The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1927-08-04
Wife and Son-in-Law Held Pending
Investigation---Man Lives Hours
with Skull Badly Fractured
WOMAN SAYS HUSBAND WAS
PROBABLY KICKED BY HORSE
Prosecutor Geo. o. Beardsley Trying to Get Luke
May, Noted Criminologist to Fasten Guilt
on Perpetrator of Crime

1naL FRANK OubOn, ABSO O1s q
fruit grower Of the Highlands liv-
ing on the Roy Nicholson place
two miles west of Kennewick who
was found lying in an irrigation
ditch with deep wound in the
base Of his skull Friday morning,
was murdered while he slept is
the theory held by George Boards
ley, county prosecutor. His wife
and son-in-law who with his
daughter lived with him are be-
ing held pending further develop
ments.
AM investigation by the prose-
cutOr held Friday afternoon at the
city hall in Kennewick failed to
establish any definite clews that
might lead to an unravelling Of the
situation. A coroner's inquest viii
be held within the next few days
at which time witnesses will be
questioned. In the meantime, Pros
ecutOr Peardsley is trying to get
in touch with Luke S. May, noted
criminologst Of Seattle, to take
a hand in assisting local authori-
titles to solve the mysttry Of the
mans death.
Suson was found lying near the
haystack in his barn yard Friday
morning about z o'clock. Accord
ing to his wife's story he had got
ten up at about 3 O'Clock to feed
the horses. This was not unusual
and the family felt no uneasiness,
she said, when he failed to return
directly. AT about seven O'Clock
Gus Jessberger found him lying
doubled UP in ditch, apparently
dying, from deep wound, behind
his ear. The mans wife was stole
al and showed no great emotion
either Of surprise or concern,
merely saying that one Of the
horses must have kicked him.
The local deputy sheriff, the
Kennewick police, and a physician
were Immediately notified. The dy-
ing man was removed to the house
and later taken to the hospital in
Pasco where he passed away dur
ing the afternoon. An autopsy re-
vealed basic fracture Of the skull.
Circumstantial evidence indicat-
es, according to the prosecutor,
that his theory that the man had
been brutally killed by a member
of his own household. Rumor has
it that Suson carride a large a.
mount Of life insurance ana that
the members Of his family had
been quoted as saying they would
be better off if he were dead. It
is also said that there had been
much family trouble in the Suson
home of late, many quarrels hav-
ing taken place between the hus-
band and his wife and son-in-law.
The deceased is reported to have
told one of his neighbors that he
was afraid to sleep in the house:
a distorted docking hay stack,
that apparently had been used as
a bed, supported this story. The
position in which the man was
found, too, Indicated that his dy-
ing contortiOns might have car
red him there from where he had
been reclining in the hay.
The wife an dson-in-law were
stoical over the matter; not at an
inclined to discuss the tragedy. "a
horse kicke dhim in the head and
he's dying / guess ? was the onlv
comment Mrs. Suson would make
at the time he was discovered. The
son-in-law, Frank Posick. refused
to do any talking.
The daughter Of the deceased
Mrs. Frank Posick, who has
small baby to care for, is not be-
ing held. Mrs Suson is confined 4
!, rasco while the son-in-Iaw 4 Il
'ne city jail pending developments.