The Red Cloud chief., 1903-10-02
Dead Body of Triple Murderer
Found Wednesday.
A Haf-Empty Box of Rat Poison and q Bullet.
Hole in His Head Indicate the Manner i'm
Which He Ended His Own Life.

Madison Tor "Msdson," as the name is
on his clothingJ, the man who
murdered Mrs Elizabeth PAYNE and
her daughter and granddaughter, Mrs
Eda Williamson and Miss Matte Will.
hanson, three weeks ago last Tuesday
night, came to an abrupt termination
by the finding of his dead body in a
draw on the farm of Mike Vavricka,
about seven miles due north from Red
About o o'clock Wednesday morn.
ing Irving Harpan, II years Of age,
who was moving hay on the James
Emigh place, just across the section
line to the south Of the Vavricka
farm, noticed his dog acting in a Pc
culiar manner. After making another
round Of the field young Harpan no.
ticed a terrible stencil, coming from
the north, and followed his dog into
into the draw to investigate the mat
ter. Lying in a shallow hole near the
top Of the bank Of the draw he found
the dead body Of q man in the last
stages Of decomposition.
Coroner T. r. Hall Of Cowles was
Immediately notified, but it was after
l o'clock before the news reached Red
Cloud.
Several parties from Red Cloud, in
Guiding Sheriff Macarthur and repre-
sentatives of the newspapers. immedi.
ately started for the scene of the dis
covery of the corpse
All administrations lead to the belief
that Madison came TO his death by his
own hand, having been rendered des.
perate by the close pursuit of the Off.
GERS and the thought of the terrible
punishment he would receive should
he fall into the hands of the Infatuated
neighbors Of the murdered women
Near the body was found a half-empty
box of Lightning Rat Exterminator,'
while beneath the body was lying a
siX-shot, 30 caliber revolver of the
Wadsworth Forehand pattern, model
of 1901. One chamber Of The revolver
was empty, The only plausible theory
is that Madison first took the poison
and when the commissions following
the taking Of the poison came on he
used the revolver to end his agony
He had apparently placed the muzzlt
of the revolver beneath his chin Oh
the right side and fired, the bullet
emerging from his head just in front
of the left ear. His vest and shirt
we're saturated with blood, and thu
earth beneath his head was also blood
stained, showing that he had MOI
moved after firing the fatal shot.
From the very first there was littl,
or no doubt that the body was thai o
Tom Madison, although the feature.
were so black and decomposed tina
their complete identification was i'm
possible.
The first person to make a positive
identification Of the body was j, W
Corbett, who lives IN the neighbor
hood where the three we're as
sassinated Mr. Corbett identified tn
double-breasted vest and brown la
found on the corpse as articles O
clothing he had many times seen worI
10y Madison Next he identified tn
prominent, uneven teeth and low, re
treating forehead and Roman nose G
the dead man as resembling those c
Madison.
Identification was not complies
however, until the clothing had bee
cut from the corpse and closely exam
ined. Upon the inside pocket Of tn
coat, which vas OF dark material, wa
found a photograph Of a Circassia
girl which Madison had purchased {
the Sells & Downs show in this cit.
In the lining of the same pocket We
a label bearing the name of the NAL
ers of the clothing, NJ, Born a CO
Chicago, and on the label was write
!. in link the name 1T, Madison" III
. coat belonged to q suit which Madiso