The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-30

with q two-hofse wagon back to his home
in Indiana. and they had agreed to travel
In company as far as their road was the
same He sdslsed his family that he had
purchased number of dried buffalo
skins. which he was bringing on home to
have tanned. and also had q fns buffalo
calf. leading behind his wagon. which he
intended to domestic&fe His letters con-
tinued TO come regularly until the town
Of Middle Grove, Mo-, in Monroe county,
was reached, at which point he mailed q
letter stating that he was yet feeling
well and that he would push on as fast
as possible.
That was the last ever received from
the young man, and 1t was dated Janu-
airy Is, 1g71. As the weeks went by and
no further tidings came from him. his
parents began an investigation. Detect
ives were employed and they went direct
to Middle Grove, from which point the
last intelligence had come. They made
investigation and returned to report that,
in their opinion, Gilbert had been muir
dered ana his body burned, which conclu-
sion they reached from the fact that
they had found ashes and the e'nbers OF
IRE near the roadside from which part
ly consumed bones had been dug out.
They failed to ind any trace OF Gilbert's
companion. and claimed 10 have been baf-
fed in all their attempts to md him.
The detectives were discharged. 1t was
afterwards believed that their story Of
finding the bones had been trumped up
in order to convince their employer that
they had earned their fee.
Azel Gates then went in person to seek
for his son. He found men who had seen
Gates and Jester together one day and
the following day had seen the older OF
the two men driving the front team,
while the young man was seen lying In
the second wagon covered with buffalo
skins. The second wagon was tied to the
rear OF the first wagon.
From this point Mr.. Gates had no DIM
Guilty in following Alex Jester, for the
two teams driven by one man and ac-
by a shepherd dog and young
buffalo left trail as plain as that Of
sprinkling wagon in a village street. Peo-
pie remembered the outfit distinctly, but
no one from that point in the road could
be found who had seen more than one
man with the wagons.
Azel Gates traced Jester mp TO the out
skirts Of small town west Of Hannibal.
Mo. There he came TO house near which
Jester had camped. The people renem-
bered the circumstances very well. Jes-
ter came to the house for water. The
strange actions of a shepherd dog were
remembered. The animal appeared re-
duced in strength and much excited. 1t
ran from the wagons to the house and
back several times. It would jump into
one Of the wagons and out again instant |
y. then run to the house. bowling and |
whining. The next morning the dog was |
A tanner told Gates that Jester had |
sold him some buffalo skins. One was |
spotted red, and on being moistened blood |
lowed from the spots. Some Of this was |
,ent to Chicago, where chemists declared |
{ was human blood. Gates found Jester
lad returned west He went there and
had Jester arrested. Young Gates's wag-
'ah, leading behing his wagon, which he
her found It full Of his sons clothing.
The boys watch was found on Jester.
drs. Cornelia Street, TESTERS sister, was
With him, and one OF her children was
wearing the hat Of Gilbert Gates.
TIE body of Gilbert Gates was never
ound. Salt Creek, near Middle Grove,
vas dragged in the belief that the body
lad been thrust through a hole in the ice.
round which traces Of blood had been
ound, which could not be accounted for
" the Iieighbors. Years afterwards the
keleton Of a hand and arm was found,
nut 1t could not be identified as members
4 Gilbert Gates body.