The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-07-24

AND C0WARDLY
MURDER CASE
WHEREIN WIFE OF A MISSOURI
PROSECUTING. ATTORNEY WAS
ROBBED AND THEN BEATEN TO
DEATH.

St Joseph, Mo, July 2i.-Mrs. Os-
car d. Mcdaniel, wife of the prose.
cutting attorney of Buchanan county.
was attacked and beaten as she lay
asleep in her home here about mid
night on Friday, July II. She died in
a hospital soon afterwards without re-
| gaining consciousness. Two children
one five and the other eight years
old-were asleep in the next room,
but were not disturbed.
Prosecutor Mcdaniel discovered his
wife lying in bed with her head crush
| ed by blows from a blunt instrument,
after he had returned from a trip
down town in answer to what proved
to be fake" telephone call. AS Mr..
Mcdaniel was nearing home he was
fired upon from behind tree, but
was not wounded
Officials express the theory that
Mrs. Mcdaniel was killed by some
PNI IooI Vi pei pOllb ltl luSDdHu lltl
been active in prosecuting. Mr.. Nc
Daniel received several letters just
previous to the crime. One came
I through the mail on July 7. 1t was
written on stationery of local hotel,
the letters were printed with Oen
and practically every word was mis-
spelled. The writer threatened the
prosecutors life and the lives CT
members of his family unless certain
prosecutions were dismissed. Mr.. Nc
Daniel is said to have been uneasy
about the note. In conversation with
a friend few hours before the mur-
der, Mr.. Mcdaniel said:
81 don't believe anyone who Is cow
ard enough to write that kind Of a
letter would have nerve enough %
execute the threat, and yet am vecy
uneasy about it. So much so that I
am not taking any chances at all
that ! can avoid. Ever since I re-
ceived that letter | have been carrying
my revolver, and am especially care
| full if | do go out at night never to
go out alone, and l am avoiding all
alleys and questionable places. have
even thought of having a bodyguard
but decided it was not necessary,
When that story came out in The news
paper about me receiving that threat
ening letter cut 1t out of the paper
SO my wife wouldn' see it, as l C!dn't
want her to be worried. But a neigh
Dor woman brought the paper to my
house and showed it to my wife in my
absence, and she has been very much
excited since"
The night of the murder, Prosecutor
| Mcdaniel attended a lodge meeting
early in the evening. He left the
lodge room, drove around town in his
motor car and, according to his state,
ment, arrived home about IL o'clock.
About 11:15 the telephone rang and
! he was told that his brother was in
trouble down town. Mr.. Mcdaniel
: got into his motor car and went to
place where he had been directed. No
one there knew anything of the tele-
phone CALL
According to the statement of M.
Mcdaniel he arrived home about IL
o'clock. AS he alighted from his mo-
tor car to open the garage door, some
one fired at him from behind tree in
the yard. Mr.. Mcdaniel dropped be-
hind his motor car and returned the
fire. When the chambers of his re-
volver had been emptied, he ran into
the house and to his wife's room.
He found her in bed, unconscious. Mr..
Mcdaniel called the police.
Two diamond rings taken from the
hand of Mrs. Mcdaniel, a revolver
and a small amount of money have
not been found.
Prosecutor Mcdaniel is finishing his
IrnN-TT>rTTED ON .zArT ETHrJT(