The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-06
WAS A CHASTITY FIND
Body of John Stead Discover
ed in an Out House.
HAD BEEN DEAD 3 DAYS
Stranger, in III Luck, Evident
Iy Committed Suicide


]. A. Stewart OF Topeka, was found In
horribly decomDosed state In a water
closet at 1906 east Douglas avenue, about
as o'clock yesterday afternoon, by J. 8.
Vannoy. a gardener, who lives at IA Ida
avenue. The body Of the dead tnan was
found In q sitting posture with the head
leaning slightly TO one side A sS-calibre
revolver was found at the dead mans
feet all covered with blood. The revolver
had been fred once only, and that shot
had struck the mans head at the butt
of the right ear and ranged slightly up
ward. Blood had run down over his neck
and clothing and onto the floor. The con-
dition of the body shows that he had
been dead two or three days. 1t is I'M
doubtedly a case OF suicide.
The body was viewed by Coroner Nc
I,aughlin and was then searched and
taken to Dunbar's undertaking establish
rnent. 1t was so badly decomposed that
1t could not be held any longer and was
last night buried in the county grounds
at Maple Grove cemetery. Mr.. Vannoy,
who discovered the body, vas working
IN the garden for Thomas Montrief. who
with his family, lived at the place. but
who have been visiting in Kansas City,
No., for two weeks past The house was
locked and nobody, except Mr.. Vannoy
had been about the place since Mr.. and
Mrs. Montrief went away. When Mr..
Vannoy opened the door Of the water
closet a horrlfying sight met his gaze
and he was driven back by a stencil that
was awful. He Immediately telephoned
the police station, and the coroner soon
arrived. No one -ventured TO touch the
body, for few men could stand such an
ordeal. The body was sitting upright
with the arms extending straight from
the body as II imploring help. They were
swollen into that position. The body had
turned black from modification and the
features OF the face had been transform
ed into an unrecognizable shape. Millions
and millions Of magots were working in
the nose, eyes, mouth and wound. and
the sight turned many people away sick
and nauseated.
The man was dressed very neatly in a
black coat, Bingham custom-Tnade shirt,
and white and black striped pants. In
one Of his coat pockets was found pair
Of brown driving gloves. The coroner
took from the dead mans pockets sill
yer open-bace watch and chain and two
purses. In one Of these was found an
account torn from a ledger and headed
John Stead" The account was balanced
and nothing was on II which would give
an idea as to where 1t was taken from.
There was some change In this purse,
also a duplicate certificate OF deposit
issued by the Citizens National bank or
North Topeka. stating that on January
8, 1928, J. A. Stead had deposited a 500
bank note there. and signed by P. Smith,
cashier. In this purse was also found a
pawn ticket issued by A. Klein. the brok-
er at ~ East Douglas avenue, certify
ing that the bearer had pawned a lady's
gold watch there for $50, redeemable on
or before October 2 In the other purse
was found a duplicate medical prescrip-
ton Issued May q 1899, by J. NJ. Bays,
Wamego. Kan. The prescription was for
Lena Handy and called for a compound
OF medicine in the usual style used by
physicians and not understood by the
general public. The purse containing this
prescription blank and the lady's gold
watch evidently did not belong to the
dead man.
A Santa Fe baggage check was found
IN one of the purses, and on calling at
the depot Il was learned that the bag
gage which this check called for had ar
rived from Kansas City on September 2.
and consisted Of a wooden chest with a
rope in each end for handles. The chest
was very light and there seemed to be
nothing in 1t but a bunch Of clothes.
On one end Of this chest was found the
address 81. A. Stead. Topeka, Kan. -
and on the other end were pasted slips
showing that the baggage had been held
at Kansas City until storage was due
on II. It is thought from this that Stead
was looking for work and stopped at
Kansas City awhile, and falling to find
It, came on to Wichita The baggage
man at the depot was IN the act OF put
ting a storage tag on the chest when an
officer told him that the owner OF It had
been found dead.
Some speculation was INDUCED in as TO
how the man came to his death. even
after the evidence pointed so clearly TO
suicide or an accident. Some seemed 10
think that the men had been fouly dealt
with and placed in the water closet as
a means OF hiding the body hurriedly.
A break was noticed IN the scalp on the
left side Of the head. but that was
caused by the swelling and bursting OF
the scalp.
Cal Gale. who operates a branch ONCE
for the Central Cosl and Coke company
on East Douglas avenue. between the
Santa Fe and Rock Island deoots. lives
just the other side Of the Montreif place
He said last night that ne had seen a
strange man staggering in the MontTiei
yard two or three evenings ago as II he
was very drunk The stranger wandered
all about the place. but Mr.. Gale did not
see him enter the water closet and did
not hear the report Of a revolver any
time that night He IS Of the opinion
that this Is the body OF the man he saw
that night. as nobody has been noticed
about the place either before or since,
with the exception OF Mr.. Vannoy, the
gardener.
The coroner Will hold an Inquest at Il
o'clock this morning and II possible the
identity OF the man will be established
so that his relatives or friends may be
notified OF his death