The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-11-24
BOY MURDERED AT HILL CITY
son OF HARDWARE MERCHANT
BEATEN TO DEATH.
About the Murder OF Charles
NJ. WetzeI.

A brutal murder was committed
mile from Hill City last Wednesday
Charles Wetzel, son OF Newton Wet
eel, a young man Of that place, was
beaten to death by a young man
named Leland Roberts and three 9TH
er companions, the names Of two be-
ing Charles Keleher and Clarence
Ross.
The body Of young WetzeI was dis
covered by section men on the rail-
road
His coat, pants and sweater had
been removed the body dragged about
so yards from where the murder Oc-
CURED, and partly covered up.
The murdered man had Eeen struck
sixteen blows with a singIetree, any
one Of which would have killed him
He had S35 and a gold watch on his
person when found, but previously he
had over 800. It is supposed that the
murderers were scared away by the
coming Of the section men near, be-
fore they had secured all his valu-
abIes.
Saturdays Daily SaIina Union has
the following article on the murder OF
Wetzel:
Leland Roberts, one Of the Hill
City murderers Of Charles Wetzel,
who was arrested by Sheriff Meyer, on
his arrival here, Thursday, is in the
Saline county Jail. Yesterday fore
noon Sheriff Ashcroft OF Graham
county, who arrived here in the morn
ing, with Sheriff Meyer and Under
sheriff Heck, went to the Jail to sweat
the prisoner and if possible get a con-
fessiOn- 1t was some time before the
prisoner broke down and finally con-
fessed the whole dreadful tragedy
Roberts and thre other cOmpah-
ions, knowing that young Wetzel, the
son OF a hardware merchant OF Hill
City, had a lot Of money on his per
son, got him to accompany then
along the railroad track east Of the
town. As they were going along one
the men picked up q broken single
| tree near the track.
when the murderOus attack was
made on Wetzel he was STOPPING down
10 tie his shoe. The man with the
singletree struck him from behind and
/ knocked him over. They continued to
| beat him until his head was literally
mashed.
Roberts says they did not intend
to kill him at first Sheriff Ashcroft
says that there were the marks OF
! sixteen blows on his person, most any
OF which would have killed him.
! They dragged the body away some
/ distance and took over a hundred dol
/ lars from his person, and a revolver
/ which he carried. There was about
! $40 overlooked by the murderers. The
] body was stripped Of most Of his
| clothes and partly buried
when Roberts got his share Of the
money and the revolver he went 20
/ a store and purchased q suit Of new
/ clothes and a pair Of shoes and then
/ pulled out on the train He got into
4 Salina on the Lincoln branch Thurs
/ day night when he was arrested by
/ Salina officers and locked up
The murder was committed We'd
nesday afternoon The BODY vas dis
i covered Thursday afternoon before
Il Roberts got to Salina- Young Wetzel
was only about 16 years OF age Le-
\ land claims he is only Is years old
n After the confession OF Leland yes
II terday the sheriff Of Graham county
II sent a message to Hill City TO arrest
II his companions in guilt Two Of then
\ were caught, but one was still a
n large at last accounts
II THE feeling at Hill City ran 81
II high yesterday that Sheriff Ashcroft
\ left his prisoner in the Saline counG
III Jail, as IL was said he would be lynch
NJ ed II taken back home
Roberts has been in trouble befOr'
and was under bond at the time 81
the murder, which was one OF tn
| most cold bIOOded tragedies in th'
history OF the state"