The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-08-27
SEEK MOTIVE
FOR KILLING
Trouble Between crenshaw and Lang
ford Over the Latter's Divorced
Wife May Have Caused
Murder.
DETAILS ARE GIVEN
1crenshaw is Said to Have Regretted
His Actions When Told That
| His Victim
Died.
DETAILS ARE GIVEN

| That Wick Crenshaw's attentions to
! the divorced wife Of Bert Langford
may have been at the bottom of the
trouble between the two men which
Iresulted in Langford's death from a
blow delivered by Crenshaw, is stated
lby the Warsaw Bulletin in it's account
of the brawl at Carthage Wednesday.
The Bulletin has the following story
OF the tragedy:
There is story leading to the
tragedy. Bert Langford and his wife,
whose home was in Carthage, sepa-
rated two or three years ago. She
applied for a divorce and he did not
contest it. Crenshaw began going
with the woman nearly II not quite
two years ago.
Wednesday he went to the fair.
Ion the grounds he met Langford.
There is talk that some words passed
between the men in the afternoon.
$50 far no one has been found who
heard them. In the afternoon Crenshaw
met Langford and without any just
cause or provocation struck him fear
!ful blow on the right side of the face
and he fell to the ground. Alpha
witt, fair policeman, was nearby
but with his head turned in the other
direction. If there had been words
between the two men he probably
would have heard them, for he heard
the blow, and turning saw the man
lying on the ground. At the time he
ibid not realize that Langford had
been hit, but supposed the blow he
heard was caused by the mans fall
He went up to him, thinking he
had fallen in fit, when lady near
Iby said:
Get Man Who Did It.
why don't someone get the mar
VINO did it?"
Witt asked. 'eWhat man."
She replied, There he goes: h,
, istr,lck the blow" pointing to Wicl
who was attempting to disappear IL
the crowd. Witt followed Wick, ant
the latter when told he would hav'
! Ito 60 with the policeman said 'hl
!, didn't have to go with anyone" How
, ever, it was one of his old bluffs; HI
did go. Witt took him down to TIL
hail, and not finding Bennett there
returned to the fair grounds, wher
the sheriff was on duty, and had jus
, Learned Of the trouble, the condition
!, of the man hit, and who hit him.
He went after Wick and found hin
, at the middle gate. Wick put up ar
: other bluff about going with the OFF
> lcer, and by this time a crowd wa
: gathering around.
, Bennett Arrests Him.
: Sheriff Bennett said, You ar
. igoing and if you undertake to resis
4 ri hurt you Now get into the car.
: And he got in. On the way to jai
Y sheriff Bennett asked him what h
: hit Langford with and why he struc
him. In his accustomed boastful way
! he said, 81 struck him with that,
. proudly putting up his big Drawn
|. fist. And his reason: God dam
5 him, he has been lying about me; h
S lis always getting in my way Whe
S the Jail was reached he put up ar
iother roar about being put behind tn
bars, saying ''they can't do anythin
t ito me for what I have done" Blu
a later, when Sheriff Bennett went int
t the Jail and told him that Langfor
was dead, Wick threw his hands u
ito his face and said, my God!
> never thought would be a murderer.
Crenshaw is big, burly fellow
weighing over 200 pounds Will
iIangford is a man weighing som'
where between $50 and 100 pounds
It is not probable that Wick il
tended to kill I.angford, but that h
hit him a powerful blow the resp
Iattests. Langford's right ear imm'
Idiately turned black. He was CO,
Iveyed to building nearby and D
Jenkins summoned, but the injure
man was beyond medical relief.
The coroner's inquest found thu
lLangford came to his death by
blow struck by Fl. W. Crenshaw. Tn
preliminary inquest is yet to be he'll: