Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1901-05-09
DOCTOR GARTRELL PROTESTS
his SONS INNOCENCE OF
D0NAGANs DEATH.
TELLS MANY CONFLICTING STORIES.
MY Boy Slept While Donagan and I
Fought" Says the Aged Pris-
oner, Now in the Bates
County Jail.

the murder of d. B. Donagan, a Grip.
pie Greek miner, form queer combi-
nation of contradictions. The doctor
is voluble and variable, telling one
story with great attention to details
and then fatty contradicting it in
every particular. W. d. Gartrell, the
son, gives a straightforward version
of the killing of Donagan. He is ap-
parently honest and is evidently
stunned at the brutality Of the crime,
which he places boldly upon his
father The only point upon which
the father is consistent is his insist
ence that the boy was asleep when
Donagan was killed, and had no part
in the murder.
1.-THE two prisoners were handcuffed
together and showed little emotion at
the thought of being taken back to
the scene of their crime. They were
not brought from their cells until a
few minutes before time to start to
the train.
"When they were taken into Chief
Hayes Office to be handcuffed the
elder Gartrell at once began begging
for a glass of whiskey 30 steady his
nerves for the trip. When 1t was
brought to him he drank a half tumb-
Ter full without taking the glass from
his lips,
"Sheriif Smith does not anticipate
that he will have any trouble with his
prisoners. Il think there will be no
trouble whatever, he said Just before
starting. Our people are talking
considerably about the case, and II the
man whom they murdered so cruelty
had been a resident Of our county
would be afraid to go back with the
prisoners, for the people would not
let me put them in jail. But, as 1t is,
| hove no fear Of trouble
"Chief Hayes this morning received
letter from NJ. W. O'Connell, Chief
of Police Of Victor, Col, in which he
stated that d. B. Donagan, or
Brown" DOnagan, as he was gener-
ally called, was a well-known miner
there, that he was sober, industrious
and hard working fellow, that he
owned several thousand shares Of stock
in the New Jersey mine and num-
Der of shares in other companies. He
left there about the last of February
placing his interests in the hands of
A. McLeede, the postmaster, and say
ing that he expected to be gone for
several months. He was known to
have several hundred dollars In is
possession when he left. He left in
company with a man named Lee Fox,
or Cox, but the police here know moth
ing of such a man, and it is supposed
that he left Donagan before Kansas
City was reached"
THINKS IT WAS PREMEDITATED. B
81 firmly believe that the murder
was premeditated," said Detective
Haldeman last night "The Cart
rells were broke. They met Donagan
here in Kansas City and knew that he
had a large sum of money. l think
the old man then and there made up
his mind TO rob Donagan, even II he
had to kill the miner to get the
money.
"The bloody pillow and blanket
that we found in the wagon were
carefully tied up in a bundle, The
murderers had no good chance to get
rid of them. They drove to the house
of a farmer named Baker and agreed
to pay him 81 a day if he would care
for the team. The old man told
Baker that he would return or send
for the team and wagon, but he
never; he had no intention of so
doing.
"Baker promised to care for the
outfit and the Gartrells left on foot
for the railroad station, never intend
ing to set foot in that part Of the
country again, They felt tnat their
secret was perfectly safe, as they
never counted on the body Of Dona-
gan being found.
"Both men came TO Kansas City, ar
riving the day after the murder They
spent their time in the company Of
women and saloons, spending DOna-
gan's money. After two days here
the son began to show symptoms Of
small pox. The old man took him to
Emporia.