The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1902-11-01
TIE P[A|NV|uE TRAGEDY.
The Murder of Fred Larimore LAID
at the Door of Millard Fill
more Lester.
THE LATTER DECLARES HIS INNOCENCE
He Has Been Arrested and Heie""eS
Under $4,000 BOnd-The Theors
on which the Murder Is In" ="
Lester Involves the Good N"i"'
of His Daughter.

Quincy, ILL.,, Oct. 2o.-"l am IN Ao
way responsible for the murder Vi
Ered Iarimore, and when the proper
time comes will clearly establish Una.
,oot" This is the answer Millaru
Fillmore Lester makes to all inter-
rogations concerning his arrest for
the murder of his neighbours son.
last Friday near the latter's home az
Plainville.
Lester was arrested Sunday evening
n. his home near Plainvile. He was
brought to this city and, Monday, ad-
m;tted TO bail under a bond OF slo'-
900. The preliminary hearing VIII
take place Novemberlo.
Mr. Lester was not locked up. lie
was given an easy chair IN the ser
peant's room at the police station ana
there spent the night after the ia'e
hour of his arrival.
I, Cool and Self Possessed.
Mr. lester is cool and self-pos-
sessed and, if he is worrying any
does not show it. On the way IN ne
cat in the three-seated rig most OF
tho wav-from Payson in-between
two reporters. They asked nm ques'
tions relating to the crime with when
he stood charged. He answered civil
", but briefly, On the way IN he re,
ferred to the weather and several
times volunteered information con
corning residences and farms tha'
were being passed. He knows the
road thoroughly and appeared 10
know the owners of the farms in the
20 miles or more that lie between
plainyille and Quincy His father set
fled in Adams county in 1850, more
than half century ago, and ten
wears before this son was born. Like
the Larimores, the Lester family Is
one of the best known in the south
ern mart of Adams county and north
ern part of Pike county. He Is AZ
years old.
Testers Daughter, Mrs. Mckee.
Mr.. Lester has been twice married
His family consists Of his wife ana
one daughter, child Of the first mar
rage, The daughters name is Laura
and she is the wife Of Alvin Mckee
Mr.. Mckee is 20 years of age; ms
wife Is 10. They are comfortably SIT
uated. The wife inherited the farm
on which they reside and came into
ITS possession when she attained her
majority about a year ago Mckee
father left him 10000 of $4,000. Be
tween them they are worth %o,Ooo or
$4,000. During the past year the hus.
band has not been in good health, and
seven weeks ago he and his wife left
FOR Battle Creek, Mich; he to take
the sanitarium treatment, They re-
turned Saturday night and did not
know anything OF the murder until
they arrived in Quincy, From here
they went to Hull, and were thence
driven across the country six or sew
en- miles to their home, two miles
west Of Plainyille. Mr.. and Mrs. Les
ter reside one and three-qunrter miles
east of the village.
Alleged Motive for the Murder.
All the evidence in the possession
OF the authorities has not beer
made public, but the theory Of the
prosecution Is that Lester killed Fred
Iarmore because he believed that an
intimacy existed between his daugh'
ter and the young man that would
lead to an cstrangement between Me-
Kce and his wife and cause n public
scandal.
Lester Is said 60 have told his
daughter Mt one time that he would
kill Lnrimore II the alleged unbccom'
ing conduct of the two was not
stopped.
AS late as the 7th inst. Larimore
received letters from Battle Creek
Mich, signed by "You Know" There
was nothing in them TO indicate that
there had been improper relations be.
tween the writer and the young mar
10 whom addressed, but they were
quite aiYccionatc in tone and begged
the young man to come to Battle
Creek for n good time, The husband
OF the writer was at the snnitarium
while the writer was registered at n
hotel, and there could be no intcrfcr'
ence with the happiness Of the two
were they there together, The writer
even offered the young man money II
he needed any for expenses
The weapon Of Death.
Detectives and doctors agree that
The weapon employed In Staying Fred
erick lArimore was Il target rifle of
22.calber. Mr.. Lester declares that
the only weapon OF any kind In his
house IL IN old musket, lie hiss not
owned u target rifle nor 22-ealiber
revolver.