The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-14

HISTORY OF
EICK MURDER
Story of the Tragedy Which
Ended in YodeIs Conviction
1T WAS A FAMOUS CASE
Head of Murdered Man Was
Thrown Into the River.

Oklahoma City, o. T, April 12.-The
Elk murder case which resulted in the
conviction Of Wm. Yoder on Thursday
has been, from start 10 finish, one OF
the most sensational and most comph-
Gated cases with which the officers OF
this part Of the territory have had 70
deal. From the time OF finding the head
less trunk il the North Canadian river
on Aug. 4. 1Sss. and the later finding Of
the head, with a bullet hole in 1t. face
and features blotted. almost unrecog-
nlzable. there has always been an air
OF mystery a-out the whole affair. For
a long time there was little clue TO the
guilty person or persons and this did
rot come out until Yoder was arrested
on a horse stealing charge after having
lived at various points in the Indian Ter
ritory following the murder of Elk. The
murdered man met his death or the night
Of Aug. 3, 1859. having been shot in the
back OF the head. the bullet going through
the skull and coming out OF the head in
front at the edge OF he hair. According
TO Yoders statement, Elk was shot by
Harry Gamble, his head cut of by Tom
Curtis with a large dirk knife and he
and VIM. Jackson assisting in placing
the body in the river Thetrunk was
found the next morning by two fisher
men, John and Ed Ellison. The mans legs
were tied together and wrapped around
them were several yards of old rag
carpet, which was a saddle blanket for
one of the horses used by che men. The
underclothing worn by Elk was still on
the body. and soft shirt with collar at
tached was also left on the body after
the murder This shirt had the initials
a. J. E. on the collar.
Immediately after the finding, Officials
were noufied and an inquest held. The
jury returned a verdict that the man had
been murdered and that the murderers
were unknown No one at the time OF
the inquest was able to identify the man
and the trunk was finally buried; the
head being preserved a few days in hopes
that something might turn Up After
the inquest was held the officers decided
TO make thorough investigation Of the
location where the trunk and head were
found After short search the ashes of
a camp fire were found and in looking
these over. a portion OF a burned picture
was brought out. The picture had orig
inally been q group OF men in working
Clothes but there was only the picture
Of one man after it had gone through the
fire Pieces of a card were found and
enough of them could be put together 20
get Eik's name. as il had been on the
card before being torn up. Near the
ashes OF the camp fire were two beer bot
ties and a common camp hook. South OF
the camp fire ashes. a short distance,
plane was found where the grass was
trampled down and pool Of blood was
discovered and from that pool Of blood
there was every evidence that q body
had been dragged TO tha river. The
finding Of the pool Of blood gave the
impression that It was there that Gu It's
had cut Eiks head on with the dirk
knife. After the finding Of the picture
and card, together with the initials on
the shirt on the trunk. forming the art.-
cles which led TO the Identification. Eik's
wife positively Identified the picture
found IS that Of her husband. and stated
that II had been taken in group at
Paris. Texas. Others saw the picture
and said It was that Of Elk Still. for
all Of this. the officers were not right
sure that the mans name was Elk. But
they had not proof that It was anything
else.
At the tine Yoder disappeared from
this city. he had charge Of the Reno
barn and had the reputation Of keeping a
tough set Of men around him. Some OF
these men were supposed 10 have been
horse thieves. but there was never evi-
dence enough 10 convict them. Yoder
himself pretended TO be q member Of tie
Anti-Horsethief Association. but II IS
supposed that re Pretended that no vas
an anu-horsethief man ia order 70 keep
posted on what was going on for the ber.-
eft Ct his pals" On the morning that
The body IL the murdered man vas found
Hoder, Curtis, Gamble and jackson. some
times called Trone left the City. Yodsr
and Curtis went into the Indian Territory
and the whereabouts OF Harry Gamble
are not known. jackson drifted around
awhile and vent down into tho indian
country. Y0der stayed away several
months and finally appeared az the home
q q relative some mites west ~ here.
The officers learned Of hts location and
arrested him OF the charge ~ stealing
horses This arrest gave an opportunity
- question Toder and this was taken ad-
vantage Of Foder tol5 who had been
around tho barn at Reno and phen ELK
was described 90 hiTn stated that such
person had been there but that d. uaa
a stranger. After q number ~ other rr-
marks q SIMILAR nature. the oacers
oeci1ed % secure the other u7an u r7r-
be They were an arrested. hut Gamble
Even AFTER the arrest ~ al - ue men
with The exception ~ Gamble. ~ nas
hare O. Get any aeauite ciae b1t Pr The
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