The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-02-20
FINGER PRINTS SOLVE MYSTERY
Bloody Marks are Final Clew That
Brings Admission from Nineteen
Year Old Lee HOyt.

means of positive identification in
criminal cases was proven at Chilli
cothe last Saturday, when murder
mystery, now fourteen months old,
was cleared by the use of this in
fallible agency. After three days un-
der fire by Prosecuting Attorney e.
l.. Marshall of Livingston county, Lee
Hoyt, the 21-year old son of Edward
Hoyt, wealthy cattleman, who was
murdered at his farm in Avlon, near
Chillicotl1e, November 2S, 1911, ad-
mitted the killing, according to the
prosecutor. Mr.. Marshall sent young
Hoyt to Jail from the hotel where he
had been under serveilance and said
he would file affidavits in the case
later, pending the preliminary hear
ing.
On the night of the killing Edward
Hoyt shipped some cattle to Kansas
City. He and friend parted within
a half mile of Hoyt's home, and tnat
was the last time he was seen alive.
Early the next morning Mrs. HOyt
sent her son, Lee, to the barn to
look after the stock. The young man,
then about 19 years old, returned
with the information that someone
had murdered his father in the barn.
1t was shown that the body, after the
killing, had been dragged by the
feet to the position where it was
found. The clothing was doubled up
about the shoulders. Hay and straw
had been scattered over the body.
A detective agency in Kansas City
was employed on the case. At the
time it was shown that the murderer
had not left the barn by the door,
which was toward the house, but had
iielimbed over the stalls into runway
and had left by another entrance.
Blood stains were found in the name
of the elder Hoyt,s white riding
horse. Prints of a bloody hand also
showed on the woodwork and on q
galvanized iron tank which the slay-
er had touched in leaving the, barn.
A month ago Captain F. H.. Tillit-
son of the Kirk Detective Agency,
Kansas City, went to work on the
case. He found that the finger
prints on the tank were obliterated.
but in the runway into which the
slayer had climbed there still re-
mained the imprint of four fingers.
This beard, white, and planed, was
next to the hay and had net been
disturbed -.
Part Of the board on which the
prints remained YVES sawed out, sent
ito Kansas City and photographed.
Captain Tillitson then set to work to
take the finger prints of several ali
lexed Sns2ects in, the vicinity. among
Ekem The son, Lee,swhose arrest fOF
lowed the comparison of, the photo
graph with his prints OF four fingers.
The boy first told a story in which
he implicated two of the men whom
he knew were under suspicion, the
prosecutor says. He said he had gone
to the barn on the night OF the kill
ing and had found them there, but
that they had threatened his life, and
for that reason he had remained ST.
lent An unquestioned alibi was then
esta ablished for the men he charged
with the crime. When confronted
with this evidence by Prosecutor Mar
shea Tand Captain TillitsOn. young
Hoyt is alleged to have broken down
and acknowledged that he killed his
father
The killing was done with mat
took, which had been used for break
ing coal near the house. The boy said
he also used board. He said his
father was too severe with him. 1t
is said that the father often repri-
manded his son because of his reck
less expenditure of money, for driv-
ing the horses too hard and for buy
ing new buggies for his own use with
out authority.
A new phase Of the case of Lee
Hoyt who confessed to the murder of
~ Co !,
veloped when he failed to recognize
his mother or other members of his
family who called to see him.
Whether Hoyt is insane or is mere
ly shamming for effect on the Of
ficers cannot be determined. HOyt
was taken for a walk by the sheriff
in the hope that the air would quiet
the young mans nerves. He has
been in condition bordering on
collapse since he made his confes-
sion.