The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-09-07
Body Of Man Supposed to Be this
Murderer Found in Field
Near Riceville, Ia
BULLET HOLE IN HIS HEAD.
Letter in His Pocket Confesses 10
Killing of His Mother and His
Fianeee, Miss Mitchell,
in Chicago

Chtc2So. sept h-Inc pocy OF a man
thought 20 be William BarthoIin. murde-er
OF his mother and sweetheart IN Chicago
six weeks ago. was found to-day In a heId
near Lowther. Ia. - miles from Chicago
A bullet hole In the head and q revolver
on the ground beside the body showed how
he had died In the pocket OF the mans
coat was Il letter corfessing to the murder
of his mother and Miss Miurte Aitcn>I-
The confession was dated August q and In
1t the writer declares that he killed his
mother, Mrs Anna Bartholin. for her
money. and later murdered his sweetheart.
Miss Minnie Mitchell
All others who have been arrested in the
case are exonerzted In the confession al
though BartholEn accuses Minnie Mitchell Of
being a party to the plot to murder his
mother.
The murder Of Mrs. Bartho.in. the confess
sion runs. was accomplished according to q
plot arranxed between the two lovers and
later Bartholin killed Miss Mitchell
The confession explicitly states that
Thompson. CIafy and Counselman. tie 9TH
er suspeccs-their names are mentioned In
the order given-are guilty Of no completely
In the murder.
Letters signed m. NJ" the initials Of
Minnie Mitchell. BarthoIin's murdered
hancee. also were found in the suicides
pocket
miles from Ricevflie- The discovery was at
once reported to the town authorities. and
the body was removed TO Riceviiie. There
IL was recognized as that Of a man who
had been In the locality for some time
Several persons recalled that the stranger
had been seen around the town for severai
days To some who had talked with him
he gave the name Of "Wuitams." To
others he said he was William Bosco- AT
a hotel he registered as Edward" He dis
appeared a week - to-day. and IL b pre-
sumed II was then that he took his LIE. In
despair Of Guiding the police and In fear
OF being captured
NOTED RESEMBLANCE TO FUGITIVE
h town authorities az once noticed the
Resemblance the body bore TO the deserip-
ton Of the Chicago fugitive. which Inspee-
tor Hunt OF Chicago had sent to every
town within 20 miles Of Chicago. II wss
then that q more careful examination was
made OF the body. and the note confsssfpg
to the murder was found-
This town authorities buried the body, out
10 will be exhumsd to remove any doubt
that may Be raised rs 20 tbs Identity Of ths
suicide.
BArthol,D's no<s referred 20 the two muir
esrs in Chicago, and declared that no one
except himseif was concerned fn the COM
mission Of the crimes The note filed one
sud . gusrfsr pages Of ordinary letter pa
per-, and was signed. William BarthSln-"
The letters found on the body we're writ
ten two years ags and we're signed m NJ
The initials are supposed 70 stand fsr Mn
ME Atfshsilv
The BODY itssIf furnishes several points
which are similar 70 fhoss IN the snezAS1
potb< description 81 Barthoiin ls<Ued Az
gust y, Chief Of fhsse u the upper false
ts@tb- Ths undertaken who HANDED the body
found In Sza fsj< - night fFaf the BDper
tssti wsss fsiss spd efst IN . white Diafstv
- q, vLfthsy tiers we're two E~eLa-esevpsl
fA(fh L. The kAH oEnTTSr nAAa. - A~-sf
fftHf Esfp-eta, TIE sIldsSfsksF esgif pe<
~fsssssfb<E Tss teaF wa b1Iied ts-deE 10
Wa sbtlfeIt e~stR had Ese3Fyed seFsfst
S4ts ~, ss9 - the fGrf - 1Hs me sbftf-
- ssrie % The tVHts Fsits4 % fzS
. Edt Identification,
h~sFtsssiis sss ~ yssss 80 ThS ss1er-
tsSsF sssLd nee ssftspss1 the sSe Of De
tsss whose bsfy Hss lsssa IN tk< Get1-
~ essi4 NC estimate ne weight Bsrtlsr
10 weighed 10 fsss1s, Tke sR1eFfstSr
s~ssfest4f tse bztsst ~ 8 feet fBs fgfj-
i've VS. 8 fest N lRszes
THfEs WEEKS IN HfeEvfL4Ks :
Bsftssiif bsd brown hsff ssS tsfg>
sess, mouth ssa ssfs fke sf4eysStlT
SD ne hsff On thz hesd n fse bsSy HsS
night Tse n sfTsEfss tfsss sfhes d<sss
hsd mass seeesste A~ssehss6ts - ~ tss
ssfss ross sNf mouth ~fASbss4B@s Tb4 IN
5eStsteS e5tad sss ~ wsefsss ne Ass1
tdsa ssd bits syzs ssd . sesf On NJ SsfS
sb1es. - 81 BsStbsiihL
Three Neess so ere Suspect sSffs46 ~
nteevflf>. he made Mo wsT 70 tss WfssS
Hoe ssa fssissefsd - "wHssas n
Tbs stranger seemed fsfe1 WIEN No A.
nj fhe lows Betei. s6d rested ksy
few asys To thoss Win rhefa re- fsft&6
se ssld no nanss wss William, AM ~ ~
not Use ths name Edwards sfce6t f6ffs
After a wses me stranger sessn 10 socs
for vefk ffs inquired about Rfeeyfffs, rat
found nothing Then ne nns1s ssorf eser$s
into the country and fousd worx
finally en- q farm hye miles south Of fhS
town.
out Of sight Of the Riesvfie peopss me
nan almost dropped out Of their minds un-
~ friday. Doctor Pratt. the yiiisss physf-
.isn, IN passing along q rosd beside the fax
isld noticed q body. He vent 10 II ant as
.ertainsd that Ifs was extinct. when ~
20 RicevilIs he called up the Coro-
ner Of Howard County az creseo and noti-
5ed him Of the discovery.
A verdict Of suicide was returned BY tine