Biographies Frankin County, Kansas

POISON FOR FAMILY

The 13-Year-Old Son Puts Rough on Rats Into Oatmeal

HAD PLANNED THE DEED AND WHILE THE FOOD WAS PREPARED FOR BREAKFAST HE DROPPED THE POISON INTO IT.

Ottawa, Kan., April 22---The 13-year-old adopted son of Henry Harford yesterday tried to poison the family of three.

The boy's father who is a butcher had some rough on rats at the shop and the boy knowing it stole some of the poison and concealed it until yesterday morning when opportunity came and he placed the poison in the dishes of oatmeal while his mother was preparing breakfast.

Upon sitting down to the table the mother noticed some foreign substance in the dish and called attention to it. Mr. Harford at once thought of the rough on rats and had an investigation made and it was pronounced to be poison. Later a quantity of rough on rats was found under the porch of the house.

The boy was confronted by the facts and finally acknowledged his intention was to poison the whole family, consisting of mother, father and a daughter. When asked why he did it, he could give no reasons. The boy has on several occasions stolen money, but has always been treated well and given a good home.
(Kansas Semi-Weekly Capital ~ April 23, 1897)

Ran Down A Murderer. Sheriff Elwell of Franklin County, Kan., Captures Charles Roberts in This City

Sheriff EIwell of Franklin County, Kan., Captures Charles Robert in This City.

Sheriff J. A. Elwell of Franklin county. Kansas, came to the city yesterday from Ottawa, Kan., and with the assistance of Ed Carroll, a passenger director at the Union depot, located and arrested in the West bottoms a colored man by the name of Charles Roberts. The sheriff departed for Ottawa last night with the prisoner. who is charged with the murder of Bookard Hilliard.

There are two others in custody at Ottawa charged with the crime. They are Catherine White and Charles Taylor, colored, also. Their victim, Bookard Hilliard, was a negro farm hand, 24 years of age, who was beaten to death on June 24. The motive for the crime is said to have been jealousy on the part of Taylor, who became possessed of the belief that Milliard was too familiar with Mrs. Taylor. Taylor is suspected of having planned the assassination, and induced Catherine White and Charles Roberts to assist him. The murdered man was attacked on the banks of a creek about one-half mile from Taylor's house and pounded over the head till he died, after which the body was carried to the track of the Missouri Pacific railroad, where it was left till it was run over and horribly mutilated by a train of cars. After killing Hilliard, his murderers used his coat and other garments to absorb the blood from the ground and these were found lying near where the deed was accomplished on Sunday last. After the crime Roberts disappeared from Ottawa, and has been in Kansas City for several weeks in the hopes of getting work in one of the packing houses. He was located by a letter he wrote to his wife. (Kansas City Times, October 9, 1895, submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer)