The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-01-17
AGCO|NPL|CO
SLAYER SOUGHT
No Trace Has Been Found of
Money Stolen by Captain
Whistler, Camp Fun
sion Murderer.
AMOUNT TAKEN UNKNOWN,
Suicide Of Officer Clears Up
All But Few Details Of Sen
sational Crime Vic
tim Receivers.
AMOUNT TAKEN UNKNOWN

Camp Funston, Kan, Jan. 15.-Kear-
ney Wornall, only surviving witness OF
the Ratchet murder and robbery at
the army bank near here Friday night
awoke from a troubled sleep IN the
Fort Riley hospital and stared into. the
face Of the man who had hacked four
Of his companions to death and bat
tered WornaIl into Inconsistencies.
The murderer, dressed in his army
captains uniform, sat in wheel chair
at Wornalrs bedside, horrible, rigid
of attention. and gazed at the wounded
man with sightless eyes. Wornall,
para'--ze with momentary horror,
finally found his voice and said:
That's the man, Captain Whistler"
Then he tainted.
Military officials. I'M their zeal to es-
tablish the identity Of the murderer and
robber. staged the scene. After test
ing Wornalls sight by reading. they
had permitted him to lapse into sleep.
Then they dressed the body of Whis-
Ter, who shot himself when confronted
with exposure, placed it In a wheel
chair, and took it to the bedside.
The shock to the wounded man on
rousing was severe, but physicians say
it will not affect his recovery.
Camp Funston, Kan. Jan. 15.--Search
for the canvas sack containing the
money Capt Lewis r. whistler. of
tanned, when he robbed the army bank
here Friday night and killed four men
with an AK and seriously wounded a
fifth, continued today. with the author
tiles working upon the theory that the
army officer who killed himself with
murders were discovered. may have
had an accomplish who fled from the
camp in motor car after the money
had been intrusted to him. Just now
much Captain Whistler obtained was
still matter of conjecture today ana
it was said by officials that II mlgn ~
be several days before the exact
amount could be determined. Estimates
varied from s65S000 to $4,000.
Wornall to Recover.
Kearney Wornall, of Kansas CITY,
cashier Of the bank, who was the only
survivor of the tragedy. continued 70
improve today, and 1t was beneVeu ny
the attending physicians that ne was
practically out Of danger. Wornal iden-
titled the body of the dead army officer
as the man who had robbed the bank
and committed the murders.
The camp today was rapidly return
| ing to normal.
Wornall told officers that Whistler
came to the bank about 1880 p. IN.
after the bank had closed for the day
The key he said had been placed IN
the door, but was not turned, and
Whistler easily gained entrance and
| walked around the counter. He drew
an automatic pistol, Wornall said, AND
told the men in the bank, who wers
institution; j. w. Jewell, editor of the
Camp Funston Trench and Camp; Car
Ohlson, son of q contractor at the camp
and o. M. Hill, a clerk, that he was
"short in his accounts and believed this
| was the best bet to remedy his diff
Guilty.
! According to the statement. the of
| ficer was not taken seriously when he
| drew an ak from beneath his coat and
| struck Winters with the flat side OF
| the blade. He then made all five mer
| lay face down on the floor while he
selected the money he wanted, which
| he threw into a sack. Worna1l SAID
| the robber then made him get up and
tie the others with bits of tent rope
| which the captain took from his peck
cts. The officer then tied Wornall's
hands and gags were then thrust into
the mouths Of all the prisoners
Following the crime 1t now has beer
established, Whistler went to the quar-
| termasters, where he rubbed blood
stains from his hands and garments
He then proceeded to a class in French
at 9 o'clock.
When an order came from headqnar
| tiers at o'clock for report from al
company commanders, Whistler, 1t /:
stated. was the second or third Officer
to report 'all satisfactory"
Captain Whistler was commander o.
D company, Three Hundred Fifty
fourth infantry. He was commissioned
August IL last. after the close of thu
| first officers training camp at For
! Riley.
On January he took out govern
ment insurance policy for $4,000.
was made payable to his 1fyear-ole
son, Duane, Salina, Kan. Whistler
| home, or in case Of the sons death t,
| Whistler's father. Captain Whistler
who was sc years ola and his wife, Mrs
Vadne Whistler, We're divorced about I
year ago.