Unknown Boy Butler County Genealogy Trails Kansas

BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS

MURDER, MYSTERY'S, JUST PLAIN SPOOKY

NEW ANGLE IS SEEN IN DEATH BOY

May connect theft of mules at construction camp with train tragedy

Officers are Investigating

Telegrams and telephone calls pour in from all parts of the southwest

Identification is impossible

It was indicated this afternoon by the officers there may be some connection between the finding of the body of the unknown boy and the killing of a team of mules by a railroad train at Ramsey Tuesday night, Sheriff Purcell was investigating at 3 o'clock this afternoon.

The theory is advanced that the mules may have been stolen by the boy and were struck by the train when he attempted to cross the railroad track near Ramsey. Those who cling to this theory also are of the opinion that the body of the boy may have been caught on the pilot of the locomotive where it rode until a mile south of the DeGraff, at which place it fell from the engine and the leg and arm were severed.

Sheriff Purcell said at 3 o'clock he would go to the construction camp where the mules were stolen to attempt to learn if the unknown boy had been seen about the place Tuesday.
Telegrams and telephone calls were pouring in from all parts of the country, inquiring about the death of the boy. The telegrams were received by the police about noon. One was from W. V. Hampton of Kansas City, and the other from A. Kessler, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Both said their sons whom are aged 17 years, have been missing from their homes.

The body of the boy which was found yesterday morning on the Santa Fe main line track, about a mile south of De Graff, where it is believed death occurred Tuesday night was lying unidentified at an early hour this afternoon at the Byrd Brothers Funeral Home, 200 South Star Street.
Every effort to identify the youth has been in vain. Hundred of persons have called at the funeral parlors to view the body since the story was published in The Times yesterday that it had been found.

At one time last evening, it was believed the body would be identified by an El Dorado woman. She said in some respects it answered. The woman told Frank Byrd, funeral director that her son had a slight scar on the bridge of his nose and another under his chin. The body of the unidentified youth had these. When no birth mark was found on the back of the dead youth, the woman gave up hope that the body was that of her son.

A number of persons who have called at the funeral home are looking for missing relatives, Mr. Byrd says. I never realized until now the large number of persons unaccounted for.
Despite efforts at noon today to identify the boy, work will go steadily ahead. Mr. Byrd is prepared to hold the body indefinitely.

This morning the letter H was found scrawled on a belt buckle taken from the clothing of the boy. This was not found yesterday. Officers are using it in an attempt to identify the boy.
Jess Earl told Mr. Byrd last night that he and Mrs. Earl saw two boys about 6:30 o'clock Tuesday evening hop a ride on a northbound Santa Fe freight train at the alley at the rear of the Kansas State Bank. Mr. Earl says neither boy was over 17 years old. One was dressed in much the same manner as the youth who was killed.

It is the opinion of those who have viewed the body that the you was killed when he fell, no marks on the body.

It has suggested that perhaps the boy was robbed and his body placed on the tracks. Officers discount this, however. When the body was found, it showed no signs of having been molested. None of the pockets had been turned, probably as would have been done had the youth been robbed. (El Dorado Times, September 20, 1923)

HUNDRED'S FAIL IN ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY BOY - BODY OF YOUTH FOUND ON RAILROAD TRACK LIES IN A LOCAL MORGUE UNCLAIMED

Early this afternoon a Wichita woman called Mr. Byrd and gave him a description of her son, who has been missing from home for several weeks. It tallies in almost every detail with that of the body of the boy found on the Santa Fe tracks. The woman went so far as to say her son wore a green blue coat and a Salvation Army pin was attached to it. The body of the boy found at DeGraff wore a green coat and such a pin was attached to it. The woman informed Mr. Byrd she will come to El Dorado this evening to view the body.

The body of somebody's son still lies unclaimed today at the morgue of the Byrd Brothers Funeral Home, 200 South Star Street.

Every effort to identify the body of the 17-year old boy who was found dead Wednesday morning on the Santa Fe Main line track about a mile south of De Graff, had failed at 3 o'clock this afternoon. Several times within the past 24 hours it was believed the body would be identified, but on each occasion the chances vanished when the body of the youth failed to fit the description of a certain person in every way.

A constant stream of persons has viewed the body since it was brought to El Dorado Wednesday afternoon. Most of those who saw it up to noon yesterday were from El Dorado and places near here. Late yesterday afternoon and this morning, however, a majority of those who called at the morgue came from a distance. Several fathers, in search of their lost sons, are here from Oklahoma. Two arrived last night on a late passenger train. Others have driven here in their automobiles.
Parents also have been here from Kansas City, Kingman, Wichita and a number of other places. Scores of letters and telegrams in addition to countless numbers of telephone calls, are being received from every part of the Southwest by Frank Byrd, who is in charge of the body and Coroner W. E. Turner. Most of those who have sent telegrams and letters desire answers. It is keeping Mr. Byrd and coroner Turner busy answering them.

Mr. Byrd is attempting to identify the youth through the Fleeman National Identification Bureau of St. Joseph, Mo. He is a member of this organization. He sent a minute description of the body of the boy to the bureau Wednesday afternoon. Yesterday afternoon he received his first results from it.

For a short time last evening, it was believed the body would be identified as that of Judson Robinson. Two of Young Robinson's sisters came to El Dorado at midnight from Wichita to view the body. They were called here when Mack Miller a friend of Young Robinson identified the body as that of his companion. Miller went so far as to identify Robinson through a small birth mark on his leg. The sisters of Young Robinson, however, said the body was not that of their brother.
Herman Wells of Kingman, drove to El Dorado last night to view the body. From newspaper accounts he believed it might be that of his son, John Wells, aged 16, whom he has not seen for about two months. Mr. Wells says the body of the boy resembles his son in some ways. Mr. Wells returned home at noon today. Before he left, he said he will give $100 to the person who will locate his son.

Harry Foreman, unholsterer, is of the opinion he talked with the dead boy the first of the week according to Deputy Sehriff E. F. Jahnagin today. Mr. Foreman is laid to have seen the boy on a street in the business district.

Sheriff Newt Purcell discounted the theory today there may be some connection between the finding the body of the boy and the killing of a team of mules by a railroad train at Ramsey, Tuesday night. The boy also was killed Tuesday night.

Late yesterday afternoon, Sheriff Purcell went to the construction camp from where the mules were missing to inquire about their disappearance. He was informed the mules escaped from a corral. Yesterday it was believed they had been stolen.

A few of those who have viewed the body of the boy are of the opinion the youth was held up, robbed, killed and his body placed on the track where it was run over by a train, which severed the right arm and leg. They base their opinion on the unusual marks on the boy's head. The bruises appear to have been made with a club.
Others believe the boy was run down by the train and killed. They say if he had been robbed his pockets probably would have been turned wrong side out when the body was found. The clothing of the boy showed no signs of having been molested. The only articles found in his pockets were some matches, cigarette papers and tobacco.(The El Dorado Times, September 21, 1923)

INQUIRIES BEING MADE ABOUT BOY

Inquiries are still being made here relative to the body of the unknown 17-year-old boy, whose body was found over two weeks ago on the main track of the Santa Fe Railroad company about one mile south of DeGraff.

Rev. A. W. Pannell pastor of the Trinity Episcopal Church received a letter Tuesday from Mrs. Perry Hudson of South Center, making inquiries about the boy. She enclosed a photograph of her missing brother. Mrs. Hudson thought the boy might have been that of her brother. Efforts to identify it as such have failed, Mr. Pannell says.

The last time Mrs. Hudson heard from her brother he was working in the southern part of the state. Mrs. Hudson did not give Mr. Parnell the missing youth's name. If anyone knows of his whereabouts he is asked to have the boy write his sister and inform her as to his condition. (The El Dorado Times, September 1923)

IDENTIFICATION OF BOY STILL LACKING

Body of Youth Found On Railroad Tracks Lies Unclaimed and Named at Morgue

Attempts to identify the body of the 17 year old boy which was found on the Santa Fe main line track, south of DeGraff, Wednesday morning continue to meet with failure. At an early hour this afternoon the identification was as remote as Wednesday afternoon shortly after the body was brought to El Dorado.

The body is still being held at the morgue of the Byrd Brothers Funeral Home, 200 South Star Street, Frank Byrd, manager says he is prepared to hold it indefinitely.

Yesterday afternoon it was believed the body might be identified in the evening when a Wichita woman arrived here. She told Mr. Byrd over the telephone she believed the body of the boy was that of her boy. The woman told Mr. Byd her son wore a green coat and a 1923 Salvation Army pin was attached to it. The body of the unidentified youth wore a green coat when found, but the Salvation Army pin on it was issued several years ago.

Scores of persons continue to view the body. Mr. Byrd wants everyone to feel at liberty to call at the morgue. He says only through the viewing the body will the boy be identified.

Many of those who have been at the morgue the past 24 hours have come from a distance. Automobiles are bringing most of the visitors. Two residents of Coffeyville arrived here late last night. They thought it might be that of their sons.

Many persons have been here from Kansas City, Wichita and points in Oklahoma. In addition to the constant stream of visitors scores of telegrams, letters and telephone calls are being received by Mr. Byrd, Coroner E. Turner, the police and county officers inquiring about the body. (The El Dorado Times, September 22, 1923)

STILL UNABLE TO IDENTIFY YOUTH

Hundreds Viewed the Body at Funeral Home Yesterday; Body is Changing

Identification of the body of the 17 year old boy who was found on the Santa Fe Tracks north of El Dorado last Wednesday morning, has not been made.
The body which is being held at the Byrd Brothers funeral home 200 South Star Street has been viewed by several thousand people the past five days. It is estimated by Frank Byrd, manager of the Funeral Home that at least 1,500 persons called at the place yesterday. There was a constant stream of callers throughout the day and until a late hour last night. A number of those who viewed the body over the weekend came from a distance.

Mr. Byrd does not believe the body will be identified. It is not in the best of condition, because of the house hundreds of times it has been touched. The lips and eye lids have been moved many times to give those who it was believed might be able to identify the boy, an opportunity to see the eyes and teeth. The bruises on the head are becoming brown and the entire color of the body is changing. Mr. Byrd says the body has kept remarkably well however, in view of the conditions under which the boy was killed and the large number of persons who have attempted to identify it.

It is probably if the body is not identified within the next couple of days it will be buried at the county farm. If this is done, Mr. Byrd will have charge of the burial as he has the contract with the county. (the El Dorado Times, September 24, 1923)

FUNERAL UNKNOWN YOUTH TOMORROW

Services will be held at Byrd Brothers at 4 o'clock; Give fitting funeral

Three give dollar each

To assist in defraying the burial expenses in connection with the interment of "Somebody's Boy" tomorrow afternoon, the nucleus of a subscription was left at The Times office this afternoon by George B. Sharp, A. P. Berresshire and C. E. Dunlap, each contributing $1.

The body of somebody's son, who was found on the Santa Fe main line track, one mile south of De Graff a week ago yesterday morning will be given a fitting burial tomorrow afternoon, Frank Byrd, manager of the Byrd Brothers Funeral Home, 200 South Star Street, announced this morning.

Funeral services will be held at the home at 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon. Rev. A. W. Pannell, pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church has been asked by Mr. Byrd to officiate. Members of Boy Scout Troop No. 1, of which Mr. Pannell is scoutmaster probably will be pallbearers. Music also is being arranged.

Burial will be made in West Cemetery J. H. Sandifer, who is a member of the board of directors of the West Cemetery Association, has informed Mr. Byrd that a lot will be burnished free of charge for the body.

Mr. Byrd will bury the body in a coffin which retails for over $100. He also will see that the body is properly dressed.

I will stand the entire expense myself, said Mr. Byrd, unless someone offers to assist with the burial. I believe the boy should be given a proper burial, despite the fact efforts to identify the body have been in vain.

There is some agitation for the three men's civic clubs and the Elks Lodge to pay part or all the expenses connected with the burial. A. J. Sedgwick, exalted ruler of the Elks, will present the matter to the lodge at its next meeting. The civic clubs probably will take the project up at their next gatherings.

In addition to this several El Doradoans have offered to pay part of the funeral expenses. Mr. Byrd appreciates this, but will make no move to collect for the expenses attached to his work. Those who desire to give can call at the Byrd Funeral Home.

It was determined late yesterday afternoon that the body was not that of Lawrence Keen of Phoenix, Mo. The father of the Keen boy told Mr. Byrd over the telephone that he received a letter from his son which was written after the body of the unidentified youth was found on the railroad track. At that time, the Keen boy was in Washington.

Few other efforts to identify the body have been made the past 24 hours. Since the body has been held at the funeral home, however, several thousand persons have viewed it. (The El Dorado Times, September 27, 1923)

HOLD SERVICE FOR YOUTH LATE TODAY

Body of Unknown Boy to Be Buried in West Cemetery; Many Give

Funeral services over the body of the unknown 17 year old boy who was found the morning of September 18 on the main line track of the Santa Fe Railroad Company, one mile wouth of De Graff, where he was killed when a train struck him and severed his right arm and leg, will be held late this afternoon at the Byrd Brothers Funeral Home 200 South Star Street.

Yesterday it was announced the services would be started at 4 o'clock. It was said this morning it probably would be a trifle later, however, as members of Boy Scout Troop No. 1 will be pallbearers and they will not be dismissed from school until late this afternoon.

The scouts who will be pallbearers are: Norris Thompson, Lloyd Adams, Harold Campbell, Clair gallant, Byron Richey and Pearl Barnes.

The services will be in charge of Rev. A. W. Pannell, pastor of the Trinity Episcopal Church. The body will be buried in East Cemetery, a lot at that place having been furnished by the Cemetery Association.

This morning, the body was placed in a casket which retails for over $100. The body also was nicely dressed by Frank Byrd, manager of the Funeral Home. The body was then removed from the morgue into the funeral parlors where it had been viewed by a large number of persons at an early hour this afternoon.

Flowers were arriving at the funeral home this morning for the services. The Hampton Floral Shop sent a large bouquet of American Beauty Roses.

Since the announcement was made yesterday that the body of the unidentified youth would be given a proper burial, many El Doradoans have called at the funeral home to give small sums of money to help defray the burial expenses. Mr. Byrd announced yesterday he would meet the expense himself if no one else offered to help. It is believe a sufficient sum will given to pay Mr. Byrd for all he has done to give the body a proper burial and attempt to find some relatives of the boy. The total expense will be about $150.

At the joint meeting of the Rotary and Kiwanis Club last evening about $40 was raised to defray the funeral expenses. (El Dorado Times, September 18, 1923)

HUNDRED PASS BIER OF UNIDENTIFIED BOY

Somebody's son is lying today under the wide and starry sky.

The body, which has been held sine September 18 at the morgue at the Byrd Brothers Funeral Home was laid to rest late yesterday afternoon in West Cemetery. A brief, but impressive and beautiful funeral service was conducted by Rev. A. W. Pannell, pastor of the Trinity Episcopal Church.

The funeral was one of the largest ever held at the funeral home and was largely attended by women and girls.

It was not an idle curious assemblage that passed the bier for a last look at the face of lad, whom none had been able to identify. More than half of those in attendance were persons who have missing sons and who have haunted the funeral home the past 10 days hoping to recognize the likeness of their absent one.
There are no friends to whom we can express what we feel in our hearts. Mr. Pannell said. But if there were no friends, there were mourners mothers they were with hearts yearning hungrily for the sons who do not write home and shedding tears of sympathy for that other mother who may be tonight putting plate in its accustomed place on the table and saying with a fair characteristic of the mother heart "He will surely come today."

Few mothers went to the service yesterday who did not have a floral offering. The casket was latterly banked with blossoms. Hot house roses were there in their profusion and may bouquets of garden flowers gathered and arranged orderly for the sake of the mother who will wait eagerly for her son's return.

"The tragedy is not ended," one mother was overheard today. "His mother will never lose hope. To her dying day, she will watch for him."

After the services and the body had been taken to its final resting place, little groups of women lingered on the lawn weeping quietly and talking together seemingly loathe to leave the place where their own sons might have been lying.

One young girl has visited the morgue each day for a week fearing the unknown boy was her cousin, yet failing to fully identify him. She was loathe yesterday to relinquish the possibility that the boy might be the relative she sought.

A mother who has not slept since the body was found on the Santa Fe track near De Graff because her own son was missing was overjoyed yesterday when the youth returned after 7 months absence. She brought him to Mr. Byrd and said, I just wanted you to see that my boy is alive." The boy had just neglected to write home.

In a most touching address, Mr. Parnnell said in part:

"Today we are called upon quietly, sympathetically and reverently to perform a similar service to one unknown to us. Too young, probably to have rendered great service of distinction for his country, yet he is a son of America; we cannot call him by name; we know nothing of his life, his home, his parents, his friends or his associations. We can only say, as so vividly expressed in The Times some few days ago, "He is somebody's boy."

The speaker spoke reverentially of the Unknown warrior, whom the nation delights to honor in recognition of the sacrifice he and a vast number of others whom he represents made for his country.

As the Unknown Warrior represents the untold numbers of companions in warfare who shared with him the great sacrifice in humanity's cause; tho, this unknown lad represents another class; he represents another class a great number of lads, unknown to us who are mere wanderers on the earth whose very lives are a tragedy, said Mr. Parnell.

Was it not a most pathetic thing to read of the number of parents who had made inquiries (September 29, 1923)

LETTERS MAY LEAD TO IDENTIFICATION

Three Initials Found on Shirt Worn by Boy Killed on the Track A Week Ago

Urges A Fitting Burial for Boy

If the body of the unidentified youth at the Byrd Brothers Funeral Home is not claimed by a relative or friend, shall it be given a fitting burial?

The Times is in receipt of a letter today from a subscriber who believes it should. The announcement was made yesterday that the body probably will be buried by the county at the County Farm unless it is identified.

I think the people of El Dorado should see that the body is given a proper burial says the letter. Can't there be something done before it is too late? My neighbors and I will help pay the expenses. Who else will offer to help?

Three dimly printed letters, about half an inch high which are believed to be either H. E. R. or W. E. R. have been found on the collar, band of the blue shirt, which was worn by the unidentified 17 year old boy whose body was found on the Santa Fe main line track a mile south of De Graff a week ago this morning.

The letters were discovered last evening by Frank Byrd manager of the Byrd Brothers Funeral Home, 200 South Star Street, where the body is being held. He observed them in the glare of the electric light.

The letters could scarcely be seen at first, and Mr. Byrd had difficulty in making visitors at the home last night believe he had found new evidence, which may lead to the identification of the body. After the neck bank was washed the letters could be seen much plainer, but still it could not be determined this morning if the first letter is an "H" or "W." The second letter also is exceedingly dim, but it is certain the third letter is an "R."

It was believed today the body of the boy might be identified as that of Lawrence Keen, son of Charles Keen of Phoenix, Mo. Mr. Byrd is in communication with Mr. Keen. The body was partially identified as that of Young Keen yesterday by an acquaintance of the family.

Two large bouquets of flowers were sent to the funeral home last night to be placed near the body of the boy. One was given an El Dorado woman who has partially identified the body as that of her nephew. At times the woman is said to be convinced the body is that of her nephew and later she declares it does not answer the description of it in every way. Because of this, the woman told Mr. Byrd she desired to send a floral offering to the home. (September 1923, El Dorado Times)

FAIL TO IDENTIFY BODY OF YOUTH

It's the same old story today.

The body of somebody's son still lies at the morgue of the Byrd Brothers Funeral Home, 200 South Star street, unidentified. The boy who is believed to have been about seventeen years old was killed a week ago tonight when a train struck him on the main line of the Santa Fe about a mile south of De Graff. His right arm and leg were severed.

Frank Byrd, manager of the home, reports several scores of people have viewed the body the past 24 hours. They have called at the morgue day and night. Two strangers were at the home at 1:30 o'clock this morning, it was believed the body would be identified. A letter was received by the police from Noel, Mo., which contained the description of a missing boy. It tallied in many ways with the body at the Byrd Brothers morgue. It was determined the body was not that of the Noel youth because it is about three inches too short. The Noel boy also had blue eyes, while those of the dead youth are brown. (The El Dorado Times, September 25, 1923)

BUTLER MYSTERIES LIE BURIED

Not long ago a Wichita woman checked with Butler County sheriff's officers in an attempt to learn if a human skeleton buried three years ago was that of a relative.

It was another fruitless attempt to solve the mystery of the "Skeleton of Four Mile Creek," a mystery which now lies below the grassy reaches of Sutton Cemetery southeast of Towanda.

There is a near-parallel in Butler annals---similar only in that identification was never established. Some 2,000 persons tried, but failed. The body was that of a teen-age boy who met death beneath a freight train on the Santa Fe main line south of DeGraff early the morning of Sept. 19, 1923. It was surmised the youth slipped and fell beneath the train. A crewman found the boy, his right leg and arm severed, lying face down.

A small white tablet over a grave in Sunset Lawns Cemetery is inscribed:

"Here Lies an Unidentified Youth Ag'd About 17, killed by the cars near DeGraff, Kan., Sep. 19, 1923."

Though no one had known him, a group of El Doradoans saw that the young man was given a fitting burial.

The hopes---and the fears---of those who thought the youth might have been their own loved one have long since faded into the mist of time.

Unlike the case of the nameless boy, the "Skeleton of Four Mile Creek" had been destined for burial at the hands of nature---a silent funeral under the sun, save for a melodious tribute sung only by the birds and the cadence of the rippling stream.

A destiny that would have precluded an epitaph was broken the afternoon of Sept. 15, 1960, when William Van Wey, a Wichita chiropractor who had just completed his schooling, was fishing from a boat on Four Mile Creek southwest of Augusta.

Van Wey spied a bone protruding from the bank near the water's edge. Closer examination showed it to be a human leg bone.

The fisherman notified officers who later unearthed a human skeleton of medium size, which was virtually complete.

Tests indicated that the death of the unidentified man, believed to have been 35 to 45 years of age, had occurred as long as 35 years previously, but no more recently than 20 years. Missing persons reports, dentists' records and other files produced no clue to the man's identity.

Whether the man had died by foul play or from natural causes was never determined.

Two years were allowed---in vain---for attempts to identify. A few inquiries were promising, but promise withered in the light of scientific findings. Perhaps again, someone will try to match the records with those of another missing person. Someone whose tears were dried long ago may follow in the futile footsteps of the Wichita woman, but that someone is few and far between now as unrelenting time ticks on.

On Oct. 10, 1962, the "Skeleton of Four Mile Creek" was given a final and proper burial and the last chapter of a msytery, perhaps dramatic, was left unwritten. (El Dorado Times ~ November 6, 1965 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)