Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-07-15
MYSTERY IN CRIMES
Strange VandaI Commits Daring
Depredations in Missouri.
Hatred of Mankind Is Shown by Many
Shocking Offenses-Criminal Dis
plays an Urcanny Hatred of
Animals.

Versailles. Mo.-Four unkempt dogs
from d farmhouse scurried down the
roadside enc day and yelped viciously
at passing buggy. For all eighth OF
a mile, perhaps, they kept up their
clamor as they followed along beside
the rails.
Like to go into that yard at night?"
Frank Brown, constable of Haw Creek
township, who was driving, asked his
companion mo? Well, tonight, may
be, some one will drive in there, load
his wagon with plunder-set the barn
on fire if he likes-and those dogs
won't even growl. For ~ years we
have been robbed and our stock tor
tured and killed. 1t always is done at
night. Is it any wonder that the
whole neighborhood lives in terror
when even the dogs are afraid?"
Such is the feeling in the western
part of Morgan county. Within an
area of six square miles a mysterious
criminal has operated score of years.
Houses and barns have been burned
down when the owners had no known
enemies. Stock has been manned.
Granaries have been robbed of wagon
loads of grain. Telephone and fence
wires have been cut and spools OF
missing wire were found hidden IN
hollow logs. Recently a graphophone
was found in tree top far in the
wooded hills.
The crimes are confined to a GER
tain district that is peopled by sixty
or seventy prosperous families OF Ger
man descent There is no petty
neighborhood strife to account for the
crimes. The people are of the
burgher type, hearty. good-natured
and honest AS the custom Is among
foreigners, they are clannlsh Nearly
every family is related to some other
family, because they have lived IN
small district in their adopted coun-
try for more than forty years.
Yet these people are afraid. They
turn out their lamps at night, not
knowing what blight they may suffer
by morning They speak Of their fear
in subdued voices. Their blue eyes
express superstitious fear when they
are deep in conversation on the sub
ject. They have no protection. The
grand Jury has called In witnesses
many times to testify about depreda-
lions, but no definite evidence has
been collected. A year ago farmers
barn was robbed four nights in sue"
cession. He asked three Of his neigh
bors to help him watch. The party
hid in the barn for two nights and
nothing happened. The next night
they did not watch. When morning
came daylight showed that the visitor
had been there again.
Another time 80 chickens were
stolen and no noise was made. The
dogs-every farmer has a ferocious
why, no more than they can explain
why the fowls kept still. No one at
tempts explanations.
So strong is the fear in Haw Greek
township that victim will not tell
his most intimate friend until several
days after he has been visited. They
do not suspect each other, they say.
At any rate, stranger can get little
information from them regarding
their suspicious Many Of them are
ready to sell their farms and leave.
The time has passed when the
crimes were surprises. Three hundred
times, it Is said, the curse has fallen.
The thick woods are suggestive Of
mystery, on a fence board in one
place is painted the inscription:
prepare to Meet Thy God"
No one knows who wrote it. 1t is not
questioned-"he" put it there.
Often when the men of the neigh
borhood are hunting coons at night
shot is heard and bullet whizzes
ground and creep toward home
through the bushes So far no per-
son has been harmed, but there is the
ever-present fear that the mysterious
criminal will turn his spite toward
human beings.
Occasionally several weeks pass
without events. Then a series comes
rapidly. Last week a barn and sew
eral hay stacks were burned. Two
farmers lost chickens. A man who
had quantity of potatoes, apples and
turnips buried within thirty feet Of
his house awoke and found the earth
freshly turned His produce was gone.
There were no tracks. That morning
his dogs sulked and trembled.
'Tf all of us were to report these
things as soon as they happen we
might be able to catch him" said one
man. who made reporter promise
not to use his name, "but we never
hear thing until several days later.
Every man is afraid to arouse the an
ger of him They are afraid the
little led rooster will run over their