The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-18
AIN ARREST MADE.
Leland Roberts Arrested Tor
Murder of Young Wetzel.
Was Seen With Boy at Hill City
Wednesday.
DETAILS OF CRIME.
Boy, Who Was But Il, Slain
With Singletree.
re ssd q rpnTe
Supposed That the Murderer
Secured About $500.

Hill City kan, Nov. 18.-Leland
Roberts has been arrested at Salina
on suspicion in connection with the
murder of Charles Wetzel, son OF
hardware merchant OF Hill City. Wet
eel and Roberts left Hill City together
Wednesday. Thursday the body OF
Wetzel was found near Hill City as
told in the State Journal, half buried
in the sand, the head beaten to a pulp
and the pockets robbed. Following
are the details of the tragedy as near
~ as can be ascertained:
Hill City was shocked by the dis
coverv that this most brutal and re-
voting murder had been committed
during Thursday night, almost within
her corporate limits Charles Wetzel,
the victim, was but IA years old the
son of Newton Wetzel, a prominent
citizen and merchant.
Early in the morning section men
saw a bundle of clothing laying at the
side of the track about a mile east
of this city and upon stopping to in
vestigate they were hOrrOr-stricken to
find the brutally murdered body OF
young Wetzel. The body was partial
Iv covered with dirt hastily scraped
from the bottom of a ditch, but the
hands and the bIoodstained face pro-
truded. The shoes had been taken
from the feet and thrown to one side
and some new garments Wh1ch the VIC
tim had been carrying were tossed
back a little distance from the road
A bloOd-stafned pair of Overalls, sup
posed to have been worn by the muir
derer at the time Of the murder, was
found.
Story of the Murder.
The story of the murder, as told by
the signs is that young Wetzel had
started. at night, to walk to the town
of Bogue and was carrying with him
an extra coat and new sweater. ON
the way he met, or was Joined by
person and while in company with him
was struck over the head, a bloody
singletree found nearby IS supposed TO
be the weapon used. There were
eleven wounds on the head and eight
fractures of the skull When young
Wetzel was dead or dying the muir
derer took him by the feet and drew
him forty feet across the sod, which
had been burned off only the previous
day, and a plain trail marks the line
where the body was drawn. The vic
TINS shoes were then drawn from his
feet. presumably In the search for
money. 1t was a generally understood
idea that WetzeI was carrying money
concealed in his shoes and his play
mates say that he often boosted that
he so carried money The fiend then
laid the body in narrow ditch and
hastily scraped some little soil over it.
Tracks leading to the river bank, at
which SPOT the bloody overalls were
found, having been thrown into the
river, show that after the conclusion
of the search for money the assassin
had removed the overalls, with their
telI-taIe stains, and had cast them into
the water. Thirty dollars was found in
an upper vest pocket of the boy but it
is thought that the victim had, be-
sides this something like two hundred
dollars and this is missing.
He Was a Rover.
Young Wetzel has been a headstrong
youth and was not well controlled by
his father. His habits have been for
some time to come and go as he saw
tit and his associates had been, to a
great extent, Of disreputable charac-
ter