The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-20
EVERY DETAIL
IN THE CASE
is A MYSTERY
Was Morris Murdered or Is
He Dead at All?
WHAT DOES GRAVE REVEAL
Every Effort Fails to UntangIe
Mesh of Circumstances.

Guthrie o. T, August 19.-The myster-
ious disappearance of Coda Morris. Of
Madison, Kan. near Orlando. still re-
mains unsolved. The theories as TO the
motives for anyone John Cox or Coda
Norris burryiug the coffin with 2o7
pounds of ice in it are as yet unsubstan-
tial Concerning this. q dispatch from
Emporia, Kan, says:
Morris not long ago insured his life
in favor Of his wife. Grace Obley- Norris,
FOR 5000. In case Morris was supposed
dead the insurance would belong to Mrs.
Norris Mrs. Morris is well known here
and her character is above reprOach. She
positively denies that her husband had
ever presented TO her a plan that he
should feign death. that she should draw
The insurance and meet him At some pre-
arranged place, Aside from such sup
position no reason for Morris wanting to
he dead IS tangible. Mrs. Morris word
however, is considered true, and her ac-
tons also Indicate that she was ignorant
Of the affair. However. another side Of
the case is the report that perhaps
another woman is in the case. The Madi-
son, Kan, officers are looking for a wo-
man, whose name cannot be learned here.
with whom Morris was quite intimate
during his years stay IN Madison and
at whose house ne was ! boarder. She
left town for Oklahoma last Friday ana
the officers suspect that she went to meet
Morris, alias John Cox. This theory is
considered but lightly. however. as she
frequently leaves town. Mr. Obley and
daughter, Mrs. Morris, went 10 Madison
this morning and returned home at II
o'clock a. m. There they found that Nor
ris for the past year was supposed T..
have been in a collecting. insurance and
land agent business, but it appears that
he was in no actual business.
The marriage of Grace Obley to Coda
Norris was a rather romantic affair They
were married June 49, last. by Rev. Par
ker after short courtship, before which
Trey were total strangers. He told his
wife that he was wealthy, owned some
$4,000 in stock and lands and large
farm near Perry, 0. T. This. however.
must have been false, as at Madison he
never had more than sl00 In the bank
at time and when ne left owned ST.
on money he borrowed ct about the time
OF his marriage When Mr.. Obley was
In Perry the register of deeds showed
that he owned no land in that county
as he said he did. The last letter Mrs.
Morris got from her husband was dated
Perry, August 10 and in that he said he
would sell his farm to man named
Smith. and with Smith ne would come to
Emporia last Tuesday. Smith" it is
thought is a fictitious person.
Mrs. Morris believes ner husband has
met with foul play, but is only too anx-
fous to see the John Cox held at Chandler.
for should it prove to be Mr. Norris. the
mystery will be slplved as far as the re-
ported death of lorris is concerned"
News Of her hi sband's death reached
Mrs Morris indiIe Iectly coming to the
effect that he waE killed in a runaway.
Telegrams We're sett, but no details of the
report could be learned and as no further
news from Norris came, the father of
Mrs Morris, A. II. Obey. left Saturday
night for Perry. Oklahoma. to investf-
gate the strange circumstances surround
ing Morris reported death. There Mr.. OBJ
ley found a most mysteriously mixed up
affair
Yesterday Sheriff O'Connor, Of Lyon
county. received the following telegram
from the sheriff of Orlando. "Think
Morris was murdered: locate Sohn Cox:
keep strict tab: he started north" How
ever. the murder theory was Of short
duration. as yesterday strong suspicion
having been aroused by the mysterious
burial OF Morris and the hasty leave Of
Cox who was supposed TO have buried
Norris, the sheriff IN the presence OF a
large crowd Of people exhumed the coffin
and found a pound cake of ice in
Il The grave was five miles from Or
lando.
Mr 0biey reached Perry. Oklahoma.
Sunday morning He Went to numerous
hotels in Perry and finally found where
Morris had registered on August Q. and
several people remembered seeing the
man. Mr.. Obley then went TO the home
oi Sheri1 Foster. Of Perry. and was in
formed that the sherin had gone To or
lsndo- This news satisfied Mr.. Ohlev that
Foster had gone over 10 investigate the
death Of Morris 50 he caught a train and
went directly to Orlando. which town he
reached just IN rime 10 see the sheriff
bringing in The coffin which had been
sNhumed Mr. 0hey was shown the cof
IN ana the chunk of ice il contained. The
Ice weighed TWO younds. having melted
from & s59-pound cake. Bv these strange
developments the mystery was only in
tensiiied, and the sheriff and Mr.. Obiev
started CUT 70 ind oae John Cox. Who Vas
known 20 have buried thu coffin. HIS
story came out IL was that he had last
THURSDAY reported Norris death at or
laplo. Morris was known last Thursday
70 have hired team ana buggy. with =
driver, and drove several miles in IA.
country. As reason he said he intend
ed 20 make sale Of land &c "a man named
Martin. II was found thar no man ~
that name lived IN The vicinity where az
went. lie returned 70 Orlando and Thurs
dag afternoon Norris vas reported dead
by man who save his name as John
Cox. who was with Morris at .he tirns
Cox went 70 Perry ana bousht SO coffin
20 pounds Of ice and some peaches. The
peaches We're shipped 70 2. Peaaletan
T. Missouri. the cofin and see were shin
ped 70 Orlando. The men who soid 1he