The Topeka state journal., 1908-01-23
j. B. J0slin Found Dead With
Indications of Foul Play.
Body Fully Dressed in Room of
HOvel Where He Lived.
SEEN LAST ON SUNDAY.
Then Said That He Intended to
Move.
Rope Near Neck Indicates He
May Have Been Strangled.

The badly decomposed body of J. B.
Joslin, who has lived at 1928 Wabash av-
enue, Oakland, for number of months
past was found by r. I. Dennis, a col
lector for the gas company when he
attempted to present a gas bill this
| morning. The dead man who was about
go years of age, was last seen Sunday
evening by a neighbor and at that time
he was loading his household goods and
preparing to move. .G
He refused to tell any of those who
asked where he intended to move, say
ing that he was going to bunk with an
old roommate. The condition of the
body indicates that he was either killed
or died some time during Sunday after
that point towards murder. piece Of
quarter inch rope doubled lay under
meath his neck and wound on the
neck indicates the possibility of a
knife wound while there is a cut on
his right hand which might have been
! made in defending himself.
The room where Joslin was found was
| sitting hot and the body was lying
within three feet of the stove in which
the gas was burning and had not the
clothing been in place the body would
| have fallen to pieces when moved.
| There was nothing in the front room
| OF the house excepting small dresser
and everything had been removed from
q
| gas heating stove, a few dishes and a
! home made table.
The man was dressed even to his
! coat and hat when he met his death
in manner which will in all probabih-
| ties never be explained, though there
| is a possibility that it was caused from
excessive alcoholism as he was on a
spree for a week prior to the time he
| was last seen. When the collector for
| the gas company opened the door this
7 oh ioh n
! he did not investigate farther but no
| titled one Of the neighbors who called
up Coroner Keith and then notified the
sheriff's office.
The sheriff as we'll as many of the
neighbors are inclined to believe that
Joslin was murdered by some one who
! suspected that he had money con-
cealed about the place. and 1t is pos
sibIe that he was knocked insensibie
I and afterwards when he showed signs
| of life choked to death. He moved
| into the little shack which has been
| his home about six months ago and
| has lived the life of a recluse and but
little is known of him by his neigh
| bors.
! He worked at irregular intervals as
a laborer for the Santa Fe in the track
| department, though of late he has
! been out of employment and on a pro-
| Ionged spree and was moving because
| he was unable to pay his rent. Inc
cuts on the neck and hands, if they arc
such, and the rope under the neck in
dicate murder, but as the body was
| moved by the undertaken before his
arrival, Coroner Keith refuses to make
| a guess as to the cause of death.
/ When the coroner found that the
body had been removed before his ar
| rival he was indignant and threatened
| to have the parties interested in the
removal arrested. Here is a case,
/ said Coroner Keith. where the evil
dence points to murder and the body
/ has laid in that back room for a num-
| Der of days and nights. and yet in df-
| rect violation of law it has been re-
moved before had a chanceto see it
| The law is plain on the case and the
next time that thing of this kind oc-
ours some one will be made to suffer
and I do not care whether 1t is the
sheriff of the county or some under
| taker."
The scene in the little back room
| where the body was found was one
| that even the eyes and nos trils of the
officers who are used to sights of al
| kinds could not stand and after one
| whiff of the foul atmosphere, Deputy
Sheriff Bundy sought the fresh air anc
exhibited all the symptoms OF a sea
sick voyager on the ocean The deae
man was known in police circles as ne
had been arrested frequently on ac-
count of fondness for drink though
but little is known OF him there except
ing his name.
II
. he first moved into the neighborhoo(
that he had wife and daughter living
in Iowa, near Keokuk, but never spok.
to any one of them afterwards.
coroner's jury was summoned Wh1cf
met Immediately after the removal O.
the body and viewed the remains
which were inferred at once owing t.
the advanced stage of decomposition
The jury will meet again this evening
u,ben testimony will be heard and al
attemnt made to solve the problem o
the mans leath. though it is NOR
; than likely that he will be buried in
pauper's grave and the cause of hi
death will never be known.
nEcl AREc FIR TAFT