Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-04-23
INCENDIARY BLAZE
FAILS TO CONCEAL
DOUBLE TRAGEDY


Geddes. S. D., April 1S.-W. H. Men
zie, manager OF the Farmers Cooper
alive Lumber company in his city, and
Miss Blanche Signal. the FIRMS book
keeper, were murdered in the lumber
yard office some time Thursday night.
The unknown a%ssailant then set fire
to the building and the structure was
completely destroyed.
The charred remains of the man and
woman were found in the fire ruins
early this morning, The bodies were
lying side by side and the hands and
feet of both victims had been tied with
wire. Miss Signals skull had plainly
which was found nearby. Mr.. Men
zie's skull also had been fractured with
some blunt instrument.
Theories Of Crime.
Although the skull fractures in both
cases were sufficient to have caused
death, 1t is assumed that the murderer
was not convinced that the blows la
been effective Inc bound the victims
to prevent any possibility of them re-
gaining consciousness n making
their escape from the fire.
While all sorts of theories and opin-
Ions are rife today around this city,
which has been thrown into great ex-
element by the crime, there is very
little of a substantial nature on when
to base suspicion. Local sentiment Is
divided as to whether the motive was
merely one Of robbery or of revenge.
Advocates Of the revenge theory al
low their coniectures to q vide
range Of possibilities, with very little
of a definite nature IN which to base
conclusion. Their theories revolve
around these general propositions:
/. That the murder Is the cul-
mination of feelings aroused in the
prosecution Of the ~so-called lumber
trust cases, in which Mr.. Menzie
was the chief complainant.
2. That it might nave been q
frenzied, jealous manifestation on
the part of some man or oma
Mr.. Menzie and Miss Signal were last
seen alive about 8 o'clock last night,
when they went to h office to work.
had been fixed for today and the man
ager and bookkeeper had a large
amount of extra work in prospect In
preparing a complete showing Of the
affairs to submit at this meet
Ing.
Company Involved.
The cooperative company had be
come heavily involved, a conaatlon
which the manager claimed was due to
unfair competition by the old-l1ne lum-
Der companies. Arrangements had been
completed to sell the entire property to
q new company n the transfer OF IN
terests was scheduled for tomorrow,
following the final meeting today of the
tocknolaers, hialy -. VIZ nar,s ne +he
TOWN. from we ouh' N
crime.
Al!nousn .le Gouiaes ~ nonrn;,e ~
sherlll arrived neuE 'nas Ills :: :.
make an lnvestlsation y .ae ei n,,M he ~
Is not ceIlaii .na. an 49, h, ~ 49,
neld unll a n.y. ~ ~ Hna n"a go
Spent ~ tne ~ e y aine az q spe
cl11c theoaS. lne line VIZ" tha theonv ~
apout li'oo tuiutht &c is thai t4h ne M, ~
~ Az Uaa con,nnjt+ed hatwaan IN ana II
o.n,ock r is s,nnosed that the mur-
derer lost no time in tying up the vic
tins and firing the building after
striking the fatal blows.
So far as known today no large sums
of money had been kept about the
building. such as would incite an at
tack of this kind. 1t is supposed. how
ever. that the and bookkeeper
did have the cash on hand before them
in the process Of checking up a final
balance and the possibility is conceded
tina some Individual. peering into the
office window, might have been moved
to the attack.
In connection with the robbery
theory the killing of Miss Signal is TAX.
en- to point to some local person. The
view taken on this point Is that q
stranger would have been satisfied
after Telling the man n would ma
turally rely OF intimidating the woman
On the other hand g local person, IL
fear Of recognition, would have beer
lnCllnGQs TO XIII me woman 40 wall -