The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-10
|lllI[.l CASE Is
UEs0lvE0 MYSTERY
u4ufasal Of Prosecuting Attorney At
II. Joseph, Mo- Leaves Situation
A. Ii Was Last July.
ONE GLUE NEVER FOLLOWED.
Mysterious Automobile Which Dashed
Out VI Town Night OF Tragedy May
Have Carried Perpetrator OF Gross
Crime.

With having murdered his wife, Har-
Yfft Moss Mcdaniel. on the night of
1Nay IA, 1916. He was acquitted after
ushard fought trial on. Tuesday last.
Because OF the prominence of Nc
Daniel and his previous record as
fearless prosecutor. the case attracted
widespread attention.
Another almost unprecedented fea-
fure OF the case is the fact that Nc
Daniel while still under indictment
for murder by grand Jury. was a
candidate for reelection to the office
Of prosecuting attorney for Buchanan
County, and after a strenuous cam
paign was defeated at the polls on No
vember Z.
Al 1920 o'clock on the morning OF
sJu1y Is. 1915. Mcdaniel telephoned
Md been terribly beaten in their homo
III 1906 South Twentieth Street. st.
Joseph, Mo. He said he had found
her moaning and unconscious on the
! floor of her bedroom, with . deep cash
In her head.
The coroner. autopsy later found
the wound was nine inches long and
had been inflicted by blunt instru-
ment.
Mrs. Mcdaniel. accompanied by her
husband, was taken to the Ellsworth
Hospital. where she died at $50 A. NJ.
Mcdaniel stayed with her until the
end.
Mrs Mcdaniel was thirty-two years
old at the time of her death. The
tragedy occurred on the eve of their
daughter Helens birthday and only
4 few days prior to the start OF an In
Tended trip to Boston. which Mcdaniel
NHys he has planned to go with her
A Five minutes after the crime had
Seen made known to the police the
sNntire criminal machinery OF st. JOS
Nph was set in motion. dastardly
crime had been committed in the very.
household of the man whose activity
~ngainst certain gangs OF the city's un-
sderworld had won for him the praise
s~of many and the hatred OF some.
Police. detectives and private agen-
~rles were employed Immediately and
s~fhe bIoodhounds were set upon the
1raii q hurried investigation of the
siron<c revealed that he dresser draw
srsra in a!rs. Me3Dn"icI's room had been
saansaekcd. Two tirss had been torn
frofo her f''cer& and q revolver which
she always KEPT J" bureau drawer
was missing.
Mcdaniel said tSaf on the night of
July IA he left home aboit 7:45 p. VI.
and visited the Odd Fellows Lodge,
srcmainine there about half an hour.
From there he says he drove his auto
mobile to Seventeenth aud Buchanan
Streets to keep an eye for short time
upon house in that neighborheod
which had been called to his attention
~ needing observation According to
his testimony he skunk around this
@shouse for nearly an hour: then con-
tsnued by autom obiie to another point
in the city to investigate a charge that
ascertain place was selling liquor with
cont license.
From this point, Mcdaniel testified
ne went directly home. putting his au
tomobile in the garage and proceeding
10 his bedroom to retire for the night
nj 1880 r, NJ.
Receives Telephone Cali.
Before he had completed his prep
Ill ations for bed and while conversing
: with airs. Mcdaniel he said. he re-
screwed telephone call from man
who said he was al the saloon of Hart
sak Blakcsiey. Eighth and Messanie
Etrcets. The man impersonated a per-
sonni acquaintance. Mcdaniel said.
~snd informed the prosecuting attorney
sssSfai a bother of Mcdaniel was in
~a-Isse saloon drinking heavily.
!. Redressing. Mcdaniel said he told
L hls wife about the telephone call and
]. lpFi.iilp 10 the garage, took out the
s@&st1erlobile and went to the saloon to-
set his brother He says ne found no
eae at the saloon who admitted hav-
HssE called him. nor was his brother
tsaere. ~ the suggestion of the bar
tender, Mcdaniel said he visited
ArDaniel decided the telephone cali
aroiher place. But this visit was
equally futile
Mcdaniel said he crouched down be-
Was fake" and returned home, ar
irving about 1910 A. NJ.
Az he was alighting from his auto
mobile directly in front of his home.
i. Mcdaniel said shot was fired hN
snIaa one behind a large tree Just
south of the garage. 1t was then,
far the first time. that Mcdaniel asso-
Gfated the proceedings OF the last few
.fainutes with an anonymous letter re-
4 fseISed sone days previous to the muir
4 der in whch the author in very H.
81 Hterate terms and printed lettering.
Il declared that If Mcdaniel failed to set
Y aside charges against certain pris-
--Gnet-tn -the-cnuntS jail he and his
family would be blown to hell"
IN hind the hood of his automobile when
rtszsflsa first shot was fred took out his
sgnEn revolver. which he always car
I ried while prosecuting attorney, and
& fired Mcdaniel said he fired five
times and that Inc aSsailan fred 1--WE.
making ii ten shots In all
ss Fear for his family now took hold
ef MCDANIEL and he dashed into the
zh01Se ana TO his wtfes bedroom
where he found her moaning and I'M
CONSCIOUS.
The bloodhounds were first 10 re-
wal possible clew. In the rear OF
s3cDanieFs home basement window
rMreen was found cut and the window
&Fy6YEn. The road to the Mcdaniel bed :
ssAx5gm was clear. up the stairs through
et<asily unlocked doors. The blood
ssshounds were .'nosed" at the basement
trsBindow and the trail began. They led
- zikzag course through the backyard
y Nnd through two miles of streets to a
~fapuse on Eighth Street. then they wan
sse~ed up and down the corridors Of
This house and up and down an alley
I'm the rear.
S IL Eleven suspects were arrested In this
9AOuSe. bur a thorough Investigation
afer led to nothing definite. Other
MNMSpects were arrested in the lower dis
EN4ylcts throughout the city, especially
12embers Of gangs.
a Suspicious Automobile.
On the night OF the murder a speei
ast49 automobile was caught sight Of as
sssaf dashed out Of town. A man saw It.
ssocAme suspicious. impressed aid and
8Nn&p chase. But the mysterious car
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