Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-04-24
ANGRY S~TOCkHOLDER
IS OFFICIAL THEORY
FOR DOUBLE MURDER
Now Thought Killing Of Menzie
Followed Quarrel About
Unpaid Claims.

Geddes S. d., April 21.-One OF the
strongest theories held by local Of
ticials. and by detectives, in connection
with the murder of w. Fl. Menzie. late
manager for the Farmers Co-Opera-
tive company, and the firms bookkeep-
er, Miss Blanche Signal. is that the
CRIME vas committed by an irate
stakeholder. Many of the stock
holders were in town the night of the
murder. preliminary to a general meet
ing assigned for the next day.
The cooperative had been
IN bad shape financially for various
reasons, and payments had beer de-
layed for grain and stock marketed
thfough the concern. IL is held as a
strong possibility that one of these
men, having money due him, visited
me offlce and got into an alteration
with Menzie; that the stakeholder
might nave menaced Menzie. who was
a large man. with the hammer. and
that Menzie might have taken his re-
volVer from the office desk as q pro-
tective measure. The theory is that
the stakeholder then struck MenZie on
tne PACK of the head with the hammer.
stunned him, secured the revolver and
shot MenZie through the head.
To Cover Up Crime.
Following the outburst of frenzy on
the part Of the stakeholder, it is as
sumed thai he killed the girl. who
you'd be a witness OF his first u
ger, III order to protect himself. The
local officials think that they have
reasonable theory outlined in these as
symptoms and feel confident that
further investigation will lead to the
guilty individual, although there is no
present suspicion of his identity.
a barn on the Dave Stafford farm.
10 miles Cnl1th of hnro 0-a, s.-.-l
Friday morning. about three hours at
Yer the lumber yard office. resulting in
the cremation of 10 head of horses. The
present theories include the belief that
the murderer rode t. this barn,
changed his noun for one of Stafford's
iiorses, n set fire to the barn to dis
pose OF that part of the evidence.
Doors Locked From Inside.
Searchers in the ruins yesterday
found a large bunch of keys, which had
been carried by Mr.. Menzie. This over
comes a previous theory that the MUIR
derer locked the door from he outside
m o the keys with him. Both the
iaie lock and the mortice lock on the
Once door are shown to have been
locked. For some time past it had been
the practice to use only the Yale lock.
fleces OF plaster We're found which
seemed to have blood spots on them.
ana which indicate a struggle in the
office.
One of the detectives from the Sioux
City department is supposed to be on
the ground here, but he has kept his
identity covered even from local au-
tnor1tles. Application also has been
made for an operative from the Burns
detective agency.
Directors in Charge.
Directors of the cooperative COM
pany have taken charge of the COM
pany's affairs and have put Frank
Humphrey in charge of the elevator.
which did not burn. The company will
continue in the grain business, but will
not resume the lumber branch of the
business.
Funeral service was held for Mr.
Menzie yesterday forenoon from the
Methodist church. The building was
not large enough to hold the immense
crowd which gathered for the service.
Service for Miss Signal was held
Saturday from the Catholic church
and also was largely attended, in
Guiding practically all of the company
stockholders, who were in the city fol
a special meeting.