The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-08
JURY CLEARS HIM
Charles MetZger Will Not Face
Charge of Murder.
Town of Willard Tries to Solve
Cause of Trouble.
DISAPPEARED IN FORD CAR
Stranger Fired Two Shots at
Pendegrass and Fled.
ManfOrd Metzger Escaped by
Hiding in Basement.

I
shot and killed Hiram Pendegrass.
lately of st. Joseph, Mo. following a
row at the Willard dance hall. Satur-
day night. was cleared today by
| coroner's jury.
| But the little town of Willard is
agog with excitement over the mys-
terious beginning of the trouble, the
| identity of a stranger who first shot
Pendegrass in the arm, and the sud-
! den disappearance of two Ford cars.
! None of the score of witnesses vino
| testified at the coroner's inquest this
| morning knew PendegrasS was in
| town until some of them saw him try
| to back his Ford touring car away
from the dance pavilion about $3.50
| o'clock. They said he rammed an
| other Ford car just ahead of him
| twice, then started to back out and
killed his engine. He got out, cranked
| that moment the mysterious stranger
| appeared around the corner of little
shed about thirty-five feet from the
platform of the dance pavilion and
fired twice at Pendegrass, one bullet
striking the latter in the left arm,
Then the stranger disappeared as sud-
denly as he had appeared.
He Threatened Metzger.
| Imbued with the idea that it was
\ Manford Metzger who had shot him,
| Pend egrass leaped from his automo-
| bile and rushed back to the dance pa
| vilion. Crazed with pain and liquor,
| according to the witnesses, he walked
| the streets for some time, bodily as
serting that it was that - -
| Nanny Metzger who shot me and I'm
| going to kill him before morning."
The entreaties of his friends were of
| no avail and his search finally ended
| at the home of Charles Metzger, Man
| ford's brother, where ne is said to
| have threatened to kill him also.
| Manford Metzger on the witness
stand testified that he was standing
| on the dance platform when he saw
the Pendegrass car ram the car ahead
| twice. He did not recognize Pende-
| grass at that time. but thinking the
man needed help. started toward him.
When Pendegrass got back into his
car after cranking it, he drew re-
cording to the latter's testimony, with
| the admonition to Keep back"
MetZger said he stepped back and
| Pendegrass started to back out. Then
the mysterious stranger appeared
around the corner of the building and
fired two shots. Metzger said he inn
mediately sought his wife on the
dance floor, told her there was going
| to be a shooting scrape and that it
would be best for them to leave.
Metzger said he went into a. hard
ware store, where he waited five min
utes, when little boy came running
was looking for him and intended to
kill him.
so I was going to go out and look
for him. said Manford, because he
and L had always been friends and I
had never done anything to him. But
just as was going out the door
Frank Stone came in and said: For
Gods sake, Nanny. don't go out there.
He'll kill you sure"
He Hid in Basement.
Metzger said he then went to the
basement of the store and remained
until word was brought to him that
his brother had killed Pendegrass
James T. Wade, who formerly lived
at Paxico. and was home on a visit
that night testified that he saw the
Ford car in front move forward when
it was rammed twice by the other
Ford, but did not see Pendegrass at
that time. The next thing he knew,
he said. a man ran in front of him
and fired two shots in the direction of
the Ford, then ran back and lost him
self in the crowd. A few seconds
later, Wade said, Pendegrass came
stalking up to him with drawn revol-
yer.
He walked right up to me-" said
Wade. "and pressed the muzzIe of the
gun against my stomach and pulled
back the hammer. He said: Nanny
Metzger shot me and I'm going to Kin
him., or som mething like that. I threw
my head back so the moon would
shine on my face and told him that
wasn't Nanny Metzger.. Then he
went on up to the dance floor"
Fired Into Dance Platform.
Pendegrass fired one bullet thru the
platform as he walked along, his re-
volyer in his hand. He is said to have
shouted to the women not to be afraid
and that he would not hurt them. Not !
finding MetZger around the dance
pavilion he started for his home.
Wade testified that he and another
young man who volunteered to assist |
started after Pendegrass with the in
tention Of attempting to console him
or convince him that it was not Metz
ger who shot him. They met him |
coming back from the Metzger house. |
Wade said the crazed man again
pressed the revolver against his stom- !
ach with the oft repeated statement
that he was looking for that -
- Nanny Metzger," and that he |
was going to kill him.
He Changed His Mind.
we talked with him quite while
Nanny Metzger who shot him." said
Wade. Finally he changed his mind |
again and said he knew it was Nanny
and that he was going to kill him be- |
fore morning. He started walking
down the street and we followed.
shouted: Is Nanny Metzger in that
car?' Nobody answered and he start
ed into the street saying: I'll make
you stop and started to raise his gun.
But we stopped him and told him that
the car was full of women and he
wouldn't want to shoot them. So he
started on down the street again and
we followed him. Presently he turned
around and pointed the gun at US and
said: You're just double crossing