The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-10-22
Rac.ae and Kenosha Men Search.
ing Near Riley Thicket Find
Mans Skull
BULLET HOLE TELLS STORY
Great Hole Had Been Torn in the Head
Of the Dead Man BY Bullet and
the Size of the Hole Would
Indicate That He suicided

The skull which is supposed to have
been a portion of the remains of the
unknown man, afterwards identified as
Frank Clope, which was found in the
Riley woods in Pleasant Prairie a
week ago Sunday, was found on Sun
day morning about $50 yards from the
place where the other portions of the
body had been found At the same
time portions of bones of a forearm
were picked up. The skull told the
story of the death of the man as it
had two holes in it appearing as if a
bullet had been shot straight through
the head from the right side to the left
While the manner of the death of the
man is certain the finding of the skull
with the bullet holes in it does not
give any further evidence as to
whether the man was a suicide or the
victim of a murder. The holes in the
skull are so large that it looks as if
the gun must have. been held at close
range when the fatal shot was fred
and this would lead toward the suicide
theory
The skull was found by A Cary
Judd of Racine who was in charge of
a searching party representing the Ra-
cine Lodges of the Modern Woodmen
of American, the Royal League and
Equitable Fraternal Union Each of
these societies sent a large delegation
for the search and Alfred Simons, Al
derman from the Third ward, aided in
the work The skull was not buried
but was found in a pile of long grass
some distance from the place where the
other portions of the body were
found Some of the members of the
searching party had been on the
grounds several times before and it is
claimed that they had repeatedly pass
ed over the spot where the skull was
picked up without seing it, Tt is
claimed by some of these people that
the skull had been thrown there only
a short time before it was found. The
bones of the skull were dried with the
exception of a small place on the right
side of the head and when this was
cleaned off it showed the entrance of
the bullet.
The gruesome find was brought to
Kenosha, and after thorough exam
ination turned over to Coroner Andre
who is still at work on the case The
skull may aid ia completing the identi-
fication of the dead man as Clope as
it is said that there is a mark on the
skull which corresponded with a scar
which Clope had carried for many
years.
The coroner on Saturday took up
the case a little further and he has
found that the shoes supposed to have
been worn by the dead man were not
sold by a Racine dealer, but were a
part of a shipment sent to the Bond
Shoe Company Cheyenne, Wyoming.
This would indicate that there is a
possibility that the body was not that
of Clope. This coupled with the fact
that the man had book in his pocket
which had been given away by firm
in st. Louis, seems to indicate that the
man had come from the west,
On Saturday afternoon the Evening
News received an anonymous note in
regard to the case which read as fol
lows:
Editor Of Evening News; Please al
low me a few lines in your paper
That man found in the Riley woods
was murdered by a saloon-keeper and
a butcher I know"
While no Importance is attached tx
the note it was turned over to Chief
of Police 0 Hare and he is looking
for the writer of the note
The skull found on Sunday will b.
placed with the other remains of the
man and it is probable that the whole
body will be taken back to Racine fol
burial The insurance companies have
not as yet paiu the claims made BY
Mrs. Clope, but it is thought that they
viii be paid without further investiga
tion. The manner of the death o.
Clope would have no effect on tn,
payment of the insurance, the onl,
thing necessary being proof that Clop
is dead.