The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-21
NORTH SIDE NE WIS.
Rufus COtton's Mother Positive
He Died Natural Death.
Thinks Heart Disease, Not MUIR
der, Caused His End.
CORONER UNDECIDED.
Complained of shooting Palms,
Last Days Alive.
No Signs of Violence in Dead
Mans House.
CORONER UNDECIDED.

I am positive that my son was not
murdered. 1 will always believe that
he died from heart trouble This
statement was made by Mrs. S. J. Cot
ton, Who lives mile northeast of To-
pekt this morning regarding her son,
Rufus Cotton, who was found dead on
his claim near Flagler, Colo, Friday
morning. The coroner at Flagler &C
cording to latest reports was undecided
as to whether his death was caused by
heart trouble or that he was murdered.
The first theory is strengthened from
the fact that Mr.. Cotton had often suf-
fered from shooting pains in the re-
gion of his heart and that he COM
planned of them about "a hours before
his death. The local doctor is inclined
to share in this opinion.
"A cash and purple marks in the
mans forehead gave suspicion that
the man had met with foul play said
Mrs. Cotton this morning. However,
the Colorado authorities thought that
this could have come from the man
falling to the floor. Rufuss wife, who
is staying with me, says that the slight
est accidental bruise would cause such
an appearance of the skin. While the
window of the room was opened from
the top, four dollars in money and his
watch were found in the room with
the body. He had just deposited SIS
received for work in the bank the last
day I saw him and didn't have $500
with him as has been reported. 1t
was his forty-ninth birthday. He ate
dinner with me and left for his claim.
He lived nine miles from my place.
He said then that he never hated to
leave me for his claim so much as
then, and that he would take me with
him but there was no place for me to
sleep. This was the last / saw of him
alive. I was told of his death Friday
morning.
A letter from Mrs. BERTHE Cotton of
Flagler, niece of Rufus Cotton, to his
wife in part is as follows:
HE (Rufus Cotton) had been work
ing for a Mr.. Gibson. He finished his
work last Wednesday night and came
to our place after he was done, arriv-
ing about 8 o'clock. He ate supper at
Gibson's. After Uncle Rufus went to
bed he gave a little moan and Serepta
(another relatively asked what the
matter was. He said he had a pain
and that probably his pleura was COM
ing back. In the morning Serepta
asked him how he slept and he said
he never woke up to see. so he seemed
to have a good nights sleep. The fol-
lowing night he was seen by neigh
Dor taking care of his mules. The
following morning men who had been
hired to work for him arrived at his
place and not seeing anything of him
went to the house. The door was lock-
ed from the inside. The window was
down from the top. A boy climbed in
over the upper part of the open Win
Rufus was lying partly on his face and
his body was cramped as though he
had been in pain. The lunch his
mother had sent with him was I'M
touched The doctor thinks he may
have had neuralgia of the stomach and
it went to his heart"
Mr. Cotton. who formerly lived
mile northeast of Topeka, moved to
near Flagler last March. with other
relatives. His wife remained here.
After his death the body was brought
to Topeka, arriving here Sunday when
it was buried in the Rochester ceme-
terv