The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-07
SHOOTS OIL HEAD,
Caney, Kan, Business Man Kill,
Pipe Line President.
Taken to Independence i'm a Mo
tor Car After Arrest.
LITIGATION is CAUSE
Lawsuit Pending Between Trus.
kett and Wichita Company.
Two Shots Fired, One Through
Heart Of j. ID. s. Neeley.

NslAiey, nan, Jan. ii D. S. Nee
ly, president of the Wichita Pipe Line
company. president of the Lima (O)
Trust company, and the head of sew
eraI large oil companies, was shot and
killed at the Palace hotel here this
morning by A. o. Truskett, a proni-
nent business man Of Caney. The
shooting was the result of litigation
over an oil lease. Truskett surrend-
cred Immediately.
Truskett was taken in q motor car
to the county jail in Independence,
Kan. The shooting was at the rear
Of the hotel. Mr.. Neely had been
sitting in the lobby reading a letter
Truskett sitting opposite. had been
watching him closely when Mr. Nicely
got up and walked toward the rear of
the hotel Truskett hurried around to
the sample room. Neely passed the
door Of this room. Truskett fired at
passed through Mr.. Neely's heart and
the other through his left arm. When
employees of the hotel reached the
PROSTATE man he was dead.
President Neely arrived here Fri
day on his regular monthly inspection
of oil and gas interests and of his
pumping plant recently erected here.
The direct cause of the killing is be-
lieved to have been a lawsuit now
pending between Truskett and the
Wichita Pipe Line company.
Truskett Refuses Statement.
Truskett refused to make state
ment His friends say the lawsuit
weighed heavily on his mind and that
frequently advisors had told him he
was being deceived by the corpora
tion. Truskett's is one of the oldest
and wealthiest families in Caney. His
divorced wife lives in Wichita.
The lease which led to the Iitiga-
ton between Truskett and the pipe
line company was to a tract of oil land
four miles south of Caney. Robert
r. Goodman. minor Indian, who
owned the tract, leased it several years
ago to Hugh Bronson, an oil man, who
later disposed of it to Winkler, Amer
field and Hicks, q local oil firm, for
S400. Truskett paid this firm $9,100
for the lease. Shortly afterward the
Wichita Pipe Line company claimed the
lease for the tract. saying it had come
into possession of it through a lease
by Goodman to Fred c. Losser and
Herbert Scott, who were interested in
the Wichita company. The company
asserted that the leasing to Truskett
had been Illegally done.
Owens Nephew Is Mentioned.
Owen Owen of Caney, a nephew of
Senator Owen of Oklahoma, travelled
with the Indian boy, Goodman, from
the boy became of age, September "a,
last It was said Owen was in the
employ of the Wichita company On
the date Goodman became of age the
Wichita company began action in the
federal court to clear its lease to the
land. Litigation has been in progress
ever since. Truskett asserted the pipe
line company used undue influence on
the Indian boy, spirited him away, and
finally bought from him the lease for
$4,000.
Pleads Self Defense.
There were no witnesses to the
shooting. Soon after it occurred
Truskett went direct to the homo Of
his brother, E. w. Truskett- There
he was found little later by J. H.
McInroy, city marshal. The two men
had known each other for twenty-five
years. Truskett made no show Of re-
Isistance and to his old friend simply
volunteered:
"I surrender to you, McInroy. take
me where you like"
McInroy formally placed Truskett
under arrest.
ssWhy did you do it. ALL McInroy
asked.
He attacked me-" was the reply,
''and I was forced to do il"
Further than this Truskett declined
to talk of the affair. A deputy sheriff
soon placed Truskett in an automobile
and started with him for the county
Jail at independence
In the meantime the body OF NeeIy
was taken to an undertaker's rooms
A coroner's jury was selected and an
| inquest was begun.
Following the inquest it was decid-
ed to start with the body of Neely for
Lima, Ohio, late in the day.
Prominent Mason and Churchman.
Lima, Ohio. Jan. II. D. S. Neely,
who was shot and killed at Caney,
| Kansas, today, came to Lima from
| the Pennsylvania oil fields in 1885, at
| the time of the great oil strike here.
ested himself in oil and gas fields of
that state. He returned to Lima in
1894 and was made general manager
| of several gas companies At the time
of his death he was president of the
| following companies: The Lima
! Trust company, the Wichita Natural
| Gas company of Wichita, and the Iron
| Mountain Oil company, besides being
Interested in the Neely-C1over com
| pany. the Columbus Natural Gas com
panv and other gas and oil companies
| He was a tIirty-third degree Mason
| and prominent in church affairs
wife, two sons and one daughter sur
| vive-
Truslett's Wife Not Located.
wichita, Kan, Jan. THE report
/ that the wife of Al o. Truskett who
snot President Neely OF the Wichita
Natural Gas company at Caney today,
lives in Wichita could not be verified.
| Her name does not appear In the city
/ directory. She has been divorced by
| Trusket and if she lives here she is
using her maiden name or came here
only recently.
The wichita Natural Gas company.
which also is known as the Wichita
i Pipe Line company, pipes natural gas
to Wichita, Wellington Hutchinson,
| Burton, Valley Center and ether
towns in this section of Kansas The
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