The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-09-06
FLASK OF DEATH
AT WEST HAMMOND
Bottle Contained KNOCK
Out" Drops and Took
Several Lives.

TUnited Press Leased Wire Service
CHICAGO, Sept. 6.-The first Off
cial recognition of the campaign of
Miss Virginia Brooks against the social
evil In West Hammond, Ill, was &C
corded today when Coroner Peter
Hoffman, Assistant Chief Of Police
Scheuttler, and States Attorney John
E. Wayman met with Miss Brooks to
formulate plans for the unravelling OF
the mystery surrounding the death of
John Messmaker, alleged by Miss
Brooks to have been victim OF an
overdose OF knockout" drops admin
istered In West Hammond resort.
Efforts Of the investigators we're
focused today on frankie" Ford,
Messmaker's companion on the day of
his death. and an inmate Of the re-
sort said to be owned by Henry Foss.
Foss has not been arrested In connec-
tion with the investigation.
AS a prologue to the three-cornered
investigation which will probably be
conducted by the coroner, the police
and the states attorneys office, fol-
i lowing this mornings conference,
Coroner Hoffman today sent Sergeant
Serivener to the Foss saloon In
search of the death flask" said to
have been mentioned by the Foru
women In her reputed confession.
This flask, according to Miss Brooks,
contained the knockout drops" to
| which the death Of Messmaer and
Miss Brooks asserts, several persons,
| was due.
mo one has been arrested said
Coroner Hoffman today, "and no one
will be arrested until We have evi
dence to warrant such procedure, We
are making a searching investigation
& and have ordered that the Ford wo
man be held until more light ha:
], been thrown on the mysterious hap
penings in West Hammond"
i Four detectives today were detailed
to guard Miss Brooks, following he
. receipt OF typewriter letter
J threatening her with death unless th
Z probe was dropped. Miss Brooks ha
2 NET HGtH6f III w Sftlti EfeiHsHiN'tti ft@tL =
t staying In Chicago although she re
fuses to make her exact whereabout
known.
I'm not afraid they will kill me,
she said today, "but I'm not takinl
any chances"
Murder Charge Filed.
r1af ~ ~
. evidence concerning the mysteriou
!, death of John Messmaker In a Yves
Hammond, H., resort had been un
t covered was the inference today whel
r Miss Virginia Brooks, West Hammon
8 Joan of Arc, before Judge Owens II
the county court, swore out warran
I charging Mrs. Ethel Parker, ALA
i FRANKIE Ford with murder. Core
r ner Hoffman, who Is investigating tn
+ case with Miss Brooks, stated earle
: that no warrants would be issued ur
! til evidence on which to base charge
3 had been uncovered.
4 At the request of Miss Brooks
s Judge Owens also transferred juris
: diction In the cases Of two West Han
e mond reformers, charged with al
i sault, from the court of Justice of tn
0 Peace Wittenberg to his own court.
: A new light was thrown on tn
case today when States Attorne
I Wayman and u. s. District Attorne
e Wilkerson sent representatives t
e Judge Owens court to make invest
CATION. The states attorneys offic
will have charge OF any crimins
prosecution for murder there may b
/ but it was said that the district a
torney would investigate that rune
that the Ford woman was brought {
: West Hammond from northern Il
diana town in violation of the Man
: white slave act.
i---