Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-04
Officers at Mount Vernon, Ohio,
Think There Is No Doubt
Student Was Murdered
THE INITIATION WAS FATAL
Young Kenyon Was Tied to Track to
Brighten Him and Special Train
Came Along and Killed Him Before
His Tormentors Were Aware Of
What Was Happening.

Mount Vernon, O., Nov. 4.-Prose-
suit of the coroners investigation into
the death of Stuart Pierson the Kenyon
college student killed by a train at d
railroad bridge at Gambler last Satur-
day night while awaiting initiation in
to fraternity, said indications point
strongly to the belief that the boy had
been blindfolded and tied to the tracks
and was killed by special train that
came along without the knowledge of
the initiators.
I'VE have conclusively established"
added Prosecutor Stillwell, that 1t is
a custom at the college to tie candi-
dates to the tracks in the initiation
ceremonies. We have positive evil
dence, from Paul BARRIERS lips and
otherwise, that he was so lied. We
know that special train for the re-
moval of the body was ordered before
the undertaken was sent for. We know
of the activity before daylight that
morning to remove every trace of
blood and clothing.
president PIERCE will be called to
explain these things in connection with
his statement that he knows young
Pierson was not tied. We are near
to solution of the mystery if mystery
it is
The testimony of witnesses showed
that Pierson was lying PROSTATE on
the Cleveland, Akron and Columbus
tracks when the special engine struck
him Saturday might. A. z. York, r.
r. Tschan and Herbert Brown, who
the scene until after he was killed.
Another initiating party was an hour
and a half before the arrival Of the
Pherson party boys at the railroad
bridge and tied at least one other lad
besides Pierson to the rail, face up
ward and blindfolded.
The clearing Of York, Tschan and
Brown of suspicion was the most i'm
portant result of the inquiry. 1t was
shown that they did not leave their
comrades at the fraternity house until
almost the moment when Pierson was
killed. The evidence of Thursday that
it is a custom at Gambler 10 tie the
candidates Tor initiation to the tracks
was corroboleted. Another party hac
charge of the first part Of Persons
initiation, but who these men were
the prosecutor does not yet know.
Their names are being concealed, it is
alleged by the fraternity brothers.
Found Clothing on Engine.
Stump. the hostler, testified that
shreds Of clothing were caught on the
under part of the engine where the
locomotive first struck Pierson. His
body must have passed under the pilot,
testified Stump, which would have
been Impossible If the boy were sitting
on the track. Evidence as to the pres
ence Of shreds Of rope beneath the en-
CINE Is expected from two other wit
nesses.
President Peirce's examination lasted
two hours and a half and was severe.
He declared his reason for ordering a
special train for the removal of the
body, even before the undertaken was
summoned, was purely the wish of the
father. He said that he saw the marks
on the body described as rope marks,
but believed them to be only part Of
the injuries inflicted by the locomo-
tive.
Not week before Persons death,
the prosecutor was told today, Pierson
was compelled by fraternity men to
crawl the length of the village, goad-
ed behind by men with sticks and clubs
and that his treatment developed deep
assesses on his knees. The bandages
which DIR. Workman placed about the
sores were on the body when 1t was
found.