Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-05


Upon the elder brother he produced
no especial effect, but with the young
er he succeeded far beyond his expec-
tation. Dick Emory confessed that he
and his brother the morning after
their quarrel with Goodrich went to
his house with view to obtaining
payment of the debt he owed them and
taking satisfaction in case they fail
ed. They found him alone and dress
ing, having just got out Of bed. Good
rich did not pay the debt. and Dick
Emory cut his throat Then the broth
ers dragged the body down into the
cellar and burned 1t.
when Dick Emory was asked what
had become Of the body he replied
that they had made frequent visits to
the cellar whenever they could do so
without being discovered. each time
taking away a portion Of the body and
burning it in a wood near by TIL the
remains had all been consumed.
tom Emory was much broken up
by his brothers confession, but he
persisted in saying that Dick had not
told the truth. However, there now
them. they were placed on trial. and 1t
didn't take the jury very long to find
them guilty. Some time after the con-
viction-I don't remember how long
Tom Emory, under the influence Of the
clergyman who was preparing the
brothers for death, confessed. That
satisfied the few who remained uneon-
WINGED that Goodrich had been muir
dered by the Emory boys.
Nevertheless some Of the family con-
nections Of the murderers, though they
did not attempt to explain away the
evidence, stolidly persisted that they
didn't believe Goodrich had been muir
dered at all. One Of them, hoping that
he might still be alive, began to insert
personals for him In the newspapers.
The newspapers didn't circulate In
those days in the immense volume they
do now, though even then there were
a good many OF them. The first adver-
tisement was followed by others Of the
convicted mems friends and relatives,
and finally the ball got a-rolling and a
lot Of papers were publishing the per-
sonals.
FINALLY communication was sent to
a st. Louis paper from somewhere In
the interior of Missouri from a woman,
stating that a man named Goodrich
with something the matter with his
upper story had been in the town
about six years before. She and sew
eral other citizens remembered him
! quite well and would know him II they
were to see him again. Goodrich is
| not an uncommon name, so the adver-
Users placed no great value on the
clew. Nevertheless they raised funds
for one of their number named Tilford
| to go to Missouri and make inquiries.
| When he reached the town where
Goodrich was reported to have been
and showed those there who remem-
bered him photograph of the missing
man some of them identified 1t at once,
while others said there was no resem-
blance to the man who had been there.
| 'T1lford spent several months en-
| deavoring through the newspapers to
find another place where the man had
been and finally got wind Of him in
st. Joseph. A person there told him
that he had heard of Goodrich In Kan
some ten or twelve thousand people.
Tilford found traces of him there, but
no one seemed to know where be had
gone. But having reported his prog
ress so far as be had proceeded, the
citizens of B., who had disbelieved
that the murder had been committed,
while others who, after Tilford got on
| Goodrichs track were converted, rails
ed more funds. Tilford kept advertis-
ing and at last heard of the missing
man in Cairo, Ill. He went there, and
before he had had an opportunity to
communicate with those who had
given him the information which
brought him he saw Goodrich on the
street. He looked much older than
when he lad left B. and seemed to be
in shattered mental condition.
"Tilford telegraphed ahead that he
would be in B. with Goodrich on a GER
tain day and hour, and when the two
arrived the whole town was at the sta
ton. They marched the murdered man
up to the court, which happened to be
in session, and called on the Judge to
issue a release of the Emory boys.
There was no precedent for such a re-
lease, but the judge didn't dare refuse.
SO he gave an order to the sheriff to
bring the brothers into court.
1.-THE boys got out Of Jail, but they
didn't get into court. They were car
ried on the shoulders of the citizens to
the town hall, where they were stood
on the platform with Goodrich beside
them. and the mayor offered them a
humble apology for their persecution,
as he called 1t, and the town raised a
purse of $1,000 as some compensation
for what they had endured"
"How were their confessions ex-
plainedf" / asked the narrator.
"By finding Goodrich. That's the
only explanation for such confessions.
Obtaining them as they are often OBJ
tanned now is simply return to the
medieval plan Of torture. only the tor
ture Is mental instead of physical.-