The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-06
A MURDER MOST FOUL.

had been burning 80 hercely that Miss
HounsOm would have been dead some
time and could not have changed her
position in the bed from lying on her
right side to a position fiat on her back
The bed clothing was so heavy that it
undoubtedly held her in the same posi-
tiOn when the bed was burned away
and her body and the mattress, which
was but partly burned and the bed
clothing slipped to the floor.
The night was not particularly cool
and it does not seem that the woman
would have had SO much clothing over
her unless she had been foully dealt
with and the bed clothing heaped upon
her BY those who placed her body in
the bed.
COULD NOT HAVE BEEN SUICIDE.
Miss Hounsom could not have COM
mitted suicide though there are circun-
stances that point to that theory.
Thursday afternoon Miss Hounsom
took 500 and some trinketS to Mrs. III.
G. Odtinger. at 307 Lime street, and
asked her to keep them for her as she
said she was about TO move and might
lose them. Miss Hounsom and Mrs.
Odtinger have been close friends for
several years. Miss HOunSon also gave
her a letter and two cents in money.
The letter was addressed to Miss Niota
HOunsOm. GlenwOod, Missouri Schuy-
Ter county. The letter was to sister
of tie dead woman. She asked Mrs.
Odtinger to take the letter and with the
TWO pennies to buy postage stamp
and mail it for her in the morning as
The letter was closely written in pencil
on both sides of two sheets of common
letter paper. The envelope was un-
sealed. The letter was cheerful and
gave all the news OF the mutual friends
of the sisters. I'm the letter Miss Houn-
som explained that the house she lived
in had been sold and that she was look
ing Tor new place to live, but there
was no hint of suicide
The house where Miss Hounsom lived
was among those bought by the Com
santa F'e shops. With the exception of
a Russian family living in a house at
the rear of the same lot Miss HOunSOm
had no neighbors as the rest of the
houses had been vacated and were be
ing moved away In the letter to her
sister Miss HOunsOm explained that she
wanted to secure a place where there
was a barn SO she could keep her COW
The sale Of milk was her only means
of making a living except doing some
light sewing She said in the letter
that her brother, Elmer E. Hounsom.
who owns several houses in that part |
Of town. had offered her a house. She |
said that there was no barn on the /
place and that she had rented the house |
house and given a receipt for the rent I
she had received and that with the rent /
she expected to hire house that had /
a barn with it. She said that her
brother had objected to that arrange |
ment and had told the people occupy /
ing the house to pay him the rent. They /
told him that they had paid Miss /
owned the house and that they must /
move out. Miss Hounsom explained in /
the letter that she did not know where /
she would go.
QUEER MESSAGES LEFT
Besides the $50 in money which Miss /
Hounsom left with Mrs Odtinger was
a box containing some writing paper, !
half dozen silver spoons, a necklace
and lOcket three inexpensive breast
pins, two rings and some small trink-
n he trT7 of f1ak kaf.xr 7f-,Fg inc
the money was pasted a little slip of
paper which read as follows. Sadie,
the ring is yours" Written on the out
side OF an envelope IN the other box
was the following. Amy, the money
is yours. Don't let anybody have it.
Send the other things to Niota if any
thing should happen to me. can trust
YOU" This indicates that she might
have anticipated death.
Miss Hounsom had been in the habit
of having her friends keep her money
Edward Dustin, 131 North Branner
kept them. The note explaining what
should be done with her money seems
more like a crude will that had been
made without any thought of commit
ting suicide rather than the instruc-
tions written by a suicide on the eve
of a premeditated deed. If Miss Houn-
som was murdered the deed may have
been prompted by the knowledge that
she had some money in her possess
sion.
Frank Dyche. a colored laborer who
mas been WOr king with the men NOV
ing the houses, left his AK on the porch |
inside the screen door of Miss HOun-
SONS home Thursday at the close of
his days work. He saw her later and
told her he would call for the AK in the
She said it would be all right
at her home The most tangible clue
toward the suicide theory is that last
evening Miss Hounsom took the ak to
a .neighbor's and left it with instruc-
"a ha m
was not at home when he came in the
NEIGHBORS WE'RE NOT AROUSED.
The house at the rear Of Miss Houn-
SONS place is occupied by a Russian
named Daniel Ferlig, who is employed
at the Wolff packing house. The house
by Ferlig was east Of that oc-
cupied by Miss Hounsom- There is no
door nor window on the west side of the
Ferlig home, which is the side toward
the house that was occupied by Miss
Hounsom. Mrs. Ferlig. who can speak
only in Russian said, this morning that
she nor her husband had any knowledge
1f the fire until they were awakened by
he people who discovered the fire.
When they were awakened the house
was an entire mass of flames. Mrs
Ferlig said that Miss Hounsom had no
gasoline stove. Several people passed
The house late last night Miss Houn-
som must have been in bed as there
was no light burning.
Miss Hounsorn's house had been plac-
I'd en- skids yesterday afternoon by the
mouse movers employed by H G.Tandy.
Miss Hounsom was told by Tandy and
MS workmen yesterday that the house
would be moved soon, today perhaps,
and that she would have to find another
place to live. She seemed somewhat
excited and said that while her brother
1wned several houses that he had not
given her a suitable one to live in and
hat she would not move out until she
lad a place to go to-
ALARM OF FIRE AT 2:13.
The alarm Of FIRE was turned in from