The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-06
AIR or MYSTERY
SURROUNDS IT
Governor Hears No Demand
for Reward in Ames Murder.
EXPECTS TO CAPTURE
There Was a Past Connected
with the Family.

~.
been received at the governors Office. in
this city, from the sheriff of Lincoln
county, concerning the pursuit Of the
mysterious young man who murdered
Mrs. Ames ard Charles Jackson. and Sc
riously wounded Mrs Ames' daughter.
who resided about one mile from Daven-
port, ii Lincoln county, Tuesday night.
This leads to the belief that the officers
of that county think the capture OF the
murderer is certain, otherwise an appeal
would have been Dade to Governor Fer
guson, who is authorized under the stat
utes to act, to offer a territorial re-
ward for the capture of the fugitive.
The murderer, who is described as q
young NAH of medium weight, five feet,
five inches tail and perhaps % years Old.
came to Chandler op the east bound
Frisco train Tuesday and spent several
house in town, making number Of IL
quiries concerning the Ames family. To
ward evening he commenced drinking
heavily, taking seven or eight drinks Of
whisky in rapid succession at one Of the
bars, at which he also purchased a pint
Of liquor Before leaving the saloon he
remarked to by-stander that he was
about to "go and get his
After leaving the saloon nothing is
known of his movements further than the
fact that he left the city. walking in the
direction Of the An1es home. which is
within one mile of Davenport postofice,
eight miles east of Chandler.
The details of the bloody tragedy a.
inaccurately gained from the wounded
daughter. d prepossessins young women
not Yet twenty years old, are as follows:
Shortly before o'clock, while the family
were preparing to retire, the stranger
came to the house and at the point of
a revolver drove the mother and daugh-
ter and Jackson to the cellar. where he
lined the three of them up and an
nounced his desperate purpose, first Le-
manding what money they had The
girl gave him $50. ali the ready money
in the house giving him a promissory
note, about which little can be learned
and Offering TO write him check for
several hundred dollars, which was de-
posted IN a bank in this city.
Her appeals, however, We're without eff
feet on the murderer and in most cold
blooded manner he deliberately opened
fire on the defenseless trio. first killing
Mrs. Ames. The next shot took effect in
Jackson's body telling him to the Goor.
while the third struck the younger woman
in the breast. penetrating to the shoul-
der blade, where it lodged. The panic
stricken girl attempted to get out of the
cellar and had been pursued to the stair
way when the attempts Of Jackson to
regain his feet attracted the attention OF
the murderer. Withdrawing from the
girl who in her bloody night clothing
fed to a cotton field, the unknown walk
ed to the PROSTATE body of jackson,
placed the muzzle of his revolver at the
throat Cf the wounded man and fired a
bail which severed the jugular vein, caus-
ing instantaneous death.
An air OF mystery surrounds the whole
affair. The Ames family came to Lin
coin county a few years ago, and pur-
chased a half section of land. paying
5000 cash for the same While they.
up to a short time ago, bore a good rep
utation among their neighbors, they were
reticent about their past history. Tbay
prospered, but the hired man. Jackson.
seemed to be the cause of quarrels be-
tween Arles and his supposed wife. ana
the affair finally eliminated by the las-
ter having q warrant sworn out for
Ames, charging him with making a GRIM
inal assault upon the girl. Ames was
bound ever in the sum of $1,000 to await
the action of the grand jury, but before
that body met the woman relented ar4
Ar07a I,
bond of the amount required. and shortly
after left the country. His present
whereabouts are unknown, and his bond
has been declared forfeited
At the preliminary examination Amos
swore that the woman was not his wife
and thar the girl was neither his nor the
woman's daughter. He swore that they
We're women OF the half world that he
had fallen in with, and that the girl had
fallen heir TO 4 legacy of $4,000. ard
that part OF this money had been used
in the purchase Of the farm. Since the
disappearance of Ames. the women have
been living quietly on the farm with the
hired man. Jackson.
There are several theories for the
crime. One IS that Ames hired the
murderer to kill the women and Jackson
so as to rid himself Of witnesses against
him in the criminal case. Another IS
that the trio had, in some manner. cheat
ed the murderer ont OF "A large SUN OF
money. ard he shot them 10 get revenge
The community is greatly excited over
the horrible cTi-7e. and hundreds Of Getor-
mined men are looking for the murderer.
II is believed he IS In hiding in ths
woods near the scene OF the crime. wait
ing for the excitement TO cool down. AMI
then make his escape. This IL VIII ba
hard TO do. as every avenue Of escane
IS guarded. and al trains leaving tho
county are closely watched. J-nul he IS
captured. ~fherc VIII he no unraveIlin.-
the worst crime ever committed in Lin
coin county
Aiva. .. +. Nov. 5.-Bus CTS of broom
corn have been in Alva IN large numbers
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