal Nine"
Thursday morning at 9 O'Clock the
inquest was resumed and the follow
ing examined: Harrison Waller, John
Tatum, alias Pugh. Just before noon
Friday the following verdict was
brought in by the coroner's jury:
"We, the jury, find that Samuel
Apgar came to his death by a pistol
shot fred by the hand of n of the
four men, viz: George Mortimer, 81
Faucet, James johnson and John
Miller and the other three being &C
cessories to the crime; we are unable
to find from the conflict of testimony
which of the four did the shooting"
The same day Geo. Mortimer, who
had accused Faucet of being the
only one to enter the house, claimed
that John Miller accompanied Faucet
into the house while he and johnson
guarded. he further said that Faucet
and Miller soo came out and said
that they were afraid they could
not do anything in there as it was too
dark. They stood there and then went
back and l saw a flash of light and
heard a gun report and the two came
running out and we all walked to
Wade street and down Wade to Love
street, then to the West End Bakery,
where we separated, Miller and 1
going home, where he took the little
revolver out of his pocket and laid it
on the bureau. 1 looked at it and saw
that one chamber had been.fred. I
then took 1t to my room. Mortimer
claimed that he liked Miller too much
to implicate him before. Miller be-
came quite al evangelist at the Jail,
praying for himself and brother pris-
oners several times a day.
Mortimer confessed on May 30 to
Sheriff Atchison that Faucet and
johnson were guilty of no crime
whatever in the killing of Apgar, that
he (Mortimer) and Miller were the
only ones present and that Miller did
the shooting.
On Monday, June is, 1888, the Grand
Jury reported no true bill against Jim
johnson, John Pugh and Silas Faucet
and the court ordered them dis
charged.
They returned five indictments
against George Mortimer for burg
larry and larceny and four indictments
against John Miller. They also indicted
both men for murder in the first de-
gree. The were continued until
theJune terme of Circuit Court in 1889,
when it was agreed by the State to al
low Mortimer to plead guilty to MUIR
der in the second degree, which he
did and went on the stand as a State
witness. His testimony was very
damaging to Miller and the cas- came
to a close without Miller going on the
stand in his own behalf.
The jury, after debating for six
hours, filed in before the judge and
handed the following verdict in:
eve, the Jury, find the defendant
guilty of murder in the first degree,
charged in the Indictment.
~. F. BARNABY,
foreman"
1t was seven minutes of midnight on
Saturday, June %.
The attorneys for the defense filed a
motion for new trial on Monday, the
oath, and gave lengthy reasons for
the same. The motion came up for
on Monday, July 1, and was
Miller was sentenced on
Tuesday and the day for his execution