The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-16
LOOKING FOR KING
Fredonia Man Calls at Jail To
See Him Today.
Chanute Liveryman Suspected
of Murder Is Years Ago.
MAPLE HILL MAN CALM
He Continues To Take His Con-
finement PhilosOphicalIy.
Brother Who Lives in Topeka
Sticks by Him.
MAPLE HILL MAN CALM

A Kansas murder mystery eighteen
years old was revived today when j.
R. Caldwell, of Fredonia, called at the
Shawnee county Jail in an effort to
identify Rufe King, proprietor OF the
alleged Maple Hill murder farm.
Caldwell wanted to learn, If possible,
whether Rufe King is King, the Cha
mute liveryman, who was the last man
to be seen with Ike Manning, youth,
found in a river near Chanute with an
ugly cash in his head. Caldwell was
advised to tell his story to the attor-
ney general who has charge of the
prosecution of King.
THE King 1 knew was a tall, bony
man who ran livery barn at Chanute
eighteen years ago." said Caldwell to-
day. II couldn't say whether or not
this King is the same man.
ike Manning was a youth living
near Fredonia who worked for me
one summer. He saved considerable
money and went to Chanute one day
to take a trip upstate the next day.
When He Was Last Seen.
Two days later his body was found
floating in the river near Chanute.
There was a bad cash on the top of
his head. The lad had about $40 on
him when he left Fredonia. 1 inves-
tigated the case a little and learned
that the boy went to a livery barn In
Chanute.
IL talked to one of the men who
worked in the barn. He told me that
the boy was last seen sitting in front
of the barn talking with a man named
King, who was the proprietor. He
heard the lad say he planned to go to
a hotel and stay over night and heard
King advise the boy to save his money
and sleep in a bunk in the office of
the barn"
King today denied he ever operated
a livery barn in Chanute. He was
there several times years ago, he said,
when he was herding cattle in Okla
homa and drove them across the
plains to Chanute from where they
were shipped east. Caldwell Is in To-
peka visiting his brother, John Cald-
well, 1900 North jackson street.
King Tells of Early Life.
Rufe King in solitary confinement
in the county Jail continued calm
to engage in conversation. King. told
of his early life as a cattle puncher
and cook for cattle gangs in Okla
homa and Kansas. His life as pic
tured by himself in his rough, pic
turesque words, was filled with the ro-
nance, the rough knocks and glamour
which filled the life stories of the
early day Kansans.
Them were some days" said King.
"Onc't a gang of fellers drove up to
asked for a feed TO- them and their
horses. 1t was the Dalton gang, -
- 'em. 1 gave 'em the feed of
their lives. 1t want many days till
heard of the shooting up the Dali
tons got at Coffeyville."
Almost in the shadow of the county
Jail where Rufe King spends his days
in solitary confinement, a brother, o.
D. King, is working. He is employed
by the Curtis, Towle, Paine company,
SIS Van Buren street.
"Rufe was a good boy" said o. D.
King today. And he's my
brother. I'm sticking with him to
my last penny. It's just a scheme to
get him out of the way"
Born Near Esl<ridge.
Rufe King was born near Eskridge
on a farm. He has three brothers and
Eskridge and the mother lives with
one brother.
"Rufe stayed at home until he was
IT years DID," said his brother today.
Then he struck out for himself. l tell
you this business is an awful thing for
our mother. but we're all behind him
to the last ditch"
State Senator c. z. Carroll. of Alma,
will represent King at the trial, ac-
cording to announcement made by
King today. King admitted he had
help bury a travelling salesman by the
name of Babcock who was in Maple
Hill in 1911.
"Babcock bought some whisky"
, said King. land had me drive out to
shack near town. 1 left him there
and two days later some one told me
the man had died.
II told the coroner and he and an
other fellow and myself went out
/ there. 1 buried him. l don't know
what he died CT or anything about it.
I supposed the coroner knew his busi-
ness"
King said the coroner gave him
some papers found on Babcock and
asked him to try and locate the mans
folks.
ct couldn't get any track of them"
said King today.