Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-13
FOUR INSTEAD OF
TWO SLAIN IN SIAM,
DECLARES WOMAN
Mrs. M. J. Pease of Des Moines Says
Her Father Was Among Quartet
Murdered by Counterfeit
ers' Gang.
TREASURE sHR1NKs GREATLY
Reduced from Original 100000 to
5000 or $4,000, According
to Story.
GIVES DETAILS OF KILLING

DEs MONIES. Ia, July 12.-Four
men were killed by the counter
feiters' gang at Siam, Ia, in Septem-
Der. 1888, instead of two, according
to the statement of Mrs. M. j. Peese
OF Des Moines, Ia, at the attorney
generals office here today. Her
father was among the four. The cat
tleman's son was not killed, but was
returned to his home at Weston, Mo.
The cattleman's name was William
Hedrick, not Nathaniel Smith, as
heretofore believed.
Mrs Pease is the wife Of a real estate
dealer here and was about years old
when her father was killed.
Was Making Tour.
According to her story. her father was
engaged in the horse breeding business
and at the time of his murder he was
taking his annual tour of Iowa and Mis-
souri, According to the woman's story
three other men, named Collins, Cole and
Harmon, ALSO met death at the hands Of
the gang.
The $4,000 alleged to have been in the
possession of the murdered man dwindlod
10 from 5000 to $4,000 when Mrs. Pease
told her story,
My father had between 5000 and 1900
on his person. she said. THE other
men had considerable money and between
the four OF them they must have had
$1,000.
81 was years old at the time, and
while do not remember much that oc-
CURED at the time, ! have distinct
recollection OF some of the incidents that
followed the murder Of my father.
1--WE lived in westboro, Mo-, at the
time. My brother, smaller than myself,
ran away with my father and the other
men and was with them at the time Of
the murder. 1t Is not true that he was
killed. For some reason members of the
gang saw fit to spare his life; he re-
turned few days later accompanied by
q man
Wore Fathers Coat
'"The stranger who brought my brother
home wore my fathers coat. He led the
way through the gate up to the front
door.
when mother answered his knock he
held out a belt and said. Here's your boy
The belt contained 81 900 and a note which
read, Take this and get out of the
country
II have lost all trace Of my brother.
! have not heard from him in years and
of course my mother has been dead for
some years.
Mrs. Pease announced her willingness
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 IL beturned over to her.
Not same Case.
CIAARINDA, Ia, July 12--w. w. Bull
anan, special attorney assisting in the
Bedford murder case, declared this after
noon that the murders referred by Mrs
M. j. Pease of Des Moines were moi
those upon which he is working, although
they ara believed to have been committed
by the same gang. He said Hedrick and
s1ais companions were killed at about the
lsame point three years prior to the time
laIaEhauiel Smith and his son were killed
kTirfs. he said. was before Jonathan Darh
coined the gang.
Attorney Bulman came here today viii
Mrs. Maria Collins Porter. the chief wit
sness In the Bedford hearing tomorrow.
He declared the cases of William He'd
s1ck, father of Mrs. Pease, and Smitf
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