Murder Mystery Stories Butler County Genealogy Trails Kansas

JENSEN, LENA

Lena, the 20 month old daughter of Jens Jensen, living near Pontiac, seven miles east of El Dorado met with a terrible death Tuesday evening. She wandered some distance from the house where some brush had been burnt, her clothes took fire and she was burned to a crisp. (Kansas Weekly Capital and Farm Journal, April 19, 1894)

TRAGEDY AT EL DORADO

Mrs. Castle, A Bride of A Week, Probably Fatally Wounded by jealous Rival

Special to the Capital

El Dorado, June 23. - Mrs. Olin Castle, a bride of a week, lies at the point of death at her home as a result of razor wounds in her neck inflicted by a Miss Jessie Morrison, Friday forenoon. The whole matter is shrouded in mystery, as no one else was in the house or near when the tragedy occurred. Mrs. Castle in an ante-mortem statement, signed, made to County Attorney Brumback, says that Miss Morrison came to her house, asked admittance, accused her of writing a letter which she had, and then attacked her with a razor which she had with her. Miss Morrison claims self defense, and accuses Mrs. Castle of being the aggressor. Miss Morrison and Mr. Castle were fellow clerks in the Racket store here for a number of years, and while he never paid any marked attentions to her, it is believed that she became strongly attached to him, and that she committed the at while under the influence of a jealous insanity. She is a daughter of Judge M. H. Morrison, ex-probate judge of this county, and has always stood well. Mrs. Castle, formerly Miss Clara Wiley, is a beautiful young woman, of the highest character, and is universally liked and admired. She was married to Mr. Castle a week ago, and Thursday evening they were given a reception at the home of the groom's father, T. O. Castle, who was formerly county clerk of the county. It was largely attended by their friends. Physicians hold out no hope for the recovery of Mrs. Castle. (The Kansas Semi-Weekly Capital, June 26, 1900, page 3)

Jury All Famers, One Secured at Last in Morrison Case

El Dorado, Kan., Nov. 23 - A jury of twelve farmers was secured this afternoon in the Morrison murder case and it will go to trial Friday morning.

Immediately after the last juror had been secured Judge Shinn announced that at the request of the defense and owing to the fact that Attorney Mooney was absent, he would adjourn court over Thanksgiving.

It was only after a battle of several hours that the last juror was obtained. M. I. Simpson of Spring township finally qualified and Judge Shinn overruled the challenges of the defense.

The jury which will try Miss Morrison for her life is composed entirely of farmers. The majority of them live in remote parts of the county, where the case was little heard of and was of no great personal interest.

The men composing the jury are:

John Gregory, Rock Creek; Joseph Nichols, Rosalia; Alex Hewitt, Fairmount, Wm. Sharrock, Jr., Spring, H. G. Liggett, Prospect, J. L. Stewart, Milton, C. A. Grant, Chelsea, J. B. Palmer, Little walnut, J. W. Helms, Rosalia, Albert Litzkie, Bloomington, F. J. Wright, Hickory and M. I. Simpson, Spring.

As soon as court opened this morning the defense utilized its ninth peremptory challenge and displayed L. J. Fuller of Prospect.

J.B. Palmer of Little Walnut was placed on the stand and subjected to a searching examination by the defense. When he was asked by Attorney Kramer if he believed the statements regarding the affray which appeared in the newspapers were correct, he said:

"I suppose they are as near right as any newspaper ever gets anything."

The challenge for cause of the defense was overruled and they then took their tenth peremptory challenge and unseated H. K. Jones of Andover.

J.M. Helm of Rosalia, one of the oldest residents of the count was the next juror who was found to be qualified. He stated he had read the newspaper accounts of the case but having no interest in the affair had formed no opinion.

This filled up the jury box once more and E. A. Zerbe of Bruno was displaced by the eleventh peremptory challenge of the defense.

The work of securing the last juror was a tedious matter as the case has been widely talked of over the county and there are few that have not heard the complete details of the murder and the great majority admit having doubts concerning the innocence of Jessie Morrison.

J. A. McCain, a rather small, nervous man, who jerked out his answers in a hurried manner, was asked if he had an opinion.

"Yes," he replied. "I told my wife that if Jessie Morrison did that cutting she ought to be hung."

F. M. Wright of Hickory was a juror whom the prosecution desired to upseat, but were unable to do so.

County Attorney Brumback insisted that he had expressed an opinion on the case. As the state had exhausted its peremptory challenges it could only ask that he be discharged for the cause, a request which Judge Shinn refused to grant.

The talesmen were examined with great severity by both sides and every effort was made to force them to commit themselves and admit they had formed an opinion on the case.

All but sixty-two of the 417 talesmen summoned were used in obtaining the jury. Up to this noon it looked as though the last venire of 181 might be exhausted.

When court adjourned the jury was placed in the hands of Baliliffs Long and Brill, who were cautioned to be extremely careful to see that the jurors did not hold conversation with any outsiders and that no newspapers were smuggled in to them.

The witnesses in the case, about 100 in number, were notified to appear Wednesday morning, so as not to delay the case.

Every day wasted piles up expenses on the county and this in face of the prospect of a trial of at least ten days is not pleasing to the people.

It developed to day that Jessie Morrison will probably be placed on the stand to testify in her own behalf. Beyond the first statement made by her immediately after the affray, when she claimed Mrs. Castle attacked her, she has not mentioned the case to anyone but her attorneys.

El Dorado, Kan., Nov. 28 - Considerable mystery has surrounded the letter which Miss Jessie Morrison took with her to the home of Mrs. Olin Castle the morning the fatal affray occurred. It was found in the house by Mrs. Spangler who rushed in when the alarm was sounded. She did not open it but turned it over to County Attorney Brumback.

"The letter," said Mr. Brumback today, "was written to Miss Morrison by her sister, Mrs. Ida Hawley, who lives at Excelsior, Kan. There is nothing in the letter but personal gossip regarding persons to both and it has practically no bearing upon the case. It will however, be introduced in evidence at the proper time."(The Kansas Semi-Weekly Capital, November 30, 1900, page 2)

STILL A MYSTERY - Milton Bradley

El Dorado, Kan., September 13 - Milton Bradley, living on a farm east of Parsons, died Sunday and his remains were brought here yesterday for burial. There is a peculiar and altogether strange incident brought to light in the death of the deceased. Three years ago last April he was living with his family at El Dorado and one morning he took his horse and buggy together with his dog and gun and started out for a little sport, remarking to his wife that he would be absent only a few days.

Nothing was thought of his absence from home until a week had passed and he did not return. His wife became alarmed lest he had been foully dealt with and search was at once instituted. The news of his disappearance was telegraphed all over the country, and as Bradley was a prominent member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges, the two organizations interested themselves in his behalf to the extent of offering rewards for any information leading to the discovery of the whereabouts of the missing man, but nothing was ever heard from him until Sunday night when the telegraph brought the news of his death to his wife.

On Bradley's person at the time of his death was found a notebook on the inside was the following: "In case of accident or death send word to Mrs. Mary Bradley at El Dorado, Kansas."
No one will ever know the cause of Bradley's mysterious actions as he never revealed to anyone with whom he has been living the past three years his real identity, but has been known as Milton Blakely, and his real name was learned by means of the note book found on his person after death. The deceased was 60 years of age, and was at one time county treasurer of Butler County and at the time of his mysterious disappearance his business and family affairs were in the best of condition, and why he should have acted so strangely will ever remain a secret. (Kansas Weekly Capital and Farm Journal, September 21, 1893, page 2)

MISSING EL DORADOAN'S BODY FOUND ON FARM NEAR WICHITA

WICHITA, Kan.-----An El Dorado woman whose nude body was found over the weekend on a farm near Wichita may have been dead for as long as three weeks.

Sandra K. Talbott, 27, had been missing since July 10 when her body was discovered Saturday by a farmer working in a field about 10 miles south of Wichita.

Dr. William Eckert, deputy district coroner, said Sunday that it appeared Mrs. Talbott had been cut on the neck with a sharp instrument, although the decomposed condition of the body made it impossible to be sure of the cause of death.

Police said several persons were being questioned on Mrs. Talbott's death, but no charges have been filed.

Mrs. Talbott was last seen when her mother dropped her off at a bingo game.

Sedgwick County Sheriff Johnnie Darr said he believed the woman had left the game to visit a friend in Haysville but never arrived.

Her body was found in a hedgerow not far from Kansas 2-42 near the Ninnescah River.

Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. John's Catholic Church with burial in Sunset Lawns Cemetery.

Recitation of the Rosary will be held at 8 p.m. Monday in the Kirby Funeral Home Chapel.

She was born May 27, 1950 in El Dorado. She was a member of the St. John's Catholic Church.

Survivors include her mother, Mrs. Ruby Bale, 720 North Taylor; a sister, Miss Linda Sapien of Wichita, and her grandmother, Mrs. Isabel Diaz of Abilene

Kirby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
(El Dorado Time ~ 1 Aug 1977)

SUSPECT IN DEATH OF EL DORADO WOMAN IS BEING HELD IN WICHITA

WICHITA, Kan.,---A 37-year-old Tempe, Ariz., car salesman was returned to Wichita Monday as a suspect in the death of an El Dorado woman whose body was found July 30 in a field southwest of Wichita.

Sedgwick County Sheriff Johnny Darr returned Monday from Arizona with the suspect. Darr had been in Arizona and California for three days investigating the crime.

the man was arrested in Tempe on a charge of parole violation. The man has not been charged with the slaying of Sandra Talbott, 27, whose decomposed body was found July 30.

Darr said he has reason to believe the man "knew of Talbott." The sheriff said the man was in the Wichita area for about 15 days around the time Mrs. Talbott disappeared from her El Dorado, Kan., home July 11.
(El Dorado Times ~ 9 Aug 1977)

MYSTERY IN MISSING GIRL

Anna Calvert, 20, of El Dorado, Disappeared on Wedding Eve

Wichita, Kas., - Southern Kansas is mystified over the disappearance of Miss Anna Calvert, 26 years old, a pretty burnette, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Calvert of El Dorado, Kas., who left her home there December 24 on the eve of her marriage to Ambrose Allison, well-to-do El Dorado oil operator.

Miss Calvert on two identical days was reported to be in Albuquerque, N.M. and here. The statement that she was in Albuquerque came December 29 from her parents, who previously had written Kansas City newspapers about her disappearance. They say they received a telegram from her from Albuquerque saying she left hastily for New Mexico with friends on a Christmas trip. She said it was impossible to inform her parents at the time and that she wrote them a letter from Kansas City, which as lost in the mails.

In the meantime, Allison, the prospective bridegroom, employed detectives to search for Miss Calvert. Jack Hay, one of the detectives, says she spent Christmas here with friends. Hay says Miss Calvert would make no explanation about the wedding.

"I just changed my mind," was her only comment, Hay says.

Several weeks ago Allison gave Miss Calvert $500 for her trousseau. She used part of the money for that purpose, but, after she left El Dorado, $300 was found in her hope chest. She says, according to Hay, she intended to return the money to Allison.

All arrangements had been made for the wedding, invitations were out, the minister engaged, the license obtained. Allison still hopes Miss Calvert, will be come his wife. (The Kansas City Times, January 7, 1920)