Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-07-15
HEDRICK SLAIN BY
UNION SOLDIERS,
SWEARS VETERAN
Captain MoCoum Testifies Father of
Mrs. Pease Shot as Spy and Made
to Dig His Own Grave by
Exeoutioners.
NOT VICTIM OF BANDIT CREW
Pioneer, Who Was Cause Of Four
Being Arrested on Murder
Charges, Tells Story.
LONG SOUGHT FOR TREASURE

Bedford, Ia, July William
Hedrick, the father Of Mrs. Mar
garet Pease and George Hedriok OF
Des Moines, was not murdered by
bandits In Taylor county, Captain
L. s. MoCoum OF Bedford declared
today. Instead he was shot by a
squad Of union soldiers in 1Se2.
who suspected the Missourian to be
spy OF the rebels within their
lines.
Caption McCoum is veteran OF tho
Mexican adm civil wars.
A squad OF soldiers in the northern
army caught Hedrick in Taylor county.
They suspected him of being a spy, the
captain declares, and after making him
dig his own grave, shot him TO death
white he was standing on its edge
The soldiers were In command, the
says, OF Captain Flick, grandfather Of
Attorney B. J. Flick, who Ia handling
the defense FOR the four Taylor county
pioneers
Samuel Anderson. the aged pioneer
who was the cause Of four of his neigh
OF murder in connection with the so
called Siam murder and treasure chest
case. testified.
Anderson followed John A. Mckenzie
OF Omaha on the witness stand at II
o'clock and his evidence was expected TO
take UP the greater part OF the afternoon.
The witness story on the stand did not
vary greatly from that which he told
In public statements recently. He de-
tailed his almost continuous efforts dur
ing tho last twenty years to dig up a
Treasure chest on his farm, which was
the sceno OF the alleged murder and rob-
berry OF Nathaniel Smith. a Missouri oat-
tiemnn. and his son In 1898.
An important development OF tho day
was when Mrs Elizabeth Benson OF
Dover, Okl. the widow of Jonathan Dark.
who Is alleged to have figured in the
Siam farm murder and robbery case. told
Attorney General Cosson that her sister,
Matte Collins McAlester, was acquitted
OF the murder OF Jonathan Dark at Inde-
pendence, Mo-, on the plea of insanity.
Mrs. Benson is to take the stand for
the defense and will. Il is said, deny the
statements of her other sister, Mrs.
Maria Collins Porter. the states chief
witness.
Mrs. Porter Clears UD Points.
Before Anderson began his story. Mrs.
Porter resumed the stand and cleared up
points passed over I'm the hearing last
night.
A new ciew 10 the identity OF Smith &
daughter was furnished Attorney Bull
man. when he received a letter from
Kansas City. A woman who signed her
self as r." told OF a relative named
Nathaniel Smith. who went to Kansas
City from Indiana 1T the close OF the
civil war. He invested heavily in land in
and about Kansas City. holding II for
speculation.
A year or so later he sold the land
and with hla small fortune started for
Taylor county. lowe. ostensibly TO buy
cattle. He never returned.
Attorney Flick representing the de-
PENDANTS. brought forth dramatic
answer from Mrs. Porter. when, on cross
examination he referred TO the fact that
DR., O, n. Huntsman. DIR. A. II. Goiiday
and Jonathan Dark, who the witness
| ciaimed. were participants in the murder
Of Smith. had since died.
"You can repeat what those dead men
nnAus Cuht yOuE dhhOQs OuJ you
cannot repeat what these living defend
ants satd7'
Yes, can" replied Mrs. Porter
quickly. as she pointed finger at Sam
uei sorivner. one of the defendants
Sam Scrivner Haid. Let's divide the
money now,' and Jonathan Dark said
No, let'a watt"
Scrivner smiled at this
Date of Murder Revised.
/ Mrs Porter, in her testimony last night
| fixed the date OF the alleged murder ot
Smith and his son as some time aftel
the death Of her father. Floyd Collins. n
September 1876. probably in 1877" Tn,
warrants on which the four defendant
are held charge that the crime was com.
mitted in 1858. Attorney Bulman SAID
these would be amended.
John A. Mckenzie. an Omaha attorney
who is assisting the prosecution. fol
lowed Mrs. Porter on the stand and told
OF having seen the tombstone OF F1oyc
Collins in Siam cemetery He said thii
tombstone gave tho date of Collins death
as September 2. 1915
/