The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-18
KING SLAYER OF

ANOHliuufu rum NatG-i
fourth killing by the liveryman who
. terrorized the town.
Almost positive Identification was
made of the bones found in the barn.
" Dawson Woody. father OF the young
man. stood beside the shallow grave
when the body was exhumed. Gold
filled teeth in the skull Of the buried
man. as well as a patch of straight
black hair were the marks OF identifi-
cation by the father. woody disap-
+ peared ten years go. As in the cases
Of Reuben Gutshall and a mysterious
peddIer whose bones are believed to
have already been found, the man was
last seen with King. And as in other
cases King owned their teams and
property. He told a most plausible
tory Of their leaving the community.
lime Plot New Mystery.
That a fourth killing has been d.
rrctly attached to King is believed by
rasidents Of the community who saw
the lime plot tound less than two feet
. under a carriage stall in the livery
barn. The fact that no other lime
was found in excavations in horse
stalls. removes any belief that lime
was used by Woody for purposes OF
.,1nltation. Snoddy and many other
person who inspected the grave are
certain King used lime in disposing OF
. 10 least one OF his victims.
Beside the hole in the barn floor
.cre dozens Of bits OF chalky lime
aiken from the grave. County At
orney Martin visited the grave Sat-
irday In view of the fact that no
. opportunity was presented for posi-
i've Identification Of a body or a
more positive evidence OF crime than
he pot OF lime. no chemical anylsis
os the lime was attempted.
But every one is positive that grave
contained human body said
.'noddy. THE lime was about eighteen
inches below the surface OF the floor
and the lime tapered away at the
sides just like the taperinE Of a mans
arms and hands The lime plot was
proba bly, ten or twelve inches thick
and maybe fifteen or eighteen inches
wide. IL was perhaps six and half
feet long"
No Evidence OF BONG.
- No evidence of bone was found in
or near the lime pit. II il contained
the body of one Of Kings victims. the
destruction was complete and thoro in
+. every respect. Condition OF the lime
plot indicated Il had been in the
ground several years.
Only a few feet away--almost mid
way from the lime plot and the spot
just outsid the barn where bones of
the peddler We're found-diggers I'M
carthed the bones OF John Woody.
The only evidence of personal effects
found with Woody's body was a bit
OF shirt on the shoulders. II is the
belief OF officials and residents OF the
community that Woody slept in the
office of Kings livery barn the night
he was murdered.
Natural Amphlthcater.
The hole in which the digging
progressed lay at right angles 10 the
. side of the barn. II began inst
a couple OF feet from the edge of the
barn. Quantities Of manure piled seven
or eight feet high formed a semi
= FsF.
the shallow hole where the digeers
were working throwing out the de-
cayed manure.
II was uncanny to. watch men dig
giug in 4 pile Of manure for a skele-
ton OF a man who had been there for
The hole was closed off with ropes
. around it, 1t was like the squared
+ circle OF a fighting ring. Only the
4 game was to find the skeleton OF a
/. murdered man.
Standing fro mthe edge OF the rope
all the way to the top of the pile OF
4 manure and down the other side hun
dreds of men fought and scrambled
for a view OF the digEers.
silence Fell Over Crowd.
When one OF the diggers uncovered
the back OF the skull a hush OF nwed.
emotional silence fell over the hun
dreds. Crowded close together they
waited in hreathless silence for con-
fjrmation OF the news they dreaded
vet hoped to hear.
Tea-a sort Of blind unreasoninG
fear came over the persons in the
crowd The uncanny awfulness OF tbs
b. pictures the imagination painted-the
murderer dragging Woody. probably
Nv the hair Of his head or by one arm
dragging him steathily out Of the south
door Of the barn after he had dug tbs
shallow hole in the ground. II mus
have been in the wee small hours Of
the morning. pitch dark, in the IN
cannv hour OF the night when mani
vitality and courage is at lowest ebb
Perhaps shaking from nervousness and
n fter dread he must have dragged tn,
dead man out and slammed him heaC
first into the hole.
The skull was pointed forward int