The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-04-23
Opinion is that Menzie
Killed the Girl and
Then Self
JURY BUSY TODAY
Coroner's Jury Conducting
Investigation. Funeral
Largely Attended

From Mondays Daily
GeddeS, S. D.-With the CaND:ng
OF the fourth day since the wire
bound bodies of William III. MGnzie
and Miss Dlanch Signal we're found
in the burning ruins of the Office of
the Farmers Elevator company. came
a change in the opinion of nam
Geddes people as to the nature of the
tragedy which has shaken the state.
1t now is generally held, by eight
out OF every ten persons in Geddes,
.hat Mcnzie killed the giIl and then
himself, and withal creating condi-
lions which would well-nigh obliter-
ate the crime and leave his own lame
free from dishonor.
This theory has found credence es-
pecially since it was believed thai the
wound on the back of Mr.. Menzie's
scalp was caused by a falling beam,
and not by a blow from the hammer
that caused Miss Signals death. The
.looseness OF the wires OF his wrists
and the fact that his revolver was
found in the ruins with Il cartridge
fired, also gives weight to the belief.
Jury Investigating.
The c%oroner's jury commenced its
task this morning of further ferrcting
out the work of the grewsome trag-
edy, following a respite of two days.
Witnesses called were among the men
who arrived first at the scene OF the
fire and who later discovered the
bodies in their charnel house.
One of the most important d~isclos-
before the coroner's jury was the
testimony of witnesses that when
they arrived, the fire had gained but
Roadway in the office, and yet
was burning at the same time in thu
lumber shed twenty feet in the rear
and on the ground between. This
would indicate that oil had been
used to help spread the flames and
make certain the destruction of both
the yard and office.
George Raymond, who arrived soon
the alarm was turned in, testi-
fed that he heard a sound like a
muffled shot, which could have been
by the shot killing Manzie.
This helped to corroborate the theory
that Menzie had waited to see that
the buildings were all ablaze before
he killed himself The presence of
most Of the people of the town at
the annual firemen's dance on Thurs
clay night rendered it comparatively
easy for the criminal to set the build
afire and CONT murder.
Went by Office.
Mrs. f. l.. Larson was another wit
Che Sc {l,> y,o@1,r~ -, La, 20
Frank Humphrey, an employee of the
company who lived only a short dis
lance away. Mrs. Larson was called
to take care of the HUMPHREY children
in order that their parents might go
to the dance. While going to the
home about 9 O'Clock, she
passed the office of the lumber yard
and noticed that Mr.. Menzie and the
girl were both inside working on the
books.
The funeral CT Mr.. Menzie was
held yesterday afternoon at the
Methodist church in Geddes, of which
his wife was a member. The pail
Iearers were all old friends of the de-
ceased. I'll is estimated that owe
600 people attended the funeral, in
Guiding practically the entire stock
holding body of the Elevator com
pany.
Owing to the destruction by fire o.
the office of the Farmers Elevator
company, where the death OF Menzie
and Miss Signal occurred, and in the
failure OF officers to discover any
important clew since the crime, it il
thus far possible to arrive at any
conclusion as to how the crime was
committed, only by the process Of
deduction.
Reasoning from various fact.
known about Menzie and his com
lpany and about the crime itself, it is
possible to make out an impressive
argument to the conclusion that the
case was one of murder and suicide.
Company Near Rocks
1t should be borne in mind, III thi.
connection, that the affairs of TIL,
company of which Menzie was man
lager, were in a de%plorable condition
and further, that the annual meeting
when an accounting must almost nee
%essarily be made, was but two day
away, having been fixed for Saturday
Ii there were irregularities on tn,
part of Menzie or if he had by an,
combination of circumstances go
himself and the company into a posi-
tion from which it would have bee
difficult to extricate himself, i
would not be without precedent TO
him to conclude that it were bette
for him not to face his employers.
These are the facts then, to b
used in constructing a theory of sui
eide and murder:
First.-Menzie's management O
the company was known to have bee
disastrous; his company was know.
to be in a bad way financially.
Second.-Miss Signal, his conf
dental book-keeper, was She only on
besides himself who knew what h
had done as manager.
Girl Was Conscientious.
Th.rd.-It is known that the youn
woman was conscientious to a dc
gree. 1t might have been that h
asked her to make some sort G
statement, OF that he asked her t
make some sort of a record on tn
books. that she would not do. In tina
case u quarrel might have ensued be
tween them, resulting in the KILN
'of the girl with one of the two ham
mers at hand in the office. And
is known that n of these hammer
did bring about her death. On th