The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-06-10
BY George T. Pardy

GlERlHE
demonstrated Knapp; you won't fine
any worms. II was dug over thu
other day Come a bit further down.
Not for me, returned Murray
y he kind Of wormg I'm after are
right here, and it's easier work than
In the hard places"
Knapp said nothing in reply, but the
| Precipitation broke ont on his wrinkled
race. Murray drove the spade into
tn" H'ound, and smiled as he felt the
blade strike something hard. He
turned back the soil with n few vig1r.
oIs strokes, and there came to view
one Of the wheels Of the missing dem.
CORA. wagon, buried beneath foot Of
T earth, Murray looked at Knapp who
. AEluu"d in sickly fashion. The de.
. lrc'lvo called his companions and
1 placed Knapp under arrest. lie was
. ''id that the best thing he could do
( was 10 confess his thefts. and after
I.iltclng few moments he nodded
ana led the way to the house. His
VIE met the party at the door.
Get me the shinglc. said her hus.
band
The woman oboycd without a word
OF protest She went indoors and re.
turned with broad shingIe, covered
with red dots, which Knapp explained
were made by chicken blood Ono
broad red biotch signihcd wher. the
i"rr stood, and the smaller marks In.
'ieaicI the spots where Knapp had
buried his piuuder Tho detectives
selected on" OF the marked places and
h'Ean to dig The first thing to come
10 light was n large coffin. This
looked as though some tragedy urkr1 ,
behind, and they lifted the caskot ont
Of IN" earth. 1t was very heavy and
hastily they removed the lid cypcct |
ing to see the mnfilatcd form of one |
OF the robbers victims. But instead (
OF the remains of a human being scy. |
cial dozens of boxes containing shoes .
were revealed The weakened thief
standing beside them laughed harsblv
'"rpscs amt the only things found
III collins. he remarked sagely.
IN" officers pursued their search
u'EEihE up every place Indicated on
n" shngle map and great and varied
was the list OF property that came 10
night Among the things uncarthed
were a shroud, toilet set. a baby car.
rage. 40 silk dresses, gold watches
seven plough5, a harrow, surgical In.
struments. a churn, a log chain. n
clock. n set of grocer's
scales, hats, oycrCoats. pipes, bar.
Der pole, even policemau's shot.
gun which Knapp had stolen from the
Iwn"r's house.
ne men iooH turns at digging and
wen the thief himself was pressed
hto service, until fully ten wagon
'ads OF plumber lay In sight. 1t was
ruly fine exhibition of Wholesale
hieying, and the marvel OF It all was
nat Knapp swore to having done II
lhglc handed. Subsequent deyelop.
lents proved his statement TO be cor.
aCt
knapp and his wife were taken to
rle and placed in prison. A large
hcaht store was hired and all of the
covered property placed on cxhibi.
on therein to be identified hy the
Ghtlnl owners. There was no room
spare, for Knapp had stolen enourh
uH TO equip a small department
ore.
f"r several years, It appeared. the
inning veteran had been plying his
Ifering trade. In burying his pIun. -
r. he had boxed it up securely. pre. :"
ratory to sending il away. His ~
ithods were sweetly simple He w
'uld drive into town In n wagon. an. 81
rently for the purpose of selling ST.
~ produce or garden vegetables OBJ
d in that way obtaining thorough OF
owlodge OF different houses. always VIC
naglng to sneak In later and carry 90,
whatever he could lay his hands lly
Nobody knew anything about no
4, who he was or whence he comc as
year prior to his capture he had KIN
Tied In the secluded belt of timber ont
kept entirely to himself IN
lie was tried. convicted and sen. sill
ced 10 l6 years In the Allcghanv ray
lttcntiary, and his wife. against Def
I'M nothing could be proved. waa rea
'ased. But Knapp was of far too Tn,
'inal turn of mind to rest salts. apr
with serving out his time. He swa
nlated insanity, was transferred ia the
matte asylum, and soon after anc
ed the bars of window, escaped con
ugh the opening thus provided as {
was never caught. q
was not long after the Knapp nan,
ode before thievlng on n prettv bayI
2 scale began again in Erie. This from
1t was burglary instead of sneak yani
{, as was demonstrated by the moth
KS Of jimmies on doors and win. nigh
5. and the disappearance of ouan. Rec,
OF fine silverwaro and jewelry o'clo
I Crawley was at first of the the
on that Knapp, who had escaped the
the asylum In the meantime was into
ltinE again. but Murray did uot no ,
ANat