The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-05-19
HISTORY OF
THE HEIDSICkS
Knows the Family but Cannot
Solve the Murder
WIFE SECURES A DIVORCE
Went to South Dakota and Met
AmeS.

"
teri, county attorney of Lincoln county,
was in this city today on business. Mr..
Foster is considered one of the best county
attorneys in Oklahoma and very xigor-
Gus prosecutor of violators of the law.
He, however. admits that he has never
been able to solve the mystery surround
ing the murder of the Heidsick family in
Lincoln county The county attorney Of
Lincoln has the history OF the family
stored away in his mind and he relates il
to friends in order to have them express
a theory in regard to the murder and
then by few well directed questions he
will proceed to demolish their theory
Here is his story:
Several years ago Sophona Heidsick
got divorce from her husband III Iowa
The grounds on which she asked for
divorce was that her husband was lazy
and of no account. The husband did not
deny the charge and she secured a di-
vorce.
''Sophona Heidsick had a daughter at
that time nearly grown to womanhood.
way by hard work, but one day she re-
ceived notice that a relative had died
and left her a small fortune. In due time
she received draft on a New York bank
for $S.00o her share of the estate.
She thought that in order to make a
sure thing of a living for her and her
daughter she would go out TO South
Dakota and invest the money in farm
lands. She went to South Dakota and
when she got ready to buy the land she
found that she had lost the draft. She
had no friend to go on her bond ana the
bank would not pay the draft.
Mrs. Heidsick was stopping at a hotel
in little town in South Dakota and
there she met a man who said his name
was Agness Anes. He was a great big.
good looking, apparently good natured
fellow and he sympathzed with the grass
widow and got her confidence. He told
her that he would get her money if she
would give him half of what they culd
make On the land she would buy.
''She very promptly agreed to that and
Ames went to work and contracted for
two farms. He then went to an agent of
New York Surety COMPANY and bought
q bond to secure the bank that the money
would not have to be paid a second time.
and secured the company in turn with the
land. Then he drew the money and paid
for the land. In a few years they sold
tRe land for $1,000 more than it cost
Mrs. Heidsick and Ames must have
become good friends for they staid on the
land until it was sold and then the
woman gave Ames S. 600 of the money and
$500 besides for spending money and told /
him to come down to Oklahoma and in /
vest the 5000 in land.
'Ames must have been a pretty sensible /
fellow for he came down to Lincoln /
coughty and bought two farms with the /
money and short time after the woman
and daughter Joined him. After living
there for about two yea 3, one day the
old woman came to me to get her d-
vorce. ] told her I would draw up the
papers and the next time she came in
ST they had not made up l would file the
case in the district court I Went on and
stated that they were married in South
Dakota at blank date and left out GER
tain parts until my client could come in
Il had forgotten the womans s last name
and so I put 1t Sopohona Doe When
She came in and l went to write in the
date Of the marriage the old lady said
that she and Ames had never been legally
married. I told her. Sam Hill, cannot
get you divorce il YOU are not married
and my client went home. Ames had
skipped ont when he found the old lady
was going to get a divorce
"Ono day Ames came into my office and
looked over that petition that had never
been filed. He then went out to the
farm and told his pretended wife that
he had seen the petition and that she
had signed the name Of Sophona Doe and
he was goins to have her hustled right
OFF to the penitentiary for forgery. So
phona compromised the ease with A:nes
and gave him 81. 400 to leave her for good
and Ames skipped out again.
Some time after Ames had gone the
woman came to me again ana said she
was afraid something was going TO hap
pen She had heard noises and was afraid
that Ames would come back and kin her.
y few days later Lincoln county was
startled with the report that the whole
family was murdered Mrs Heidsick. her
daughter and the hired man.
The girl was shot but did not die. but
lived 10 tell the story Very few people
believed her after she did tell H. She
said that night man came 10 the house
and demanded money. He drove the old
woman and hired man into the cave by-
the house and then told them 10 come out.
He shot her and then shot the hired man