Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-09-05

for clues to the murderer.
A few days after the horrible
of Crawford Hubbard, quite
sum of money was raised for the
purpose of paying expenses to
ferret out the crime. j. L. Bess,
now prosecuting attorney, headed
the list with a donation of one
dollar. This money was turned
over to the officers who Immediate
ly got busy. Deputy Sheriff Mil
lard Robbins, of Mountain View,
at once got in communication with
Sheriff Morgan and they conclud-
ed to take a trip to Wayne county
and look for the clue that would
unravel the mystery and give them
a reputation.
Sheriff Morgan left West Plains
over the Frisco and went to Hoxie,
and then to Williamsville. His
deputy took the Current River
train for Williamsville, and was
met there by his superior. From
that point they iourneyed to Tas-
kee, a little station nine miles east
of Williamsville. Here is the
home of Josie Forbes, known
throughout Southeast Missouri as
the switch of Taskee." The Of
fcers had come for the purpose of
consulting the clairvoyant about
the Hubbard murder case.
Josie Forbes resides with her
husband on a farm near the sta
ton. They conduct a hotel where
people come and go at intervals,
coming principally to consult the
"witch,' and leave when they get
the desired information. Many are
the strange stories told of the
powers of the Taskee woman, and
the Howell county officers, who
had heard of these wonderful tales,
thought they might find out some
, thing about the Hubbard case from
. her.
y 1t is while eating that Jose
Forbes enters the trance in which
she tells things of past, present
and future. While seated at the
table with her, Sheriff Morgan and
his deputy saw the muscles of the
; "witch" suddenly contract. Hell
arms became rigid and slowly she
raised her elbows. She seemed
like a child again. Finishing her
, meal, she went into an adjoining
, room, while for some time she
played like a child with a score o.
1 dolls. Then the "witch'' assumed
3 the condition in which she tell
things.
. Sheriff Morgan and Deputy Rob
= bins approached her. "Tell u
" something about a murder tina
. was committed the other day.
said Sheriff Morgan and then hi
told a few facts about the Hibbarc
case. The little woman had
tablet in her left hand and a pencil
= in her right. She was scribblinl
u on the paper and for a few mo
ments said not a word. Suddenl,
u she began talking.
u "Golly, she's going to tell it all
o now, Bill" suddenly spoke u
a Deputy Robbins, who had bee
u keeping as still as a mouse.
"Hush up, Windy you'll spoi
"a it ALL" cautioned Sheriff Morgan
eyes, l see a woman going up
- path to the orchard" began tn
switch of Taskee." SIN the hous
70 there are two men and one mol
i who is lying down. One of tn
re- men is light complexioned and h
10 has a gun. Boom! and the ma
= lying down is shot"
;. The eagerness of the Howe
+ county sleuths was beyond con
IL ception. They on a hot trai
II Here was a clue that would max
them famous if they could run
re down. 1t would make a good stor
D. for the Nick Garter Detectiv
Library, or the Old Sleuth serie'
1t was simly rich.
Back to Howell county came tn
j. officers. Not a word did they tie
of what they had heard. Fac
D. was sworn to secrecy. They kel
u the secret we'll, and much 9
of "Windy" Robbins likes to tall
l. he couldn't be induced to tell tx
D. story. But now it has leaked on
s, The switch of Taskee" says Mr.
" Hubbard didn't do the shootini
a. but the officers have had her a.
of rested again for the crime. Pc
n, haps, as the switch" said in col
-, Guiding her seance, SIT will q
o. come out some day, but it will !