Omaha daily bee., 1912-05-11
DEAD MAN FOUND, MURDERED
Unidentified Victim Taken to Room,
Robbed and Strsngled.
ASSAMANTS BEING PURSUED
Room on North Eighteenth street
Where Body 10 Found is in Dis
order, Everything Indicat-
ing q struggle.

With a towel which had been satu-
rated with denatured alcohol, a deadly
poison. wrapped tightly about his face,
the dead body Of an unidentified white
man was found in a bed in the basement
at COS North Eighteenth yesterday morn
ing.
The police believe that the man was
robbed, choked into Inconsistencies and
while in that condition murdered with
the poisoned towel.
The supposed slayers, a man and
woman. known as d. D. Ridley or d. q.
Rigley, and wife. left Omaha at 7:45
o'clock in the morning for Minneapolis
over the Northwestern. Z
Ciews Are ConfIicting.
The only clues that the police have to
the identity Of the dead man are q tattoo
mark upon his right forearm, giving the
name Of F. p. Kidd. 62on his under
clothes was the laundry mark Of Frank
Davis and upon his linen the initials
81. F. G." He was about $ years Of age
and appeared to be prosperous farmer.
Mrs. r. vantine. who runs the rooming
house. found the body at 7:s0 o'clock.
She says that the man and woman
brought the unknown man to their room
about 9 o'clock Thursday night and that
he was very drunk. The woman in
formed Mrs. Vantine that he was a
dear friend" end that he would occupy
their room that night. II Mrs. Vantine
could procure them another room. This
arrangement was made. but they did not
occupy the new room.
Vantine is Suspicious.
When Mr.. vantine started for work In
the morning he saw an express wagon
drive up and the Ridleys place their trunk
and suit case in II. and drive hurriedly
away. His suspicious were aroused and
he notified his wife by telephone to In
vestigate. Mrs, vantine went to the room
and found the dead body and the room
In great disorder. letters torn into small
pieces, clothes here and there. and al
most everything that would recall the
dead mans identity missing.
The police were notified and Detective
Sullivan was sent to investigate. He found
the bottle containing the poison. Dr.
Golden and A. +. spain. assistant to the
coroner, overlooked 1t In their search Of
the room The cork was loose in the
top. indicating It had been used. Only a
slight odor could be detected In the towel.
but 1t corresponded with the odor from
the bottle
Robbery and Murder.
The theory is that the man and woman
saw that the farmer had considerable
money and inveigled him to their room,
giving him to understand they were
Good samaritans." After reaching the
room they proceeded to roll" him It
10 thought that that farmer tried TO
protect himself and was choked into I'M
consciousness and smothered to death
DR.. Golden was returning from a cali
az 1910 O'Clock Thursday night and heard
gasps and groans as though someone
was being sttangied. He failed to learn
where they came from and went to bed.
This morning he recalled the sounds dis
tinctly and says that the marks upon
the dead mans throat Indicated that Il
was he who made the gasping sounds.
The dead mans coat and hat were found
In corner Of the room
Ridley or Rigiey. was q book agent.
and came to the vantine place about
three weeks ago. He introduced the
woman as his ~ffe. They were in their
room only at nights and nothing was
known about them. except that they
claimed Minneapolis as their home. This
was clue which resulted in the officers
learning Of their hurried departure from
Omaha for that place, u.