Evening journal., 1920-12-08
DEADWOOD DICK
Up TO Minute
Murdersl Decoys! Man
huntsl Escapesl Blood
houndsl Planes!
IT'S A THRILLER
FROM REAL LIFE
BY MABEL ABBOTT, .
y. r. A. stan CORRESPONDENT

bl MABEL AbtiOIl,
\. F. A. Stan Correspondent.
KANSAS CITY. Mo, nec. Here's
a corker OF a detective story, fellows.
And it's true It's still happening. and
nobody knows how It's going TO end.
or whether the villain Is really the
villain, or anything: but it's cot a
s0ldier-hors1 doctor hero, and a man
hunt with bloOdhounds and airplanes.
and more thrills than Bill Hart
It's like this. so far. though there
may be a new chapter before you
have finished reading:
Florence Barton. Kansas City So
cety girl. and Howard Winter. her
iiance, driving near Hillcrest Coun-
try Club on the night Of October ..
were shot by one OF three men in an
other automobile. Winter was slightly
wounded. Miss Barton died on the
way to a hospital.
Private detectives and the city force
were put on the job Of finding the
murderer. After a months chase
through Arizona and California. Den
eel Oh aster, p. a blacksmith, was ar
rested In Great Falls, Mont, where
he was lured TO a rooming house by
letters signtd with the name Of a
woman whose love letters had been
found among his belongings.
on the train, Chester was put In
a stateroom. =. =. Beasley, police de-
tective, sat in The room with him.
Outside sat two detectives from q
private agency. Beasley afterward
said Chester's handouts had been re-
moved 30 let him eat lunch and
shave. and because he was treating
him we'll to get him 10 answer ques-
tions.
Suddenly. as the train pulled oui
crash OF glass, a v0lley OF shots, and
Beasley dashed out Of the staterOOm
shouting: My God Dennie's jumped
out Of the window
. The train was stopped, but OF Ches.
~ ter, who was supposed to have dlvef
through two heavy panes OF plat
glass. there was no trace save ha
with a bullet hole in It.
Followed then a mal-hunt mat IN
whole middle west will always re
member. lt was freezing weather
and Chester was hatless and cOatless
BlOodhounds were put on the trail
e Officers took trains In all directions
Miss BartOns two brothers and Win
ter secured the country in automo
biles. John Hagan. superintendent o
the detective agency. hovered owe
the regio In an alrpane
Rewards totaling $1,000 had bee
offered But the prairie seemed {
have opened and swallowed Denni
Chester
Almost exhausted. Barton, Haga
and a deputy sheriff named Harmon
g0t a fresh tip, November 80, tina
Chester was near Oconto. Neb. 10 wa
o'clock in the morning but ou
they went again And Just then az
rived The hero, DR.. Martin Hanson
over six feet tall. "a years old, fir:
d utenlnt In the Veterinary Corr
during the war. H1 had be I .reatin
sick horse all nlght. and he v0luI
red 20 help IN the search.
About noon, Hanson and HammOn
driving together. met a man In khal
unlOnalls
How far TO Oconto?" asked Han
son. jumping out.
"0h. Ave or six miles, replied n
Hanson's revolver was alread
against his stomach. Hands up
ordered, and they went up. II W.
ID mel Chester.
In the Broken Bow jail, late tn
afternoon, Chester tore strips FRO
his blanket, knotted them about h
throat, and had almost sirangled Mn
III UfIUIE NlH was AlAHAf AaNA - ~
- morning, despite the guard watchli
him. he suddenly stood up on his c
and dived headlong to the cemel
And here. instead of ending. begll
the really puzzling part OF Chester
adventures.
Between attempts at suicide, he h
lain limp, apparently helpless and a
soutely speechl IS, staring al U
ceillng or the light Examinations
many doctors, Including a neurology
and an X-ray expert, fail 10 snow a.
injury from his attempts al sulclt
or any r. ason why he could not spe
or walk II he wishes. The doctors .
lieve he Is shamming.
lie was carried to the train snack
on a stretcher. In Kansas CITY ne,
in A steel room In a hospital uno
heavy guard. After a long period ne
-of helplessness, Chester made a m
attempt at suicide lie tried 70 Dl
out his brains on the bars OF MS G
-shen the guard looked away.
Meanwhile, many things have be
going on IL Is whispered tlal mon
without limit viii be available IN
tsrk places OF Kansas City's d'
and dives. 10 help Chester.
A police Investigation OF the esea
has resulted in the dropping or be
ley from the city force, the revocat
of the commissions OF the priv
agency, and political semi-upheayi
Hanson and Hammond have recel'
the s25OO reward offered by the l.
Enforcement League for his rec
tsre. The rest Is contingent VI
conviction.
In four years, the Interstate Co
merce Commission has inVesuss
225 railroad collisions, which resul