Deciderio Martinez Murdered Butler County Genealogy Trails Kansas

SKULL FRACTURE CAUSE OF DEATH: MISSING MONDAY

Gruesome Discovery Made Late Yesterday is Kept Secret by Lads Until Last Night When Body is Taken from Outlet of Sewer

The body of Deciderio Martinez, aged 63 years, Mexican, who is believed to have been murdered was found late yesterday afternoon at the outlet of a storm sewer that empties into the West Branch about 100 yards north of East Central avenue.

The discovery was made by Jack Morrow and Junior Rogers, two small boys while they were playing on the bank of the stream. The find was so surprising they feared if they told the officers, they would be held, it was explained, but later in the day they did tell Charles Bullock, an older boy who went to the river to assure himself. He also kept the information to himself.

Tells of Finding Body

But late last evening, after young Morrow had gone to bed he could not contain himself any longer and he cried out to his parents that he and young Rogers had found the body of a man in the river. At first his story was not believed, D. E. Morrow, father of the lad said, but when Jack continued to repeat his story it was decided to investigate.

A trip to the river confirmed his strange tale. The police and county officers were notified and after much labor the body was removed about 2 o’clock this morning and take to the Byrd Funeral Home.

An autopsy conducted by Dr. G. G. Whitley, county coroner of Douglass, revealed a four inch skull fracture on the left side of the head. At one place the bone had been bashed about an inch in width. Little if any water was found in the lungs. There also were abrasions on both knees and a small gash on the back of the head.

The blow that caused the fracture of the skull is believed to have been made by a blunt instrument. There was only a gash about an inch long.

Dr. G. E. Kassebaum was called in consultation by Dr. Whitley after the autopsy was completed and both physicians determined that death was caused by the fracture and not drowning. It was announced that an inquest would be held late this afternoon at the Byrd Funeral Home.

It is believed that Mr. Martinez had been dead several hours when the body was found. From the time he left home until the body was discovered, about twenty-seven hours had elapsed. If he was killed it is believed he met death Monday night.

Discount Fall Theory

There is a slab of concrete running from the top of the bank of the river to the outlet of the sewer. The drop is about fifteen feet. The body was found resting on some rocks face down about five feet further down. One leg was protruding upward. The gash on the head could be easily seen, but it was not until the body was searched was the identity definitely known. The body was removed after a rope was tied around it and then carefully lifted to the top of the bank by several men.

The identity was established through some papers and a ring. There were several grocery tickets and a coal purchasing order made to “Dee” Martinez. The ring carried the name of Albert Martinez, an adopted son of the dead man.

Inquiry at the Martinez home revealed that the dead man left the place late Monday afternoon and had not been seen since. He said he was going downtown. Last evening Albert Martinez called at the police station to inquire if his father had been seen. This was before the finding of the body was reported to the officers.

It was pointed out it would have been almost impossible for Martinez to receive the severe skull fracture by falling down the concrete slab. The wound also is in a spot where it could hardly have been sustained in such an accident. As a result it was believed he had been slugged to death and his body placed in the outlet of the sewer.

Find Hat In Sewer

Further evidence to substantiate the murder theory was revealed this morning. The hat of the dead man was found by officers about seventeen feet inside the sewer. It is believed it was thrown there. At no time since Mr. Martinez disappeared on Monday has sufficient moisture fallen to cause water to run from the sewer, so the body and hat could not have been washed to the spots where they were found.

Young Martinez said this morning he knew of no enemies of his father. The man never carried large sums of money. The officers planned this morning to call at two or three places where the dead man frequented to see if they could learn something that might throw some light on the case.

No instrument was found near the body that might have been used in assaulting Mr. Martinez. There was a small piece of new wood about two feet from the body, but this is not heavy enough to cause a fracture the magnitude of the one found on the head. Neither was there any evidence on it that it might have been used. A careful survey of the place where the body was found was to be made during the day for additional evidence.

Came Here Last Year

Mr. Martinez was born at Trementina, N. Mex. On February 10, 1880. He was a retired section hand, having worked for many years for the Rock Island railroad Company. He came to El Dorado to make his home with his son last August from Hutchinson, where he had resided for 11 years. He lived at Pratt for some time before moving to Hutchinson. He was married to Cecillia Charon in New Mexico, but she died some time ago. He was a member of the Presbyterian church at Pratt. In addition to his son, Mr. Martinez is survived by five grandchildren who live elsewhere.

Funeral services will be held at the Byrd Funeral Home at 3 o’clock Thursday afternoon and interment will be made in the Sunset Lawns cemetery. Rev. Robert Gray, pastor of the Baptist Church will be in charge.

The officers who worked on the case last night were: Sheriff Walter Covert, Chief of Police Paul Frederiksen and Policeman Harlan Ferguson, Jess Barnes and George Wynn. This morning, Sheriff Covert, Chief Frederiksen and Deputy Sheriffs Lyle Biggs and Alex Greenup returned to the place where the body was found and resumed an investigation of the case. (El Dorado Times March 23, 1943)

Deciderio Martinez, aged 63 years, Mexican, whose body was found in an outlet of a storm sewer that empties into the West Branch, about 100 yards north of East Central Avenue, Tuesday, was murdered.

This was determined about 7 o'clock last evening by a coroner's jury following an inquest held at the Byrd funeral home, where the body was taken shortly after it was removed from the river. The verdict of the six jurors was that Martinez, a section hand for the Rock Island Railroad Company at both Pratt and Hutchinson for many years before he came to El Dorado last August to make his home, "came to his death at the hands of a person or persons unknown." The verdict was reached after the jurors listened to testimony of several witnesses, viewed the spot where the body was found and also the body. The inquest was started shortly before 8 o'clock and lasted about two hours.

FRACTURE CAUSED DEATH

Martinez's body was found with a severe fracture on the left side of the head and abrasions on both knees. The blow on the skull was evidently administered by a blunt instrument. The fracture is four inches long. Part of the bone was depressed into the brain and an inch across at the widest part. There was no water in the lungs of the man, thus discounting the possibility that he might have drowned.

In reaching its verdict, the jurors weighed all the evidence carefully considering the possibility that Martinez might have slipped on the concrete rock spillway that leads to the sewer outlet and fallen on some rocks, facturing his skull, and also that he might have taken his own life. The spillway is about fifteen feet long. It has a slope of about forty-five degrees. The body was found about five feet below the bottom of the spillway.

Evidence revealed there were no signs that Martinez had fallen down the spillway and it was believed it would have been impossible for him to sustain his severe skull injury if he did. The position of the body was such that it would not have come to rest as it did if Martinez fell. The body was lying in a north west southeast direction. If the man had fallen, it is believed the body would have been in a east west position or northeast southwest. The body was in only a few inches of water.

The jurors did not determine how Martinez's body reached the place where it was found. The theory was advanced that he was killed at some other spot and the body was carefully lifted down the spillway or that the body was placed in a small boat at a point on the bank where the latter is not so high and then dumped into the sewer. The hat of the man was found 17 feet inside the sewer yesterday. It could not have floated to that place as the little water that runs from the sewer descends in the opposite direction. The hat was in about three inches of water. It is believed the murderer threw the hat in the opening after depositing the body.

CLOTHING IN ORDER

None of the Martinez's clothes was out of order when the body was found. His blouse and trousers had been carefully pulled down and except for the underside the body was lying face downward - there was no mud or dirt on the clothing. What little mud and water was on the clothing was caused by the five inches of water in which the body reposed. About two feet east of the body was a piece of new lumber. This was sharpened on one end and it was one of the stakes taken from the city's Victory Garden plot nearby.

The inquest was in charge of Dr. G. G. Whitley, of Douglass, county coroner, and M. F. Litras, assistant county attorney. Both questioned the witnesses in detail in an effort to secure all the evidence possible. Dr. Whitley also explained the autopsy he held on the body early yesterday morning and pointed out the wounds on the dead man's body. Several of the jurors asked minute questions to clarify any point that was in doubt.

Junior Rogers, aged 14 years, Junior High School boy, who found the body late Tuesday afternoon was the first witness called. He said that he, Jack Morrow and Ezra Bullock, two other boys, were pigeon hunting, having failed to go to school in the afternoon. Junior was ahead of his companions as the lads trekked along the river bank. He said he saw the body in the sewer opening and called to both Jack and Ezra to come to the spot, but the did not do so. The boys left the place a short time later, Junior said, returning to their homes. None of them told their parents about the discovery, but did reveal the information to some other lads.

ANOTHER BOY CALLED

Ezra, who is 13 years old, followed on the stand. He testified that he, Jack and Charles Bullock, a brother, went to the place where the body was found later in the day and saw the body. The lad said that he saw one foot sticking out of the water. Again the boys did not tell their parents. Both Junior and Ezra could give no definite reason for not doing so.

It was planned to call Jack, who is 14 years old, but he was reported to be in a serious nervous condition and ill from his experience. Charles who is 16 years old was at the inquest but he was not placed on the stand.

Will R. Feder, news editor of The Times, was the next witness. He told of going to the place where the body was located with the officers, of the condition in which the body was found, the manner in which it was removed from the river and other details. The body was taken from the river after a heavy rope had been tied around the mid-section by Sheriff Walter Covert, and then carefully lifted up the spillway by about a half dozen men. Mr. Martinez weighed more than 200 pounds and it was a difficult job to remove the body.

Sheriff Covert followed on the stand. He was the first to reach the body. He said there was a large gash on the head and that it could have been caused by the man falling off the bank of the stream. He testified that the hat showed no marks that it might have been worn when Mr. Martinez was slugged, or blood stains. Neither was any blood found on the body, or clothing or in the water near the body. From this it is deducted that the murder was committed at another spot and the body taken to the place where it was found. Sheriff Covert said as far as he knew Mr. Martinez had no police record.

Chief of Police Paul Frederiksen was next called. He told much the same story as Sheriff Covert related.

SAW MAN LATE MONDAY

Jim Smith who operates a second hand store at 205 North Main Street, testified that he had known Mr. Marteniz for about three months and that he called him "Joe." The witness said that the man visited his store frequently and that the last time he saw him was when he left it about 8 o'clock Monday evening. Mr. Martinez had not been at his home since 3 o'clock in the afternoon, it was said yesterday by relatives.

Mr. Smith said that Mr. Martinez had borrowed money from him and on Monday he wanted a loan so he could go to Wichita. The witness also said that Mr. Martinez had been drinking beer and that when he left his store that he staggered some. The last Mr. Smith saw of the man was when he went north from the store and turned east on East Second Avenue headed towards the West Branch. This spot is fully a quarter of a mile from the place where the body was found.

The witness said he never knew Mr. Martinez to carry much money or cause any trouble. He also testified that he never heard the man remark that he was going to take his life. Mr. Smith further testified that Mr. Martinez did not have much do with members of his own race.

It has developed that a black billfold that Mr. Martinez usually carried is missing. It also has been revealed that Mr. Martinez drew a pension of about $42 a month from the Rock Island. He usually received this amount about the fifth of the month, however.

TELLS OF THE PAST

Albert Martinez, adopted son of the dead man and with whom he made his home at 312 West Kansas Avenue, was next called to the stand. He gave a short review of the past of his father and told of the pension. The witness also said that Mr. Martinez drank some but that he was always able to control himself.

The witness said he saw his father the last time Monday morning, that the dead man had no property of value or enemies that he knew. He also testified that he took his father home Saturday night from the Ash Pool Hall, in the first block on West Second Avenue. This is a colored resort. Mr. Martinez had been drinking some, the witness said.

Mrs. Albert Martinez followed her husband. She testified in much the same manner. She said that he was never moody or ill.

Mrs. Mary Kasterke, who lives in the first house east of the Martinez home, was the last witness. She said the last time she saw Mr. Martinez was Monday morning and that she never saw him intoxicated, although she had been a neighbor only a few weeks.

The coroner's jury included: W. R. Brown, Murray Gilkeson, Lester Aper, George Hughes, Phil Doane and Giles Harris.

With the inquest out of the way, both the county officers and police have settled down to attempt to solve the murder. They have little on which to work, but hope to uncover more evidence. Additional persons will be questioned and places inspected for signs of the killing.

The funeral of Mr. Martinez was scheduled this morning to be held this afternoon at the Byrd Funeral Home. Interment was to be made in Sunset Lawns Cemetery. (El Dorado Times, Front Page and page Sic, March 25, 1943)

INVESTIGATION OF MURDER GOES ON

Officers Probe Rumors and Check Bits Evidence In the Martinez Case

Officers were busy today investigating rumors and checking on bits of evidence that have reached them in connection with the slaying of Deciderio Martinez whose mutilated body was found Tuesday partially stuffed into a storm sewer outlet in the West Branch in East El Dorado.

"We intend to run down every report that reaches us," said Sheriff Walter Covert and Chief of Police Paul Frederiksen in a joint statement. "Nothing will be left undone in an attempt to solve the murder. It may be a few days before we will have something definite to report, but we believe the mystery of who killed Mr. Martinez can be solved."

Several persons who thought they might be able to shed some light on the case have called on both Sheriff Covert and Chief Frederiksen and told them what they knew. In turn, the officers have investigated each. Places Mr. Martienz frequented are being investigated and persons who knew him intimately are being questioned.

It is the firm opinion of the officers that Martinez was killed at some other place and his body removed to the storm sewer. No blood was found on his clothing and there was none in the shallow water in which the body was discovered. Neither was any blood found on the man's hat, which was 17 feet inside the sewer. The hat bore no mark to show that it was worn when Mr. Martinez's skull was fractured. Some believe the body was dropped into the sewer outlet from the river bank - a decline of about twenty feet - while others are of the opinion that the body was placed in a row boat at a point where the river bank was not so steep and then taken to the sewer.

Funeral services for Mr. Martinez were held yesterday afternoon at the Byrd Funeral Home. Rev. Robert Gray, pastor of the Baptist Church, officiated. Pallbearers were: Precilliano Sepulveda, Cecil Kastarke, Oscar Nash, Pedro Requena, Andrea Lara and Ramon Villanevea.

Music by the organ and chimes, and a quartet number, "Jesus Saviour Pilot Me," were used for the services.

Burial was made in Sunset Lawns Cemetery. (El Dorado Times, Front Page, March 26, 1943)