The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-02-01
ILLINOIS MURDER MYSTERY.
The Body Of . Man Pound In sink Hole
Near the Littis Town OF
Ame.. H.

dccomposed body OF man was found
Yesterday morning by a party Of
hunters IN one OF the numerous -sink
holes" in Tho vicinity OF the little
town OF A.nrs. southwest OF here.
This is partial solution of the mys-
terry of the bloody cap that was found
in the road bout three weeks ago by
Richard Cullen, saloonkeeper Of
Ames. The cap had bullet hole
through il. The cloth OF the cap
around the hole where the bullet en-
tered was scorched. as though the
weapon was held near the victims
head when the fatal shoe was fired.
Near the cap lay purse containing
% cents in silver.
4 minute search of the vicinity was
made. but nothing could be found of
the body. The sink hole where the
body was found is about one hundred
and fifty yards from the scene of the
finding OF the cap. and the murderer
mao evidently carried the body of his
victim from where he killed him and
deposited il in the sink hole. where,
but for an accident.i might have new
er been found. A number OF BOYS were
otu hunting rabbits, Sunday mourning.
and when near where the body was
found their dogs started rabbit,
which soon fed for refuge TO one Of
the sink holes" The dogs ana hunt
ers followed. and while looking Tor
the rabbit found the body II was
partially buried under pile of loose
earth fhat had been washed down
from he edges If the hole Is recent
rains. Decomposition was SO far adj
yanced that Identification az the feat
ures was impossible. bHt by The cloth
ing the man WAS readily identified is
one Of party of movers that
stopped in that locality for a few Days
prior 10 the finding ~ The bloody cap.
There were three men. TWO women
and three small children in the party.
They told John Dugan. a farmer near
whose house they camped and from
whom they bought feed for their
horses. that they Mere on their way
from near Nation. Ill.,. 10 place in
southwest Missouri. where they had
purchased farms and intended to re-
side. The day before the cap was
found the party started again on
their Journey.
At the time no one thought Of con.
Meeting them with the mystery OF the /
cap. but now. since the man has been I
identified rs one Of the party. other l
circumstances in connection with /
them have come to light that tend TO
show that the man was the victim OF \
foul murder at the hands of one or
more of his companions. and that the
purse was simply rusc OF the crimi-
nal or criminals TO leave the impress
sion that robbery was the motive OF
the crime in the event that the body
Of the victim should be found.
Ii now tranSpres that the muir
dered man and one OF the Others was
in saloon az Ames two days be fore
the cap was found. They were both
freely and became involved
i'm a quarrel. the nature of which
could not De learned by the bystand-
ers. The men were ordered TO keen
quiet, and soon left the place, mutt
tering mutual threats ito do each
other up" That was the last seen Of
them in town. as they apparently
kept close 10 their camp for the re-
mainder of the time they remained in
Inc ncighbofhood. Dugan. the farm
er. says that on several occasions dur
ing their stay he heard loud and vio-
lent talking. as Of someone quarrel
ing at the camp.
The coroner has gone to the scene
and impaneled a Jury. The inquest
will be held to-day kilograms sent
from this city TO Chester and Ste.
[ienevieve to see if parties answering
the description of the movers had
crossed the river at either Of those
points have been answered to the eff
feet that no such personshave crossed
u either of the places. II is probable
hat the party disposed Of their team
md wagon some place in the Ameri-
IAN Bottom, crossed the Mississippi in
sl1iirs and separated when they
reached the Missouri shore