The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-12-12
FOR revenge;
NOT ROBBERY
This is the Latest Theory for the Mo-
tive of the Murder of the Four
People at the Farm
House.
DETECTIVES AT WORK
Pickax Handle and Heavy cIock
Weight Were Used to Beat Out
the Brains of the
Victims.

KANSAS CITY, Mo, Dec. l2.-Re
vennge and rot robbery is believed to
have been the motive OF the murder
of four persons on the Bernard farm
in Kansas near Olathe.
The bodies were examined closely
and it was found Mrs. Emaline Bern
hard and her son, George. had been
terribly beaten about the head, while
Tom Morgan and James Graves the
hired man evidently had been killed
by one or two blows.
Edward P. Boyle. head OF the Kan
sas City Detective Bureau, was sent
to the scene of the crime by Chief
Of Police Griffin He took charge of
the hunt for the man or men who
committed the crime, and it is ex-
pected an arrest will be made within
few days.
In the Inspection OF the premises
Boyle found the bloody imprints Of
four fingers and a thumb OF mans
left hand upon the whitewashed wall
of the closet, in which it is believed
Mrs. Bernhard was murdered sec
tion OF the wall was cut out aud
brought to Kansas City.
Inspector Boyle also found the han
die of pickax hidden under the
manger in which the three men
were found dead This Was covered
with blood and hair ana evidently was
used by the murderer. The clock
| weight found in tho house also was
covered with blood, and it is believed
to have been used only to slay Mrs.
Bernhard, as tbe hair which is
stuck to 1t is gray
large. white button. of the kind
usually worn on blue shirts, was
found beside the manger in which
the bodies were hidden. As no but
tons were missing from the clothing
of the murdered men, this is being
saved by the police. who believe il
is from the shirt of the slayer.
Inspector Boyle said he would as
sign four detectives and use the ell.
tire police force in the hunt for the
slayer.
The first step will be to find six
men, all of whom recently have work
ed at the Bernhard farm. When
these men are found the imprints OF
their left hand will be taken and COM
pared with the bloody finger prints
on the white wall OF the closet.
Another search was made of the
house and strong box In which
valuable papers and some money had
been placed, was found In this box
was q deed conveying all of Mrs.
Bernhard's property to her son.
George From this the officers be-
lieve she intended to leave all her
property to him and cut off her other
children. The deed was drawn No.
vember 9, 1909, but never had been
filed
A bank book shows Mrs. Bernhard
opened an account with bank about
year ago and had more than $4,000
on deposit.
The body of the hired man, who
was believed to be named Worth, was
identified by Glenn Cotner, farm
hand from Green Valley Mo. Cotner
said the man was James Graves and
that his home was in small town
in Oregon. Graves and Cotner. ac-
cording TO the ter, worked on the
same farm in Missouri last septem-
ber
a coroner's jury viii be impaneled
and the inquest will be held at Olathe.
The funeral of the four persons viii
be held Wednesday at the farm and
burial will be made in Forest Hill
cemetery in Kansas City
One Suspect Arrested.
KANSAS CITY, Dec. t2.--The ar
rest of g suspect and the positive
identification of one of the victims