The Topeka state journal., 1919-08-22
KEEP ON DIGGING
Hunt for Skeletons In Maple
Hill Is Continued.
State VIII ExcaVate All For
mer King Property.
FEELING is STILL BITTER
Residents Willing That King
Should Stay in Jail.
Hundreds of Letters of Missing
Men Come Here.
FEELING IS STILL BITTER
KING FELT SORRY

Only once during the preliminary
trial at Eskridge Thursday did Rufe
King, accused murderer, display emo
ton, according to Bob Miller. under
sheriff. who remained at his side con-
stantly during the trial. When Mrs
Levi Gutshall. mother of Reuben Gut
shall. the man believed to have been
murdered. rushed toward King and
shouted You Murderer" King looked
up quickly.
Il jumped between Mrs. Gutshall
and King" said Miller. IT was just
starting to put the handouts on him.
Such things as that start a mob. 1
hurried him to the automobile. We
could hear veiled remarks passed as
we elbowed thru the crowd. As we
reached the automobile. King said:
That poor mother must feel
awful"
King on the trip to and from Esk-
| ridge pointed to one house after an
other which aroused memories of his
better days.
There's where 1 broke in a team of
horses" he would say as they passed
a place.
''I pitched. hay at that place" he re-
marked. ..
King in Jail today had little to say.
mo one would like to face anything
! like that trial." he said. They're
sure spreading the stories about me.
Right now. you can go down the street
and hear any kind of a story
| you want to against me-
Maple Hill is today standing on tip
toes awaiting developments from a
further turning of the soil on Rufe
Kings former properties. With King
charged with the deliberate murder
! Of three missing people, hundreds of
! M n hanngan
today turned their attention to the ef-
I forts of officers to unearth additional
human skeletons. Kings alleged muir
der farm just off the main street of
Maple Hill is being thoroly plowed in
search for bones.
While the search for additional evil
dence is being prosecuted in Maple
| Hill. King is in jail in Topeka await
/ ing $4,000 bond which probably will
not be given. Not only was Kings
bond Increased from $4,000 to $40. 900.
but the man has hut slight chance for
/ freedom before he faces a jury on first
| degree murder, charges Bonds in the
/ cases charging the liveryman with
} strange peddler have not been fixed
} by court.
/ In Eskridge Thursday Il was indi-
Gated that in event King sought to give
bond in any of the three cases that
such extensive securities would be
]
accused man would be abandoned.
Altho Maple Hill and ROssville visitors
J in Eskridge Thursday made no out
| ward demonstration against King. sem
timent in Wabaunsee county is still
bitter and the fear of scores Of people
| Is in the fact that King may be per
/ mitted to return to the county. So
long as King remains behind the bars.
/ IL appears. the people are content TO
continue their sordid search for hu-
man bones in the grounds surrounding
the liveryman's premises.
Ask Aid in Search.
Two skeletons have been found near
the livery barn in Maple Hill. One
/ has been identified as that. of John
! Woody, a young farmer. The second
F, has been identified by jewelry found
near the body, as that of the mysteri-
! Gus peddler. These bones were found
] after a sack. alleged to contain the
I skeleton OF the late Reuben Gutshall,
was found in Kings shed
Scores of letters have recently come
to state and county officials asking
them to aid in a search for bodies of
missing people. These letters have
come from all sections of the country!
\ So far as known, altho, there have
been no other persons missed from
the citizenship of the Maple Hill CONG
munity than those whose bodies are
supposed to have been found. The
search, tho. is being made to make
certain any doubt as to the scope of
Kings alleged farm and to dispose of
rumors and suspicious concerning
disappearance of other persons from
neighboring communities.
Kings attorneys have not been
present while searching parties have
been working. County Attorney Mar
tin and Sheriff Baker. of Wabaunsee
county are directing the work in
Maple Hill today. 1t is probable that
Ian of the DrOpertfeS formerly Occu-
pied by King during his residence in
Maple Hill will be excavated in an
effort to make final the seach for hu-
man bones.