The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-04-23
ANGRY ~STOCKHOLDER
IS OFFICIAL THEORY
FOR DOUBLE MURDER
Now Thought Killing of Menzie
Followed Quarrel About
Unpaid Claims.

Geddes, S, D.. April 2I.-One % the
strongest theories held by local Of
ficials, and by detectives. in connection
with the murder of w. II. Menzie, late
manager for the Farmers Co-Opera-
tive company. and the firms ~bookkeep-
sr, Miss Blanche Signal, is that the
crime was committed by an irate
stakeholder. Many OF the stock
holders wero in town the night Of the
murder, preliminary TO a general meet
ing assigned for the next day.
The cooperative company had been
in bad shape financially for various
reasons, and payments had heen de-
layeo for grain and stock marketed
through the concern. II Ia held as a
strong possibility that one Of these
men. having money due him, visited
h office and got into an alteration
with Menxie; that the stakeholder
might have MenXie, who was
q large man, with the hammer. and
that henZie might have taken his re-
Voffer from the office desk as a pro-
tecuve measure. The theory is that
the stockholder then struck Menzis on
the back OF the head with the hammer,
unn 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 that he killed the girl, who
you'd be a witness of his first muir
Ger, in order to protect himself. h
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 south of here. was burned
lsrldRy mNrnjnr nls,,t l-zz 1,.-.
ter the lumber yard office. resulting in
the remation of 10 head of horses. The
present theories include the belief that
the murderer rode TO this barn,
changed his mount for one of Stafford's
horses, and 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
uerer locked the Dol from the outside
took the keys with him. Both the
faie lock and the mortice lock on the
ONCE door are shown to have been
locked. Fol- some time past it had been
the practice to use only the Yale lock.
fleces OF plaster were found which
to have blood spots on them.
which indicate a struggle in the
office.
One of the detectives from he Sioux
~ department is supposed to be on
the ground here. but he has kept his
IDENTITY covered even from local au-
thorities. 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
panys affairs and have put Frank
Humphrey in charge of the elevator.
which did not burn. The will
in h 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.
also was largely attended, in
Guiding practically all of the company
stockholders, who were in the city for
a special meeting.