The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-02-19
SLAIN MAN HAS APPEARED
AFTER AN ABSENCE OF FOUR
TEEN EVENTFUL YEARS.
Jacob Funk's Disappearance, the Mys-
terry of Missouri Farm, Re-
mains Unsolved.


mains Unsolved.
When Jacob A. Funk alighted from
train at Skidmore, Nodaway coun-
ty. Missouri, and greeted and was
recognized by his old friends he was
as one who arose from the dead, and
could also have enacted the part OF
Enoch Arden, for the philip Ray
and his wife still reside in the town.
He could even have done something
more startling than this. He could
have been taken to the cemetery and
could have seen the grave in which
his body was supposed to have been
laid more than a dozen years ago.
He did not do this, but left on the
first train for Maryville, where he
suddenly appeared before his sister,
Mrs. D. S. Holmes, who felt that she
was confronted by one from another
world
The story that forms the basis of
these surprises and complications is
a somewhat peculiar one, dating back
fourteen years. In the spring of
1894 Jacob A. Funk, "a years old,
and Frank Ridge, who was few
years younger, were farming on
shares near Skidmore. Early in April
Funk left home in the rickety road
cart, ostensibly for the purpose of
buying seed potatoes. He did not
return, and after many days his
friends decided that he had left the
country, or that he had been killed.
A search revealed nothing, and in
August Ridge disposed of his share
of the crop to the mother of the
missing man and went to Kansas
City
Bones Hanging to a Tree.
More than a year passed, and early
in December, 1895, fragments of a
human body were found hanging to
a tree in a ravine in Atkinson coun-
ty, about six miles west of Skidmore.
Other bones, an old valise and some
pieces of clothing were found on the
ground nearby Attention was at
once directed to the disappearance
Of Funk, and some of his relatives
were sure that the body was his.
His aged father said that he could
recognize the skull by means of the
fact that one cheek bone was higher
than the other.
The suspicion was aroused that |
Jacob Funk had been murdered, and |
the question of finding the murderer
came up. Suspicion pointed to
Ridge the partner, and Sheriff |
of Atchison county, went |
to Kansas City and placed him I'M
der arrest. The warrant was issued
by Justice Proud of the township in
which the skeleton was found, but
Ridges attorney took change of
venue and the case was sent to Fair |
fax Here, Dec. 90, 1895, the pre-
Iiminary examination was had before
Justice Blevius and Justice Wilson. |
More than sixty witnesses had been
summoned
Ridge Proved an Alibi.
Ridge proved that he had spent the |
night previous to Funk's disappear
ance at Quitman, and came back to |
Skidmore on train that arrived |
shortly after Funk had started. AS
he worked all that day. it was shown |
to have been impossible that he could |
have committed the deed.
A year or two after this Mrs. Funk |
was married to James Gibbs of Skid I
more, and they still reside at that !
place.
AS indicated by the testimony |
brought out in the trial of Ridge |
some mystery seems to be connected |
with Funk. Since his return he talks |
freely, only he refuses to explain why |
he left so suddenly, merely saying |
that he had a cause for it." He |
also refuses to tell where he has
been and what he has been doing.
1t in some way came out that he had
been living in Iowa for the last six !
years, and it is apparent that he has
been prosperous. His reticence ex-
tends not only to his warmest friends, |
but to his nearest relatives. |