davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-01

nearly cover him. only his legs about
half way from the feet to the knees
appearing above the water. When the
body was taken from the we'll it was
found that Booths watch was missing
and that the chain was broken. only a
few links remaining in his vest.
The wound that evidently caused
Booths death was about the region of
the right temple. 1t was a long cash
that was apparently made by the blade
of the ak. The scars and wounds on
the back of Booths head are thought to
have been caused by his head coming
into contact with the stone wall that
lined the inside of the well, as his body
fell downward.
HOW WAS HE KILLED.
Theories as TO the manner of Booths
death are almost as numerous as there
are persons connected with the tragedy.
The circumstantial evidence connecting
Mrs. Stanley with the crime is strong.
She left Ottawa the morning the muir
der was discovered and was traced to
Topeka, where she was found with the
watch belonging to Booth, with the
broken chain to match the part left in
the dead mans vest in her possession
and a dress bearing the stains of blood.
But what could nave been her motive
in killing Booth? She was continually
receiving gifts of money from him. with
no indication that these were to be dis
continued, and it is not known that she
bore him malice. And is it not reason
able to believe that if she had been
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-01
OTTAWA MURDER MYSTERY.

a pair of trousers. He soon returned
and proudly. displayed his purchase
Booth went on to his home where he
had supper and according to the testf-
mony of Sadie Taber, his housekeeper
left there at about 4:30 with the remark
that he would go to church that night.
She watched Booth until he passed the
corner of the Mccoy home
Charles Schnert who returned to the
Mccoy home later in the evening to
secure a ring he had been allowing Mrs.
Stanley to wear, found Booth sitting in
the kitchen in a chair tipped back
against the wall behind the. kitchen
stove. This was about twenty minutes
after six o'clock. Schnert secured his
ring and left.
Later DIR. Onyett. North Ottawa
doctor who had been attending Mrs.
Stanley, called to receive the sum of
So which remained due him from the
woman. DR.. Onyett had had several
conversations with Booth, in which it
was disclosed that Booth was furnish
ing Mrs. Stanley with money and that
he had no intention of disseminating the
allowances Mrs Stanley made prom
ises to pay DIR. Onyett on several oc-
casions previous. Friday morning she
went to DR.. Onyett to tell him that she
would have the money for him that
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-01

evening. And it was to get his fee that
the doctor went to the Mccoy home. He
got there at about 20 minutes to seven
and found Mrs. Stanley in the kitchen
alone with Booth. Mrs. Stanley was
wearing new red skirt that she had
made to wear on the trip she intended
making the following morning. The
skirt has been identified as the same
that was found in her grip when ar
rested at the Fifth Avenue hotel in To-
peka, and which was stained with blood.
Mrs. Stanley also wore a hat. and it
was apparent she was ready to go out.
Soon after DIR. Onyett reached the Nc
Coy home knock sounded at the door
and Mrs. Stanley went outside to talk
ed to meet her at the train Saturday
morning when she went away.
She returned to the kitchen and DR..
Onyett soon after asked her if she was
ready to settle her account. She replied
that she was not but that she would
send the money to him by Claude
Cowdrey the following morning.
DR.. Onyett was in conversation with
Booth for a few minutes before he le1t
the house, during the progress of which
he learned that Booth had given Mrs.
Stanley some money already that even
ing, and that he intended giving her
more.
Booth was wearing the watch-chain
which was also found in Mrs. Stanleys
grip at the Fifth Avenue hotel when she
was arrested He had his watch when
he left his house in the afternoon. Dr.
Onyett left the Mccoy home at about
10 minutes to Z O'clock. He is the last
unsupported person who is known to
have seen Booth alive.
Sickness existed in the family Of the
Hendersons who lived in that neigh bor-
hood, and Mrs. Mccoy had been at the
Henderson home a great portion of the
time the few days previous to the day
or the tragedy. She had been at the
Henderson home Friday afternoon and
the early part of the evening. She Wis
tied at the home of the Smiths, nearby,
that evening. The Mccoy children went
to the Smith home at about o'clock
and Mrs. Mccoy followed few minutes
after, coming from the Henderson home
She told the Smiths that she had been
accompanied as far as the Smith house
by Marie The McCoys left at about 10
minutes after to go home.
Shortly after o'clock Mrs. Stanley
went to the home of Miss Alice F'yfe, a
distant relative, by appointment to at
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-01

who lived near Booth in the country, and
who has a reputation for being man of
questioned character, is the author of the
crime.
If Mrs Stanley is guilty of the murder.
at what time during the night was it
committed?
If she is guilty. and her mother. Mrs.
Mccoy, knows nothing Of the affair, then
it must have been done before Mrs Stan
ley left the house to go to the theater
with Miss Fyfe.
If it was not done until after Mrs. Stan
ley returned from the theater, Mrs. Mccoy
must be thoroughly familiar with the af-
fair and must be accOmplice If not a
party to the deed.
If it was not until after II o'clock. would
not the confusion attendant upon such an
event be enough to awaken the children?
If the women who under arrest
charged with the crime are not guilty,
who iS?
These are questions that perhaps viii
remain unanswered until the time that
some person who knows the situation con-
fesSes or, in case the suicide theory is
the solution of the mystery, will never be
answered
LIFE STORY OF ACCUSED.
Mrs Mccoy. the mother OF Mrs. Marie
Stanley, the accused murderer of J. B.
Booth, has been twice married. She was
the belle of the neighborhood where her
father had farm about eight miles
northwest of Ottawa on part of the lots
Mrs. McCoy'S father, John Bendure, left
Decatur ILL.,, in 1866 to locate in Ottawa.
H was industrious wel-to-do man,
who had little to begin life with at Otta-
wa. He was for a time the city marshal
of Ottawa and was later partner with
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-01

being no school the children did not get
up early. The little 3-year-old twins
We're yet in bed when Bessie Browning
arose shortly before 10 O'Clock. The girl
went into the back yard to chop some
kindling and picked up the ak that was
covered with splotches of blood.
Bessie Browning was the first person
to give the alarm of the murder. She
saw the blood on the ground near the
we'll and on the we'll curb and began an
investigation. Peering into the well she
discovered the feet of the murdered man
above the water
The girl began a hysterical screaming
that attracted a large crowd of the peO-
pie who We're in the neighborhood. Mrs
Smith, at whose house they had visited
the evening previous and who lived ir
the house first south of the Mccoy home,
was the first one to arrive at the scene
of the crime.
There's an old man in our well.
What possessed him to do the like OF
that in our well,'' We're the words with
which Bessie greeted Mrs. Smith. Then
she went on to explain that she magil
ed that it was Booth because he had
said that he would drown or kill him
self if Marie did not marry him.
Alice Powers, who lives near the Nc
Coys. testified in the preliminary trial.
that Bessie said to her the morning the
body was discovered in the well that
the old fool is in the well. He said he
would kill himself if Marie did not
marry him, and she went away on the
morning train. He got mad last night
when Dr. Onyett and Clude Cowdrey
came. and guess he got right up and
went out and killed HIMSELF
The theory of the attorneys of the
prosecution of the case is that the old
man was killed in the kitchen of the
house, and that he some way got out
the door and around the well, that is
less than six feet from the kitchen
door, to where a tub stood beneath Il
window. Opinion differs as to whether
there was blood on the kitchen floor.
Medical experts testify that Booth
must have lived an uncertain length of
time after the blow he received from
the ak. Traces of blood were on the
ground around the well curb and on a
tub that stood beneath a window Just
opposite the well curb.
Booth must have died before he was
thrown into the we'll. His body was
rigid and the muscles set when he was
pulled out He fell head downward into
the water, which was deep enough to
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-01

William Killer, the present cashier Of the
business. Afterwards he went to farming
northwest of Ottawa.
His daughter was but 4 years old when
Is when he went to live on the farm. She
after ate She was bright f and witty i and Vas
considered the belle of the neighborhood
for three Years e and during ' that time shs
met John Browning. the son of sub
stantial former on the farm adjoining her
after returning to live in Ottawa. Brown
one e CONS it good match ana He took
her to live on a farm of his own, where
suffered with CONSUMPTION and when his
health broke down entirely he went with
not long after moving west
she was forced to earn a livelihood for
father-in-Iaw she met an old soldier by
the .name of Mccoy, to whom she was
They lived together for time, but
parted. By a strange coincidence Mrs. Nc
house in Ottawa in the same street that
her first husbands partner, now the cash.
fine large home elegantly furnished.
She is now at the county Jail with all
married in Washington and who still lives
there. and the other. 10-year-old Dolly.
searles. the wife of the Congregational
minister of Ottawa.
are all quite well-to-do- James Bendure
of Atchison superintendent of the electric
light plant. is one: William Bendure of
Kansas City. who is engaged in the wall
paper business, is another; and Fred Ben
dure, foreman of the carpenter work in
one of the large packing houses of Kan
sas City. is the other.
The little Mccoy children are allowed to
play about the jail and they run and
romp with the little children of sheriff
Mrs. Mccoy and Mrs. Stanley have been
confined in separate cells. 4 reporter for
the State Journal called on them there re-
Gently. They have all the comforts that
may be accorded them. They refused,
however, to talk about the murder which
they are charged with having committed.
Our attorney, w. ]. Costigan has eau
toned us not to say anything about it at
all to any one they explained.
''They- tell me You kept in separate
cells 50 as to break you down and make
you confess to the charge said the State
Journal representative to Mrs. Stanley.
Wen, they can't do it, she answered,
for l haven't done anything to confess.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-01

different light or may more strongly fas-
ten the evidence of the guilt upon the ac-
cused people.
w. j. Costigan of the firm of Gamble &
Costigan, is the attorney who is defend
son, the county attorney. is prosecuting
the case.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-01

and therefore have no cause to break me
down.
The women stoutly protest innocence in
the affair. but have no explanation to Of
fer. 1t is more than likely that some
new evidence will be presented when the
case is tried in the district court in April
that may put the matter in an entirely
Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-28
WEEKS H%APPENINGs|
NEWS OF THE WEEK IN A CON.
oENsEO FORM.
Sheep Raisers of the state Prepare
for Busy scason-Novel Method of
Caring for Weak Ewes and Their
Offspring-Many Men Employed.

Sheep raiscrs are getting the msrlvcs in
shape to handle their spring ''c,op' of
lambs, and will have busy times for the
next two months. Nearly every hcrler
is now provided with a compartment
wagon, which is the home of the herdcr,
who follows the tlocks about. aud at the
same time is finished with IL number of
small "cubbyholcs' just large enough to
hold a sheep and her lamb. Into those
compartments the weak yves are placed
with their lambs and hauled to the home
ranch when IL load is gathered. and there
they are given special attention. which is
not to be secured by the main herd wan
dering on the range. In the larger
punches of sheep they are broken into
small bands of several hundred each and
kept separate. Il hcrdcr in charge of each
of these bands. and they are handled i'm
this way until the landing season is
over. Some of the sheep owners hold
from 5000 to 5000 sheep. and it requires
a good sized force of men to care for all
these at this season of the year.
Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-28
7asMARNG7S

Chicago-Cattle, common to prime,
$3.50 to S6.65; hogs, shipping grades,
$4.25 to $500: sheep, fair to choice, $500
to $3.50; wheat. No. 2 red, Sic to S2c,
corn, No. 9. 5Sc to SOC; oats, No. 9, 42c
to 43c; rye. No. .. 5Gc to SIC; hay. tim.
othy. 5000 to S14.5O: prairie, $3.50 tc
$3.50: butter, choice creamery, 24c to
2Sc; eggs. fresh, 12c to 15c; potatoes.
75c to S3c per bushel.
Indianapoiis-Cattle, shipping. $500 to
$3.50; hogs, choice light, $500 to $500.
sheep, common to prime, $3.50 to $4.25;
wheat, No. 2, Soc to Sic; corn, No. 9
white, 64c to Csc: oats, No. 9 white,
45c to Acc.
st. Louis-Cattle, $3.50 to 1915; hogs,
$500 to $685.: sheep. $3.50 to $3.50;
wheat. No. 2. Soc to Bic; corn, No. 2.
Soc to Coo; oats, No. 2. 44c to 45c; rye,
No. 2, Coo to Gle.
Cincinnati-Cattle, $500 to $500; hogs,
$500 to- $500: sheep, $2.25 to 1896;
wheat, No. q, Sec 10 83c; corn, No. 4
mixed, CSC to &c; oats, No. 2 mixed,
46c to-47c; rye, No. 2, CSC to 85c.
Detrcit-Gattle. t2stQ to $50; hogs,
Mr. Rs essssssss ss's 81, s. ne II
yellow. 80c 10 Gle: & /, No. 2 fwhitS'
lie 10 4Hc; rye. a61csto b2c.
sH6Ae&&sxsWheat, No. 3 mixed. Soc Il
41t;~ eqfDsrI4o.S2 mixed zee 10 eos: eats,
IS :s.s g; !. y
Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-28

Business in Boston was
completely paralyzed by the
] strike of freight handlers
New York,

Se
and transfers, which directly affected
10000 men md indirectly rendered 9TH
er thousands idle by holding back sup.
struggle seems in a fair way to settle
tnent. Outside of Massachusetts,. how
ever, the labor situation is exceptionally
free from controversy, and ever in the
coal mines there is less than the usual
agitation as April approaches. Distribu.
ton Of spring merchandise Is making
rapid progress, the most sanguine eXpec-
tations being fully realized in all sections
outside the strike area" according to II.
g. Dun & Co.'s Review of Trade. Con-
tinuing. the report says:
Consumers of iron and steel products
dre still anxious regarding conditions dur
ing the next three months. After July l
1t is believed hat deliveries will be am
pie. According to the Iron Age the week.
" capacity of pig iron furnaces in blast
on March 1 had declined to $50. TO tons,
or about 10000 tons from the production
on Feb. 1. Considering the numerous
disturbing factors ut work during the
month of February. it is gratifying that a
tnuch heavier curtailment of output did
not occur.
All records prior to Feb. / are still
eclipscd and the resumption Of many idle
plants this month practically assures new
high water marks in the near future, I'M
less some unforeseen interruption occurs.
AS operations Mt steel works were also
retarded. furnace stocks of pig iron de-
clined only about $4,000 tons during Feb
ruary. The most important event of the
week was the heavy buying of steel bars
by makers of agricultural implements in
anticipation of higher prices becoming
effective on April 1. Billets command
large premiums for spot delivery, and
more purchases are reported from foreign
makers. Pipes and tubes are more active
as the season advances, while large con-
tracts have been placed for structural
shapes. Better transportation for coke
is rapidly reducing surplus stocks in the
yards and supplying furnaces with all
the needed fuel.
Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-28
%scHooLRoY "FAcTs."
A Few Simple Answers from English
Examination Papers.
A, r,r,;sh qualification civoQ the

A Few Simple Answers from Eng1ish
Examination Papers.
An English publication gives the
following answers taken from school
examination papers:
"Of whom was it said: He never
smiled again'?" civilian Rufus did
this after he was shot by the arrow"
"Henry VIII. was a very good king.
He liked plenty Of money, lie had plen-
ty Of wives and died of ulcers in tho
legs"
Edward III. would have been King
of France If his mother had been O
man."
alexander the Great was born in
the absence Of his parents"
"What is q watershedw "a she'd
for keeping water in."
"a watershed is a house between
two rivers so that q drop of water fall
ing IN one side of the roof runs into
n river and a drop on the other side
into the other river"
"The battle of Waterloo was fought
off Cape Trafalgar. Nelson led up one
eluuuIOu duu Iue OIiIcE.
When it was over Wellington rode
over the field by moonlight and met
Butcher, the French general. and they
shook hands and were friends ever
after"
'The principal products of Kent r
archbishops at Canterbury"
"The chief clause in magma charta
was that no free nan shoald be put
to death or imprisoned without his own
consent"
"Where were the Kings of England
crownedy" ION their heads"
"What do you know of Dryden and
Buck!ngham?" dryden ard Buck
ingham were at first friends, but soon
became contemporaries"
"What is Milton's chief work?' 'fMIil-
ton wrote a sensible poem called The
Canterbury Tails"
"The gamut is a musical scale. The
name is derived from gamut, or cat
gut, the material from which the
strings of musical instruments used to
be made"
"a palimpsest is a disease among
cattle in South Africa"
Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-28
ola ,yoe. tho Might watchman.

Trom the PAN Mali Gazette, London.J
How often on returning home late on
a dreary winters night has our sympathy
gone out to the poor old night watcnma ~
as lie sat huddled up over his cags hrey
overlooking the excavations winch y
City Council in their wisdom, OF otnsi-
wise, allow the different water companieg
streets. In all weathers, and under al
climatic conditions, the poor old night
Waterman is obliged to keep watch over
the companies property, and to see tnae
the red lights are kept burning. What a.
life. to be sure; what %privations and hard
ships: no wonder they have aches n
pains, which nothing but st. JACOBS Ols
can alleviate.
beth Water Works. He has been q night
watchman.for many years, in the course
Of which he has undergone many exper.-
ences, What with wet and cold, he con-
tracted rheumatism and sciatica, whlcn
fairly doubled him up, and it began to-
look a serious matter for old doc; 1t look
ed extremely doubtful If he would mucn
longer be able to perform his duties, on
ed for a livelihood; but as it happened u!
passer-by, who had for some nights mo-
iced old Joe's painful condition, present
ed him with a bottle Of st. Jacobs Oils
and told him to use it. Old Joe followed
the advice given: he crawled home the
next morning and babe his wife rub his
aching back with the st. Jacobs Oil "a
gentleman gave him." ''.s and o n%na lou Menf
on dmty Mt night he met his friend and
benefactor. to whom he remarked;
sThem Oils you gave me, ,Guv'nor, did
give me a doing, they was like pins and
needles for q time. but look ut me noW,'
and Old Joe began to run and jump like
a young colt. All pain: stiffness aaa %s.,; and
everybody he met what st. Jacobs Oil
had done for him. Old Joe says now he
has but one ambition in life. and TINT is
to always to be able to keep a bottle OF
st. Jacobs Oil by him. for he says there
is nothing like it in the world,
st. Jacobs Oil serves the rich M the
poor, high and low. the same way. It
has conquered pain for fifty years, n it
will do the same to the end of time. Sim
pie facts like the above tell an honest tale
with which nothing ON earth can CONF
Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-28
OF HORSES.
Meeting Will BE Held at Fort Pierre
to Arrange for 1t.

At IL meeting of horsemen held in STAN
Icy County IL few days ago it was decid-
cd that the interest of the industry de-
manded that Il general roundup of horses
should be made this spring. \ meeting
has now been called for April 1, at Fort
Pierre, for the purpose of organizing suf-
ticicnt roundup parties to work the en-
tire ING During the meeting foremen
of the roundup will be selected and lev
les made to cover the roundup expenses.
There are hundreds of stray horses dis
tlibuted ovcr the great ranges west of
the Missouri River. For several years
no one except n few men have paid any
attention to horses. the cattle business Oc-
cupying the attention of nearly every
stockman. 1t is proposed to place in n
convenient pasture all stray horses found
by the roundup parties, where the own.
crs can identify them.
Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-28
IMPORTANT BILLS PASSED.
War Revenue Repeal and. to Pro.
teCt President.

tect President.
Two important measures were disposed
OF by the senate Saturday, the bill for
the repeal of the war revenue taxes and
that for the protection of the president
of the United States.
The revenue bill was passed without
revision, and after only one short speech.
Senator Tillman embraced the opportu-
nifty afforded by the bills consideration
to protest against the repeal of the duty
of 10 cents Il pound upon tea.
The bill for the protection of the pres
idcnt was under discussion during the
greater part of the session. Senator Pat
terson of Colorado made an extended
speech in opposition to it, and Senator
Fairbanks supported it. All amend
ments to the measure were rejected, and
1t was passed by n vote of - to IL.
The bill provides that amy person with
i'll the United States who shall willfully
and maliciously kill the president or my
officer on whom the duties of president
may devOlve, or any sovereign of IL for
eign country, or attempt to kill any of
the persons named, such shall suffer
death; that any person who shall aid,
abet, advise or counsel the killing of my
of the persons named, or shall colspire
to accomplish their death, shall be i'm
prisoned not exceeding twenty years;
that any person who shall threaten to
kill or advise or counsel another to kill
the president or any official on whom the
duties of president may devolve shall be
imprisoned not exceeding ten years: that
any person who shall willfully aid in the
escape of amy person guilty of any of the
offenses mentioned shall he deemed an
accomplice and shall he punished as a
principal.
The secretary of war is directed to de-
tail from the regular army a guard of
officers and men to protect the president
without any unnecessary display, and the
secretary is authorized to make regula-
lions as to the dress, arms and cuuip.
mentof such guard,
Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-28
Where needed, better railway ser
NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL.
Appointment of Judge Burt Gives
General Satisfaction.

Judge \. w. Burtt of Huron. whose
appointment as attorney general of
Soutl; Dakota to succeed the late John L..
Pylc has been announced by Gov. Her
reid. has been IL resident of Bcadle Coun-
ty since 1851. He WAS horn in Water
town. \. ". and at the age ut S years
moved with his parents To Rochester. y.
". where he was later admitted to the
bar and where he practiccd law for some
time. From Rochester the judge moved
to Pontiac, Mich, where lie resided until
coming to Dakota territory. Prior to
coming to Dakota Judge Burt had held
many positions of public trust. AS an
attorney Judge Burt stands high in the
estimation of the bar of the state. 1t is
altogether likely that .Alva r. Taylor,
the present assistant attorney general,
and who held the position during Mr..
Fyle's life as chief officer. will remain
as assistant.