Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-01-03

The Safety Pin, Cigarette Hairpln
and Necktie Label Which Might Have
Been Left i'm the Room by Previous
Occupants Or the Murderers
A little while later the telephone rang
in the office Of the Rock Floral Company
Il want thirteen American Beauty roses
sent 10 Roland Ovens funeral the
anonymous caller said I'm doing this for
my sister I'll send you five dollar bill,
special delivery"
None Of these phone-booth calls could
be traced Neither could the subsequent
letter 70 McGilleys mortuary-its address
carefully printed by pen and ruler, En-
closed was S25 A similar mssive with
money reached the florist Inside was a
card. it's handwriting obviously disguised
to go with the flowers:
Lore for EUer-LOuiSe."
These melodramatic developments
tauntingly brazen, drove the Kansas City
authorities TO new furies Of endeavor.
love vendetta seemed evident. Louise was
the Tilted owen, supposedly faithless.
had been decoyed into trap and venge-
fully slain.
Detectives serving as pail bearers
guarded the funeral. Others, disguised
as grave diggers watched the cemetery
for days. But nothing happened.
Two years went by-then in November
1886, Mrs. l.. f. Ogletree of Birmingham
Ala, saw a resume of the case published In
The American Weekly with Owens photo
graph.
Mrs. Ogletree was shocked to recognize
the portrait The result OF a child
hood burn The features stalwart build. No
doubt about it, Roland owen" was Artemus
Oglctrcc her son!
Early in 1884 Artemus, then a 17-year-old
hieh-schoo student. had started 20 hitch-hike
to.Calfornia she said Ample funds were sent
him while he was away he wrote home regu-
larly apparently enjoying his holiday
Then early in 1885. Mrs Ogletree had re-
ceived typewritten letter, signed 'Arte-
mus" quecrly slangy and unfamiliar post
marked Chicago In May, from New York.
came a second note telling her Artemus was
going 20 Europe. followed Immediately by
special delivery saying he was sailing that day
The letters seemed spurious -Artemus had
never before used typewrtcr-and Mrs
Oglctrcc was suspicious and worried
Then on Aug. y. 1885 she received long
distance cali from Memphis Tenn. man
who gave his name as Jordan and explained
that her son had once saved his life said that
Artemus WAS in Cairo, Egypt. and well lie
called later to tell her that Artcmus had mar
ried a wealthy woman in Cairo and was unable
to write because he'd lost thum in a barroom
hrawl The speaker sounded irrational
Mrs. OeIctrcc sent her sons photograph TO
the Kansas City police Sergt Rowland iden-
titled the youth at once. And the grim iact
was Immediately evident Mrs. Ogletree had
received mysterious phone calls and type"rt-
ten letters after Artemus was dead
Was the purpose of this cruel deception 20
r,r,tI.r r1,sI tho gtaiy, Youths idpntitVD Per
pctrator of letters and calls has never been
found The mystery Of Room No. 1Oi6 is still
unsalvrd But the police 20 on working.
In August. 1897 a New York railway cX-
pressman discovered "A body in a trunk con-
signed to Memphis The dead man was Oliver
SENEGAL raCkctecr and dope peddler.
Now York police arrested Joseph Ogden,
Sonccals pal Who confessed 20 shooting Sene-
cal during a narcotic squabbe. Ogden was
sentenced 60 20 years to life in Sing Sing -
Kansas city police were interested because
Ogden once used the alias Of Donald Kelso.
And in October, 1884, Donald Kelso had
registered at the ST Regis Hotel in Kansas
City in company with Duncan Ogletree.
Was Artemus this Duncan Ogletree? Was
Donald Kelso his friend Don" in turn Joseph
ogden Did Artemus, during his hitch-hiking
fallin with a narcotic ring
Possibly but the "Jilted sister" motive
seems more likely. Tourists, perhaps who had
picked up Arteuus on the road tourist
camp romance The boy was young. impulsivc
Evidence suggests Kansas City as the
home town Of Don" and Louise" Their in.
sstcnce on cemetery burial suggests people
either religious or emotional.
Perhaps they repentcd tho crime. Perhaps
some day they Will confess. Guilt is a heavy
burden confession is good for the soul.