The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-10-01
MURDER and SUICIDE.
Edward Ash Kills Thomas Girdner in
Mercer County, Mo-, and Then
Throws Self Under a Train.

the following account of terrible
double tragedy witch occurred ;cross
the Missouri state line in Mercer
county, is taken from the Princeton
Post Of last Friday:
In IL fight at the home of Edward
Painted, three miles north of this city,
where an ice cream supper was being
held last Saturday night, Edward Ash
shot and fatally wounded Thomas Grid
ner. Ash left, and later, it is supposed,
become crazsd with remorse and illness,
he threw himself on the rail road track
III front of a train and was ground to
pieces. Girdner was nineteen years old
and the youngest son OF A. j. Girdner,
living east of this city. Ash was twenty
two years old aud son OF Robert Ash,
living north of this city. Both were
prominent young farmers OF good repu-
tation.
The tragedy is all the more horrible
from the fact that a scene Of merriment
was suddenly turned to one of mourn
ing. There, where many young people
Of the neighborhood had gathered to
enjoy the evening, playing games and
making merry, a difficulty arose which
blotted out the lives Of two of Mercer
county's prominent young men.
Thomas Girdner was Que Of the guests
at the Painter home that night. He was
there in company with Miss Gussie Eos
ter. Edward Ash, his younger brother
Fred, and some other boys arrived there
at about nine O'clock. These boys did
not join the crowd in the house, but re-
NAMED out in the yard. Young Girdner
and some of the other boys at the party
later joined the boys in the yard. Grid
ner and Ed Ash had had slight difficult
ty previous TO this, it is said. AT that
! time, Girdner stated, Ash threw rock
at the buggy in which he and young
lady were riding and this with remarks
concerning it, is probably what led up
to the difficulty Of Saturday night.
The boys Nere all on the north side
of the houfe and it is claimed some one
threw some corn. Ed Ash says, tom
Girdner is throwing corn" Girdner re-
piled that he was not, and if he did, it
was not az bad as throwing rocks. A
few words then passed between the two
boys and they began to fight. They we're
pounding each other pretty lively with
their fists when Ash drew revolver
and shot Girdner in the abdomen
at close range. 1t is said that several
ticks were struck by both parties after
the shooting, when the boys interferred.
Several reports concerning the fight
are in circulation, some stating that
other weapons were used. The facts
will not be known. however, until the
evidence is heard at the inquest.
After being shot, Girdner was taken
into the house and Drs. Bristow and
Stacy were summoned. They arrived
shortly afterward, and seeing the ma
ture of the wound, had Girdner brought
to this city where an operation could be
performed.
Fred Ash says that after he and his
brother left the Painter home Ed be-
came very ill from wounds he had re-
ceived, and before they got to the house
Ed laid down and complained that be
could not go further. Fred left his
brother there and went to summon
his father to help get Ed to the house
That was the last seen of him alive
When Fred came back with his father
Ed was gone and they could find nc
trace of him. While they we're search.
ing for Ed train went up the track
and it is likely that this WAS the train
that killed the young man.
Sheriff Frank Minter and Prosecuting
Attorney B. H. Kesterson were soon at
the scene of the shooting. MIR. Kester-
son remained at the Painter home to
learn what he could of the difficulty
while Sheriff Minter went in search OF
Ash. The sheriff went to the Ash home
1 and found Mr.. Ash and his son Fred
They told him that Ed has promised to
meet them there, but they were unable
to find him. They spent the remainde.
Of the night in hunting for Ed.
The mangled body OF Ash was found
on the railroad track about three miles
north Of this city, early Sunday morning
by Coleman Wayman. It was not known
at the time, however, that the body was
that Of Ash. Mr.. Wayman notified Agent
i Stone at this station.
Squire Hadley Alley, acting as cor.