The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-05-13

IN
the New York political leader. was
/ found dead on south-bound Atchison.
/ Topeka & Santa Fe train Between Kan
/ sas City and Newton, Kas., today. He
had died during the night, evidently
from the effects Of some drug admin
+ istered at Kansas City, where he took
F the train last night for Bliss, Okla.
! The first news Of the death Of Young
I Croker was received in Kansas City at
( o'clock this afternoon. when the local
4 police were requested 10 hunt FOR
negro who is said to have placed Gro
ker on the train at Kansas city.
Found Dead in Car Seat.
/ According to telephone message
from Newton. Croker was found dead
in a ear seat just before the train
reached Newton early today. The
body was taken from the train at
/ Newton. His Identity did not become
| known until 81 message was received
/ from Richard Croker at New York
several hours later asking the authori-
ties to hold the remains and stating
that he would leave the East imne-
diately for Newton.
The first clue to Cookers identity WAS
a letter found in the dead mans pocket
addressed by Zach MulhaH. formerly
Of Oklahoma. who is now holding a
Wiid west show in New York city. to
Joseph = Miller. manager of the IA
nous "l0l' ranch at Bliss Okla IN
quiry by telephone ELECTED the iuforma-
ton that Croker was not known at
me Bliss ranch Evidently he was ON
the way TO the ranch for an outing.
Had Been Dragged.
Following "A message of inquiry sent
to New York city. the coroner took
charge OF the body and empanoJiad =
jury An inquest was begun this AZ +,
ternOOn.
According to stories of passengers
and the conductor on the train uDon
which Croker died. the young New
l orkeT was placed on the train at Kan !
SaS city shortly after 10 o'clock last
night by a negro. Croker appeared to /
be under the influence Of some drug
The negro WAS seen to hand him n sum
OF money and railroad ticket just
before the train started. when ne
jumped off and disappeared When the
conductor came around 10 collect Cro-
Ser.S fare the latter was asleep and
he did not disturb the passenger.
Had Been Left to Himself.
Croker was left to himself all night
until nearly five o'clock this morning
when the conductor made another at
tempt to collect his ticket. He was I'M
able to arouse Croker and upon exami-
nation found that he was dead.
The coroner at Newton was notified 3
by wire and when the train reachNd
that city the body was removed to an {
undertaking esta biishment. tt was
several hours later before the young
mans identity was suspected.
As far learned Croker arrived i'm
Kansas City early on Thursday and
spent the afternoon at the EImbridge
race track He is known to have been
in the company of several patrons Of
the race track before he boarded the
train for the south
Croker Was Helpless.
Passengers on the train took par
ticUlaT notice when young Croker WAS
assisted into a chair car al the Union
station in Kansas City by a young
negro, because the white man was help
less as if from liquor. The negro as
sisted Croker into a seat and then
gave him a purse containing a rail
road ticket and $40, counting the money
out to Croker
The passengers heard Croker say:
Now want you TO send me the rest
of it
The negro asked Croker to write his
but Croker refused. and finally
the negro wrote while Croker dictated
The address vas Bliss, Oklahoma, care
101 Ranch"
No Marks Of Violence.
Immediately after the train started
Croker fell into a deep sleep. snoring
loudly Later he grew qUieter As
the train neaTed Newton. the con-
ductOr- who wished TO take up Cookers
ticket, shook him to arouse him. and
found him dead There are no marks
OF violence on the young mans body.
and the officers here do not believe he
died Of heart trouble as he was Of fine
physical development.
Beside the letter from ZeaCh Null
hall introducing Croker to Joe Miller. :
Of 10l Ranch, Cookers papers contained
Il letter of introduction from J. d. Car
roll of New York. to Miller. = letter
signed Garter" from New York. and
an affectionate letter from a woman on
West Twenty-second street. New York.
The two latter letters were not made
public
Quiet at the Race Track.
At the race track Cookers manner
was not such as TO excite notice Tod
Sloan. the jockey. who rode for Rich
ard Croker. and who was well aC-
quainted with HerbsTts brother, was
at the track all afternoon. and he /
did not even hear that Croker was in
town. tt appears that Croker did not
make his identity known anywhere in
this city
The negro who put young Croker on
the train last night was Charles Wood
son. a porter at the Coates hotel Wood
son says that Croker arrived at the
hotel about s o'clock last night in an
intoxicated condition. After checking
a small valise at the hotel. Croker. the
negro says. asked him where there was
a hop joint
Visited Opium Den.
After repeated requests Woodson
says that he agreed to accompany
Croker to such a resort. They went
together to a Chinese resort on Sixth
street between Wyandotte and Della
ware streets, where they remained an
hour. WoOdson says that he then took
Croker direct To the train. Cookers
valise is still at the hotel. Croker did
not register at the hotel and il is not
believed that he stopped at any other
hotel during his brief stay in the city
WOOdsOn, the negro porter tells a
straight story and the police do not
think that he was guilty OF rObbing
Croker or otherwise abusing his con-
1dence.
inquest Postponed.
Newton. Kan. May 12.-The coroner's
Jury i'm the Croker case was excused !