The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-07-10
WINTERS
Case Will Be Started At New
Castle, Ind, Tomorrow

case will be started in the circuit
court here tomorrow, when DR.. w. A.
Winters, father of the missing child;
her step-mother, Mrs. Byrd Winters,
and w. II. Cooper, a former boarder
at the Winters home, are to be placed
on trial on charges made against them
some weeks ago. The three are
charged with Conspiracy to commit
felony by conspiring to kill the child !
by strangling or otherwise, and to
destroy the body by burning"
The question uppermost in the
minds of all the people of Newcastle
today is whether the coming trial will
solve the mystery of the disappear
ance of nine-year-old Catherine Win
ters. Most persons who have followed
the case closely incline to the opinion
that the mystery will not be solved.
Catherine Winters disappeared on
March 20, 1918. The child had been
canvassing the neighborhood in which
she lived, trying to sell needles for a
church society. She was last seen
late in the afternoon and when she did
not return home it was believed she
had gone to the home of neighbor
for dinner. The police we're not noti-
fed until the next day.
For many months after the dis
appearance of the little girl nation
wide search was made for her. The
father made many trips, some to dis
tant parts of the country, to run down
possible clues as to the whereabouts
of the child. Her picture was dis
played in moving picture theatres
throughout the country in the hope
that someone might recognize the
little girl.
, From time to time reports have
been circulated that Dr. Winters was
not sincere in his search for the
missing child and that he had used
considerable part of the funds
raised to conduct the search for other
? than the purpose intended. Matters
reached climax on May 30 last
when DR.. Winters, his wife and Coop
, er, the former boarder, were taken
l into custody. AT the same time q
/. search was made Of the Winters home
n in an effort to find something thai
d might throw light on the mystery. The
l. search is said to have disclosed reC
@ sweater and red ribbon used for thu
T. hair concealed in cement block in
n wall under the house and red-taineC
}. garment under a furnace ventilatlnt
G. pipe Encouraged by the finding o
y the clothing, the police took up tn,
g cellar floor and other parts of tn,
,f premises with view to learning
r. whether or not body might be con
r cealed. A similar search was made o
ID another house formerly occupied b.
Or the Winters, but so far as has bee
ly made public the investigation faile
n to disclose anything that would ind
ll cate that the child had been murdered
d. Dr. Winters, his wife and Coope
ig have been at liberty on bail sine
their arrest. All three stoutly mali
en- tain their innocence of the charge
~ made against them. They declar
ny that the disappearance OF the chill
10 IL as much mystery to them as
w anyone
us Cooper is railroad telegraph ope
NJ ator, and has been in Newcastle abol
III seven years. According to his ow
statement he went to lndianapol
% March "a, 1913, four days after the di
ho appearance of the child, and did M
vi return until March 81, 1913.
10 One of the most battling features
" connection with the case is the a.
y" parent lack of motive either for I'll
- kidnapping or the murder of the chill
A thorough investigation was co
+, Quoted on the theory that the litt
girl might have been stolen by gy
- Sizes but not the slightest clue VIZ
!. found to support the theory. On I'll
49, other hand the financial circumstance
40 OF Dr. winters seemed 10 preclude u
no idea that the child may have been XII
Iv mapped for the purpose of securing
.o ransom, Both of these theories weI
no long ago dismissed as unreasonab
by the detectives employed to invest
,ss gate the case,
~. On the other hand, there appea
~. to be no adequate evidence indicatlI
INF motive for the murder of the lit
10 girl One theory advanced by the
,ssl tective connects Mrs. Winters al
ne. Cooper, and the other is that the chi
or might have been unwelcome at Il
mn home So far as public knowledl
Ial goes there is absolutely nothing
,od substantiate either theory.
There Is reward of $4,000 outstan
ing in connection with the case, b
he most OF the money is for the sa
,t,, | rattrn NJ tha child a1iVa Tho NAV