Mexico Missouri message., 1901-09-12
MYSTERY UNSOLVED.
The Assassin of Lafayette
Newkirk Still at Large.

Gently 1Or an article OH lnt llur'
der of Lafayette Newkirk, and the
following is what the correspon-
dent said:
Mexico, Mo-, Sept. Two
weeks ago tonight Lafayette New
kirk, a wealthy citizen, was assas-
mated within a block of his home.
The assassin is still at large and
unidentified and there is absolute
ly no evidence connecting any
known person with the crime.
Ncwkirk was killed by bullet
which struck him nearly i'll the
middle of the forehead.
Twenty-eight years ago Newkirk
shot and killed meighbor, the
bullet entering his victim head
at precisely the same point. The |
! ncighbor was Robert Muir, IL far
mer. Had Newkirk been assassin
atcd Il day later he would have died
on the anniversary of that event.
Robert Muir, son of the man
who was killed by Newkirk, is
now constable of Salt River town
ship, in which Mexico is located.
When his father was killed the
present constable was young
man of ~ years. Since that day
he and Newliirk have been enc
mics, passing without speaking.
Not IA Muir has spoken to New
kirk, with the exception of Rich
ard Muir, brother of Robert,
with whom Newkird had business
dealings. 1t is Il matter of com
mon knowledge in Mexico that
Muir and Newkirk were enemies,
due to the killing of Muir's faith
cr.
Upon the advice of his attor-
neys, Cullen 4 Rodgers, Muir re-
fused to testify at the coroncr's
inquest. =. II. Cullen, one of
, these attorneys, was counsel for
Alexander Jester at the celebrated
trial for the murder of Gilbert
Gates, Jester being acquitted.
Muir, as constable, is still serv-
, ing warrants and attending to his
other official duties.
This is one phase of the affair.
i, There are other phases, thickening
the mystery. Newkirk's widow,
q Mrs. Nancy Doty Newkirk, was a
. Howard county belle 40 years ago.
In her young womanhood she be-
, came the wife of DR.. Silas J. New
: kirk, of Audrain county.
!, DR.. Newkirk was an older bro
- Their of Lafayette Newklrk. He
: was young physician of skill and
bright prospects.
-, The civil war began and DR.,
. Newkirk became surgeon III the
e, Confederate army. He never re-
turned to Mexico. His young
wife secured a divorce in 1864 and
was married to the younger broth
er of her former husband.
Not many years ago Mrs. Lafay-
n cite Newkirk was told by friend
@ that DR.. Newkirk had persisted in
the Custer massacre on the Little
Big Horn in the summer of 1876.
She believes her former husband
dead. She believed he was dead
she says, when she married his
brother, but she took the precau-
ton to obtain a divorce.
Mrs. Newkirk, however, admits
that she has no positive knowledge
of her first husbands death.
STORY THAT RUNS LIKE MELO-
DRAMA.
7, Mrs. Newkirk says that the doe
tor. like many other husbands, did
not come home after the war, and
she believed him to be dead.
Since the assassination of La
. faycttc Newkirk a story has beer
= whispered about the streets OF
Mexico that DR.. Newkirk, the ole
y Confederate surgeon, grizzled ant
bent, returned two weeks ago tC
: the home of his young manhood.
d This story, however, has moth
e ing tangible upon which to real
its fabric. 1t fits in romantically
Perhaps that is all there is to it
:" There is no evidence to show thai
DR.. Newkirk is not dead.
y There are yet other tales, ne
!" less idle, born of the strange mat
rimoniol mixture of this old Mis-,