Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-12-19
MAN
HUNT Launched
BY co. OFFICIALS
Recovering from the first excitement at.
tendant upon the finding of Ralph Esmond's dead
body on the concrete road Saturday night, near

ad saturday night, near
the crest of Dimmick
Hill, every avenue open
to the sheriff and state S
attorney is being thoroughly traversed
In the hope that some tangible ciew
which may lead to the capture Of the
daStardly killers will be found and
the murderers brought to Justice.
The shock following discovery OF
the brutal staying had its reflex today
IN grim determination to apprehend
tho so-called bandits, to appease pub
lie demand against their being at large
to longer prey upon innocent humans.
! The first rebuff to thwart identiiica-
ton OF the killers came today when
officials OF the Iver Johnson company,
manufacturers of the revolver founl
along the road after Mr. Esmond's
body was located, wired officials hers
that they had no record Of the weapon
The serial number on the pistol barrel
was sent in to Fitchburg. Mass, where
the Iyer Johnson plant is located.
with q request that it look up owner
ship of the gun. This reply came back
today:
NO record of revolver Am writ.
inG. IVp9 JOHNSON"
Base Hopes in Finger Prints.
Thta replica OF the finger prints
taken from Mr.. Esmonds auto will
play an important part in discovery OF
the criminals is the hope of Sheriff
Welter and States Attorney Kelly.
These finger prints will be sent 10
every police station in the United
States and Canada, With AN appeal 10
all department heads to compare thsll
with. what records they have.
II the criminal has a police record
his identity will be revealed through
these prints. In that event his cap
ttire will be but a matter of a few
days. The prints, II is believed, viii
be the quickest and surest way OF
bringing about arrests
500 Reward Offered
The first reward for the captltr OF
the killers was posted this morning
by La Sale Jorge of ElKs who offered
800 to any person catching the mur-
derers, Other rewards are expected
to follow this offer
Funeral is req.
Several nrw angles came to light in
the unsolved murder Of the late Ralph
B. Esmond of La Sale on Saturday
night on Dimmick hill today This
afternoon, following funeral services,
which were held at o'clock in the
family apartment in La Sale, Is
mond's remain were escorted to tho
Oakwood cemetery, where burial was
made
Never before in the history of La
Sale were there SO many floral offer
ings sent TO n house Of death ds
were dispatched TO the Esmond home
yesterday aud TODAY. Before flfeshoGr
Of the funeral Eamond'S bodMFlay in
the living room of his home, surround
ed on all sides by fragrant flowers
Tho room was banked with the floral
offerings. so many being sent that
space could scarcely be found for the
last to arrive
Issues Appeal for Witnesses.
A fou hours before tho funeral
states Attorney k"lly issued q gen
,ral appeal for everyone who Travelled
over the Dmmick hill road On Satur-
la, evening 10 aid III helpinS sol"
he murder myatery. Sheriff Wolte"
vas attempting to trace the identity
If the murderer's gun. which was
,urled TO the side of the road after
Esmond was shot, and from Webster
Park came information which looked
Is though the stolen DOdae coupe,
which was taken from l.a Sale on Sat
,rday night, and which, it was though
or time. might have carried the
layer. might be eliminated from the
,ase
II was learned today that at 40 on
night man driving a Conne
which answered the description Of Dr.
3lock's stolen Dodge stopped at
arm house near Webster Park, He
lskel to be allowed TO purchase some
Gasoline, Offering the farmer. 1t IS
,lamed 81 a gallon for the fluid. The
armer had none, but phoned a Spring
.alley garage. which sent a suppl
rut to tho car. When the GARAGE man
cached the car the driver did not
,ncv. vrcre the tank was. il is said
Believed to Have Been Stolen
There is a strong suspicion that this
vas tha stolen auto, and that the thleF
instead of travelling toward Dimmick
ill. vent west through Peru after TAX
ng the machine. 1t may possibly be.
however. that the auto went as far as
limmick bill and then doubled bac'z
hrouah La Sale and Peru, but it is
,erdlv thoueht that such a course
would be taken by man in stolen
ar
sheriff Welter yesterday wired the
~hicago office of the Ivers Johnson Re-
oliver company to get a record of the
-ur which was found on the hill. They
lad no record of the revolver OF ibe
,umber borne by the abandoned gun.
,ut wired back for the authorities Ia
ret in touch with the IyerS Johnson