Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-10-14
ByC TPZTLWH HZRxCn u. 7Y77RELL.


trunks 20 say nothing Of innumerable
boxes and portmanteaux. Bothamley's
manner was that Of a lord. aud his
companion indicated plainly by. her
| hauteur Of manner that her new en-
vironment was far different from that
70 which she had been accustomed.
In his talks with Florence people
/ Bothamley was a native Of London.
who. with his wife. was seeking a
home ia frontier America. He talked
Of cattle aud sheep raising as his in
tended vocation. Attempts 10 learn
more Of him than be told in a business
way were futile. After two weeks he
moved from Florence TO Newton. soon
after moving TO a ranch Of Go acres
several miles from the town.
Two months after his arrival at
Newton his companion died ia child
birth and was buried there As there
was no reason 90 doubt the truth Of
his claim that The woman was his
wife she was buried as such and he
fects. including q $4,000 pair of dia-
mond bracelets and other jewelry and
wearing apparel. amounting 20 much
more in value. Despite the distance
az which Bothamley had always kept
his neiehbors and The re-lceuce be
rracticed in regard 90 his personal
affairs. there was q wave OF sympathy
FOR him $40 the death of his wife re
retired To- bis ranch went in for the
raising OF sheep and in a measure.
dropped from uCw. Throughout that
section OF kansas there were several of
B0thamley's corr,ryucn engaged I'm
the same occupation ho had taken up
One Of these vas William IT, Phillips
B0thawlcy's est1tc after The murder
and who Gold me Chat Bo.hamloy's con-
necjors iu his native country were
high Later among hiss effects we
found a uniform of am officer in the
yeoman cavalry. which had been his
together with other evidences of HIS
former prominent position in ENGLAND
According Go thc story OF Vefter.
who was employed az the E1t1amlcy
ranch bis master announced one day
I'm Che summer that ne was going 90
Newton t0 meet his sister. who was
coming out from England on his re-
turn De was accompanied by a petite.
browu-haired blue-cyod young wom-
an Of about 25. whom be introduced
20 the men az the ranch as his sis
ter Bertha Bothamhy The pair lived
at the ranchh0use as brother and sis
ter. and The current OF affairs ran
smoothly until Bothamley decided 20
move 20 Texas. where. he claimed. he
had q brother. ARRANGEMENTS were
quickly made Tor he trip The outdt"
consisted or 1900 head OF sheep four
yoke OF oxen, some horses O busy and
a wagon boxed in with ceiling This
wagon had been used by an iunerant
cagucrreotyper. The house para was
seven feet high and wide and ten
feet long IL was supposed 20 furnish
shelter for BOthamloy's sister and 90
protect the owner of the outfit from
wet weather. as he suffered from
rheumatism. The start was made the
latter part OF August with Nctter and
another man. William Dodson, 10 help
care for the sheep. Little progress
was made az FIRST. as Bothamley was
attacked with rheumatism and had 20
be taken back for treatment. October
found the outfit az blackberry creek.
on the Arbuckle trail, the scene OF the
murder
Vetter and Dodson seldom slept
more than 125 feet from the car. the
woman sleeping on a raised couch in
the car and Bothamley on a shake
down" on the floor. or In the covered
buggy close by. Early in the morn
ing OF October Z Dodson and Vetter.
hn frar % D
gone 20 sleep some distance from the
car, were aroused by cries from the
woman, who was rushing toward
them.
Something awful has happened at
the car" she cried.
She was much excited and dazed.
complaining that something all 3 her
head" Vetter Immediately went back
TO the car. found the door shut and re-
turned 10 the others without attempt
Ing TO investigate The woman urged
DodsOn to 90 10 the car. He opened
the door and saw Bothamley lying on
the blankets on the floor, dead. A
bullet hole under the right eye told the
manner OF his death
When DodsOn informed the woman
NAV AfetAleAAAAAtg a. utAQ CA4t UttAlllt
hysterical and wept violently Dod-
son saddled a horse and rode several
miles TO the camp Of a man named
. Collins. Bothamley's body was pre-
pared for burial, the funeral taking
place the same day at Skeleton ranch.
with the woman, DOdsOn, Vetter and
Collins IN attendance. The next morn
ing Dodson and the woman washed
the blood stains from the bedclothes
After three days. during which
Bothamley's supposed sister said she
bad written to England concerning the
death of her brother, preparations
were mads TO eoatinue the Journey to
Texas.
Meanwhile. however, news of the
finding OF BOthamley's body had tray
eled over the thinly settled country
and reached the ears OF the Indian
police. the regularly constituted con
stabulary OF the Indian Territory.
Just as the outfit was about 70 move
on the woman and the two men were