The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-01-17
No Trace Has Been Found OF
Money Stolen by Captain
Whistler, Camp Fun
StOn Murderer.
AMOUNT TAKEN UNKNOWN
Suicide of Officer Clears Up
All But Few Details of Sen
sational Crime-Vic-
tim Receivers.

Camp Funston, Kan, Jan. l5.-Kear-
ney Wornall, only surviving witness or
h Ratchet murder and robbery at
h 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 Wornall into Inconsistencies.
The murderer, dressed in his army
captains uniform, sat in a wheel chair
at Wornalls bedside, horrible, rigid
Of attention. and gazed at the wounded
nara zed with momentary horror,
finally found his voice and said:
That's the man, Captain Whistler"
Then he tainted.
Military officials, in their zeal to es-
tablish the identity of the murderer n
robber, staged the scene. After test
ing WornalTs sight by reading, they
had permitted him to lapse into a sleep.
Then they dressed the body Of Whis-
Ter, who shot himself when confronted
with exposure, placed 1t in a wheel
chair, and took it to the bedside.
The shock to h wounded man on
rousing was severe, but physicians say
1t will not affect his recovery.
Camp Funston, Kan. Jan. 15.-Search
for the canvas sack containing the
money Capt. Lewis r. Whistler. OF
Salina, Kan, is supposed to have OBJ
| 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
| an army rifle a few hour after the
murders were discovered. may nave
had an accomplish who fled from the
camp in u motor car after the money
had been intrusted to him. Jus now
much Captain Whistler obtained was
| still a matter of conjecture today and
it was said by officials that 1t might
be several days before the exact
amount could be determined.
varied from $4,000 to $4,000.
WornaIl to Recover.
Kearney Wornall. of Kansas city,
cashier of the bank, who was the only
survivor of the tragedy. continued 10
improve today, and 1t was believed Dy
the attending physicians that he was
practically out Of danger. Wornall 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 hat Whistler
came to the bank about 1880 y. m,
after the bank had closed for the day.
The key he said had been placed In
the door, but was not turned, II
| Whistler easily gained entrance n
| walked around the unit He drew
an automatic pistol, Wornall said, ana
told the men in the bank, who We're
c.. Fuller Winters, In charge of he
institutions; j. w. Jewell, editor Of the
Camp Funston Trench and Camp; Carl
Gibson, son of q contractor at the camp,
and O. NJ. Hill, q clerk, that he was
short in his accounts n 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 n
struck Winters with the flat sid of
the blade. He hen made all five men
lay face down on the floor while he
selected the money he wanted, which
he threw into a sack. Wornall said
the robber then made him get up and
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 it now has been
established, Whistler went to the quar-
~termasters, where lie rubbed blood
stains from his hands and garments.
He then proceeded to a class I'm French
ut 9 o'clock.
When an order came from h~eadquar-
tiers at 8 o'clock for n report from all
company commanders, Whistler. IT Is
stated, was the second or third officer
70 report 'all satisfactory"
Captain Whistler was commander Of
q company. Three Hundred Fifty
fourth infantry. He was commissioned
August Is last, after the close of the
first officers training camp at Fort
Riley.
On January 2 he took out a govern,
ment insurance policy for $4,000. 1t
was made payable to his 1fyear-old
son. Duane, Salina, Kan, Whistler's
home. or in case of the sons death TO
Whistler's father. Captain Whistler,
who was SO years ola and his wife, Mrs.
Vadne Whistler. We're divorced about Il
year ago,