The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-13
Des Molnes Woman Says Her Father
and Three Other Men Were
Murdered In This State
Prior to Other Murder.
"A PARALLEL is FOUND
Attorneys Say That Point In This
Matter is Similar to That
Brought Out by First
investigation.

DIES MONIES. Iowa, July 13.-At
least four other men were killed by
the Taylor county outlaws In a re"
years prior to the killing Of Nathan
tel Smith, the cattleman, and his son
in 1868. in connection with which
four aged men are to be brought In
to court at Bedford. Iowa. tomorrow.
Accoring to a statement OF Mrs.
Margaret Pease, milliner, here, TINS
afternoon, her father, VIM. Hedrick.
a stock breeder, and three other men
named Collins, Cole and Harmon,
were killed by outlaws in the vicinity
of Bedford in the fall of 1865. AS
was later the case with Smith. He'd
rick's young son was with him. The
boy was not killed, but was returned
to his home at Westboro. He was
George Hedrick In later life he was
a locomotive engineer on western
railroads and last heard from about
FIVE years ago in Hawaii.
Was Eight Years Old.
Mrs. Pease said she was positive
there was no connection between the
killing of her father and that OF
Smith, though some Of the same out
laws might have had a hand in both
crimes.
q Mrs. Pease is the wife of real
estate dealer here and was about
eight years old when her father was
killed.
According to her story, her father
was engaged in the horse breeding
business and at the time Of his muir
der he was making his annual tour OF
Iowa and Missouri towns. According
to the woman's story three other
men named Collins, Cole and Har-
mon also met death at the hands of
the gang.
"My father had between $4,000 and
$4,000 on his person." she said. THE
other men had considerable money
and among the four of then they
must have had $4,000.
Money and Boy.
IT was eight years old at the time.
1--WE lived at Westboro, Mo. My bro.
Their, smaller than myself, ran away
with my father and the other men,
/ and was with them at the time or
the murder It Is not true that he
was killed For some reason. men,
bers of the gang saw fit to spare his
life; he returned a few days later,
accompanied by man.
stranger who brought my
brother home wore my fathers coat.
He led the way through the gate up
I to the front door.
when mother answered the knock
he held out a, belt and said: Here's
your boy The belt contained $1,000
and a note which read: Take this
and get out of the country"
Mrs. Pease announced her willing
ness to be Of all possible assistance
to the state and declared that If any
Of her fathers money has been found
she will ask that it be turned over
to her.
Cases Similar.
CLARINDA, Iowa, July 13.-Attor.
ney pullman came here today with
Mrs. Maria Collins Porter, the chief
witness in the Bedford hearing to-
morrow.
He declared the cases Of VIM. He'd
rick. father of Mrs. Pease, and Smith
are almost parallel. Hedrick was
killed by the alleged Taylor county
outlaws three years before Smith
met his death.
"Hedrick lived at Westboro, Mo-"
said Mr.. pullman. "He had son
with him just as had Smith, and he
was a stockman. He had about S12.-
600 when he was killed. His son was
not killed. however, but was taken
away by the gang and given $40 in a
buckskin belt and turned loose. The
boy disappeared.
1--WE are continuing our investiga-
ton into the identity of three men
who were murdered and the circum-
stances of their death"
Attorney pullman said the hearing
would be held in Bedford tomorrow,
despite reports that heavy rains in
4Lat cantinn had made travel hard