Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-30
Body Of the Murdered Man Found
in Cornfield Long After
Crime.
Was Colored Preacher and Was
Probably Killed For $3.50
He Had.

Tenn.
Crofton came here the first time on
July Is. He ran acros j. H. Paramore
photographer. Paramore directed
him to the hotels. but he couldn't find a
room, and so the photographer allowed
him to sleep in his gallery.
He was a fine looking old negro,
said Mr.. Paramore, about 0 years old
l asked him his name, and he said
Rev Sam'l Crofton, sab; Crofton. sab.
He told me ne was a slave before the
war. He was shabbily dressed, but neat
and clean. remember that during the
night he got up and prayed for half
hour
Crofton went away the next day, Wis
ting, amonk other places, Akron There
he asked minister to write to his folks
in Humboldt, Tenn, and tell them he
had saved $685. This the minister did.
This sum of money represented months
Of patient work by the helpless old
evangelist He had gone from town to
town, his grip slung across his shoul-
der, and preaching the gospel in tents.
He had denied himself to save the
meager contributions for the folks at
home.
Then he came back to Hawarden,
about noon on August 2. Paramore saw
him again, and Crofton said he was
going to ride over to Ireton with a
stranger, in spring wagon. Paramore
saw him no more. Roy Kenny. son OF
Mayor Kenny, had been attracted by
the deep religious feeling Of the old ne
gro evangelist, and wanted to talk with
him. The young man and the colored
preacher spent an hour or more togeth-
err in the afternoon, and then Kenny
went with Rev Mr.. Crofton to the bug
gy and helped him into it. The old min
ister's eyes could not see the face OF the
man into whose hands he had put him
self for the ten-mile drive. He could do
naught but trust his unseen befriend-
er.
This is the last time Rev. Mr.. Croft
ton was ever seen alive. Kenny's de-
scription of the tall. sandy-haired, rath-
err rough looking man who drove the
buggy, led to the arrest OF Reynolds. As
Agent for music house in Sioux Falls,
Reynolds drove all thru this part cf the
country He had always a good reputa-
ton, as far as known. His family is
very respectable, 1t is said The only
thing known against him here was that
he Is reported to have been abusive once
or twice in trying to sell pianos.
Reynolds admits driving the old ne
gro out OF Hawarden, but says he put
him out few miles from town. New
ertheless, Kenny was sent to Sioux
Falls yesterday to identify.
dc
drove out OF Hawarden with the blind
negro. on October %, body was found
in q corngf1eld half mile this side of
Ireton. The farmer who owns the field
says now that he remembers that about
the first OF August he remarked to his
folks that someone had driven into his
cornfleld, circled about, and driven out
again. He thought it but an idle fancy
Of some traveller. 1t is believed now that
the buggy that circled the field left the
body, which was found 300 yards from
the road.
In the forehead of the dead man a
great CHASTITY hole was gaping. There
were cuts and bruises about the head
and face. The wound in the forehead
has been described as such as blunt
instrument would make.
The theory which has been formed
here is that Reynolds. or someone else,
either at Akron, where the old negro
had told OF his money, or in the drive to
Ireton. found that in the grip slung
across the negro's shoulder, or tucked
away in one of his pockets, was $685..
Reynolds having good reputation. II
it not believed that he deliberately
planned murder, If he 1t at all guilty.
but his accusers think he tried to take
the money away, and more bitter fight
than he anticipated resulted. And that
in this way the blind negro was struck
in the head and killed.
That the murderer, whoever he was,
has made every effort to conceal his
crime is evident. He took the body 300
yards from the road, before 1t was
dropped in the field. All papers were
taken from the person. A few OF them
were afterward found buried in the dirt
a hundred yards from the body. BY one
of these papers 1t was found the dead
man was Rev. Samuel Crofton, OF Hum
boldt Tenn. The grip and its contents
have never been seen. 1t is supposed
they were burned or thrown into the
river.
circumstantial evidence is against
Reynolds. AS yet no other evidence
except circumstantial has been found.
The question asked here is. II Reynolds
did not kill Crofton, who did?
Reynolds Goes to lreton.
Sioux Falls s. D., Nov. 3O-Roy Ken
ny, the son of the mayor Of Hawarden,
recognized Reynolds as the driver of the
rig into which he assisted Crofton on
Aug. 2. Reynolds does not deny that he
is the person with whom Crofton rode
en- that date. Reynolds says that he left
Crofton out about mile from Ireton.
where he met two men alongside the
road, white man and a darkey. The