The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
A MURDERED HERMIT.
George Zimmerman Found Dead
i'm HIS Cabin Near Argentine.

Argentine Kas., Feb. 7.-George Zim-
norman, SO years old, who lived alone in
a little house small tract of land near
Morris, seven miles west of Argentine on
the Santa Fe railroad, was found dead in
his home yesterday by two of his neigh
bors, w. T. Perkins and Fred Bauer He
had been dead several days-perhaps a
week-and his body. lying against the door
so closely that one could scarcely enter,
was frozen stiff. The theory of murder is
offered by those who saw the body in the
house, but this cannot be determined with
positiveness until an autopsy is held some
time today.
DR. Frank NJ Tracy. the county coroner,
telephoned that he could not go to Norris.
Instead, he ordered George w. Simmons,
the Argentine undertaker, to take charge
of the body. Mr.. Simmons and Constable
Bowman accompanied Perkins and Bauer.
Reaching Zimmerman's house about 2
o'clock, Simmons forced his way inside.
Then he admitted the e. others hln by oper rty
while a skillet was on the floor near the
order. One thing the undertaken, and the
officer noticed. This was that the cloth
WAS On the EFT foot This led to the bee
lief that the old man was either demented
just before he died. or else he had been
his body afterward. In the pockets some
small change, amounting to g cents was vas
place YVES cat, ALMOST starved to death,
Which n e and Fn9Ped l its E sides s agai9 ar
the body. Evidently dog had been in
the too but but it had 1npea fhef ra
the house, were several chickens penned
up and s So WEAK fre aek PT ood and FED drn ns
watered these before taking away the
Neighbors say that Zimmerman was last
seen about the place week ago la Tues
day. He was 81, in the yard t watering term his
drsd yards ards, distant IS stands h country
children. have been
romping and playing in the snow around
time for ten days without seeing Zimmer-
He was always so quiet that we seldom
Zimmerman was widower, his wife
three eehen The old enra d s H
ing on his little place for five years, and
and Kansas ne G sHp e Was qaes name
who had little to say to anybody, and was
not not a h ct to dTin alI, It Was supposed
This is the third in a succession of mys-
vironments within With eight days Just st one
week ago Yesterday the body Of Thomas
two-roon hut near the west limits of Ar
gentine was found CAROLS body, like
that of Zimnern1an, was frozen. His head
rooms were in disorder. and there were in
dications that he had been murdered. So
strong, indeed. were the surrounding cir
cumstances that the coroner,s jury decided
that hand unknown had caused his
death.
The second of this series of mysteries
was the disappearance of Noah Long an
old .stonemason of Argentine He drew
$210S0 pension money on Thursday of last
week That night he was seen in a Joint
in the north end of Argentine. The police
have chung to the theory that he was MUIR
dered for his money, and although they
have searched every nook and corner of
Argentine and have dragged wells, no
trace of the old man has been found Two
young men, Henry Donahue and Dave
Morgan. who were last seen with him,
have been unable to offer any clue to MS
whereabouts.