Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-12-29
REVOLVER TRACED .
TO BASEMENT OF
dead MANS HOME
A radical change came in the quest today for
some solution of the tragic death on Dmmick hill
OF Ralph Esmond. The scenes were radically


scenes were radically
shifted from the posi-
bilities of murder to the
probabilities of suicide
following uncoverine Of two import.
ant facts in connection with tho BAT.
fling mystery.
! II has almost been definitely estab-
lished that the bullet which killed
Esmond was fired from his own gun.
States Attorney Kelly and Sheriff f.
j. Welter today revealed the sensa.
tional turn taken by the investiga-
tion today.
First they made known that they
had traced the revolver. found lying
twenty-five feet from Mr. Esmonds
body, to the basement of the building
where he lived at the time he was
killed; and second, that Mr.. Es-
mond's watch, which was at first De
lieved to had been stolen by bandits.
was found fifty feet from where his
dead body lay.
Facts Kept From Public.
The authorities have been in pos
session OF these f9cts for several
days, they stated today. but have re-
fused to make them public before
No further information vas obtained
about the gun other than that Is was
stored in the basement Of the Noonan
Building where Mr. Esmond and HIS
wife resided for the past two years
on the second floor.
The revolver was In the basement
there several months ago.
An examination OF Mr.. Esmond's
watch today, showed that while the
face containing the numerals had been
broken, as though II had been thrown,
the glass crystal was still in good con
dition. One hand ghad been broken
1on the watch and was lying across
the face. The hoyr hand vas stopped
shortly. after O'Clock
The watch was found fifty feet.
from the body on the south side OF
the concrete highway The revolver
was found twenty-five feet nearer Mr..
Esmond, and south of the concrete
road.
Stage Well Set, If Suicide.
In case Esmond's death was due to
suicide the stage setting was one OF
the best and most battling imaginable.
While previous cases have been rec
orded of men walking some distance
with a hole thru their heart, it was
not generally believed that 1t could
have been possible for a man to shoot
himself thru the heart, and then throw
a gun distance Of twenty five feet.
Drs. Burrows and parr, at an au-
topsy performed after the body was re
moved to the undertaking rooms, de
clared that it would have been i'm
possible for Mr. Esmond to- have
killed himself.
Before this verdict was given by
the physicians, some of the officials
had expressed the opinion that the
death was due to suicide. All theory
of selt-destruction was then abandon
ed, and the murder motive has been
untiringly worked on ever since
The disclosure of these facts gave
rise to the theory that possibly Es
mond was not the victim of robbery
or OF foul play, as has generally been
supposed up to the present time. Tho
cornorer's jury, after thoroughly in
vestigating the death, returned a ver-
dict OF murder
Watch In Running Condition.
Esmond's watch was in good run
ming order on Friday. At that time
he had about $500 in his pocket, so
far as the authorities have been able
to determine. Among his papers near
his dead body was found a lone 81 bill.
The watch was found at the side of
the highway. How it could be tossed
with such force that the face could
be broken, and still the crystal would
remain undamaged is unknown.
Believed to Have Been Alone,
Esmond is believed to have left
Ottawa alone, and to have travelled
to the scene of the tragedy by him
self. The left front wheel of his
car was lacked up, as though he were
changing a tire, when his dead body
was found.
Relatives of the dead man deolaxe
that there was not a reason in the
world why he should seek to destroy
himself Aside from an attack OF
rheumatism. his health was good.
Friends of the decedent, who spent
the afternoon with him at the Elks
lodge in this city declare he was In
the best of spirits when he left the
club, about an hour before his re-
mains were found.
Rewards totaling an amount of :. l.
600 have been offered for the appre-
hension of his slayer. $500 OF this
was given by the board of supervi-
sors, 800 by the La Sale Elks and
$1,000 by his widow, mother and
| hrntberS