----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Rose" <BOBR3487@aol.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 1:25 AM ------------------------------------ Source: GC-Bedford Co. Pa Obits Forum > URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Pa/BedfordObits/10870 > Subject: John K. CESSNA > > > Surname: CESSNA, MILLER, JAMISON, WARMUTH > ------------------------- > > Pencil dated 1931 > > DEATH OF MAN FOUND HACKED BEING PROBED > > City And County Authorities Seek Motive For Slaying of John K. Cessna, > > NO. MONEY FOUND IN CHARLES ST. H0ME > > House Filled With Furniture And Other Articles. Sold Liquor, Police Declare > > City and county authorities were faced today with the solution of the first > mystery murder here in many years, occasioned by the finding late yesterday > of the body of John K. Cessna, 63 in the six-room house at 212 Charles > street, where he lived alone. > > Head Battered In > > The head of the dead man was so battered that three distinct fractures > of the skull and thirteen wounds were listed by the autopsy surgeons, Drs. > William L. Burns and Thomas W. Koon. The wounds were apparently inflicted > with some blunt instrument, possibly a hatchet or > hammer, while he was asleep. > > Cessna was also choked, the autopsy surgeons said, finger marks being plainly > visible on his throat. > > No motive for the slaying has been assigned by the authorities nor has > it been possible to fix accurately the time of the tragedy. The possibility > that Cessna was slain as the outgrowth of some dispute in the liquor racket > is scouted by county and city detectives, who favor the theory that his > death followed some personal grievance, possibly over some woman. > > Federal authorities said today that they had no information as to Cessna's > record as a bootlegger, but city police said that he was known to them > as a bootlegger in a small way. > > Instrument Not Found > > The instrument of Cessna's death, has not been found, though county and > city officers searched the neighborhood today. A number of persons were > scheduled for questioning, > through State's Attorney William A. Huster said that no arrests were. contemplated. > > An inquest will be held tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. > > Shortly after noon a false rumor that the murderer was arrested, gained > wide circulation and a number of calls came to both The Times office and > police headquarters. > > Woman Discovers Body > > Cessna's body was discovered about 5:45 p. in. by Mrs. Lottle V. Miller, > 605 Hill Top Drive. a middle aged widow who went to Cessna's home twice > a week to do the housework. She was accompanied by her son, John M. Miller. > > The body was lying on the floor near the bed, clad only, in underwear. > The pillow and sheet below it were soaked with blood and the wall was spattered > with blood. No money was found > in the house, though police were told that he seldom carried much money > or kept much in the house. Later it was said that at times he had a large > roll of money. Three watches were found in the room one under the pillow. > > Mrs. Miller and her son found the front door of the house locked and entered > through an unfastened kitchen window. Upon finding the body, Mr. Miller > telephoned Brace Gillum, 425 Columbia street, a nephew of Cessna, and then > notified the police. > > Motorcycle Sergeant Raymond R. Johnston and Motorcycle patrolman Luther > L. Youngblood were sent to the house and were followed by the State's Attorney, > County Investigator Terrence J. Boyle, Sergeant George P. Gearhart of the > Maryland State Police; City Detectives William J. Cubbage and Curtis McA. > Kime, Chief of Police Oscar A. Eyerman, Assistant Chief J. P. Mirmicks > and Officers Glyn Davis and R. C. Cassen. > > Many Weapons In House > > The bedroom and the entire home were in good order. The dead man's personal > effects were in good condition and of good quality. A quantity of well > laundered shirts and other personal linen was in place in his dresser. > He wore an F. 0. E. charm engraved with his initials. The house contained > a veritable arsenal, at least six rifles, pistols and shotguns, including > an old U. S. Army rifle, were found. A fully loaded revolver was found > in the dresser. > > One of the four watches was a woman's timepiece and was found in Cessna's > trousers, tucked under the pillow. His own gold watch was in the vest of > a suit hanging in the clothes closet. Authorities said that Cessna had > apparently had a mania for collecting and buying, particularly furniture, > with which the house was crowded. He had many clothes and much linen, including > over one hundred handkerchiefs. Not one cent of money was found. > > Aside from streaks of blood and swatches on the wall, the house was in > perfect order and there was no evidence of a struggle. . Cessna had evidently > a mania for collecting toilet requisites, articles and even cosmetics. > > Neighbors said that he had many callers, both men and women who generally > came and went singly. > > Though Cessna was not known to travel to any extent. an unusually large > quantity of luggage of good quality was found In the home. > > Authorities are Inclined to discount various reports of Cessna's last appearances. > Harold Deetz, who with his father, William H. Deetz, 215 Charles street > was repairing the root of his father's house, directly across the street > from Cessna's home, told Police that they saw Cessna and a strange man > enter Cessna's house, about 10 a. m. > > Robert J. Payne, former Western Maryland trainmaster, who has been rooming > on Highland street, told police that he was to have moved into a vacant > bedroom at Cessna's home yesterday, and that he called there several times > but was unable to gain admittance. > > Failed to Appear For Breakfast > > Mrs. Miller said that Cessna was to her house for breakfast, as he occasionally > did, yesterday morning. She added that several attempts to get him on the > telephone were unsuccessful. > George Miller another son of the housekeeper, said that he and his mother > were at Cessna's house Monday night. He said that be had taken his mother > there early in the evening, spent several hours with his wife's parents > on the Mt Savage road and than returned for his > mother about 9 p. m. He continued that his mother and Cessna came out when > he sounded his horn and that Cessna had remarked on the weather and that > he must put out his garbage cans. The empty cans had not been removed from > the curb when the body was found. > > Mrs. Miller said that she had known Cessna for about three years. His first > wife, who was a Miss Hendrickson, died a number of years ago. His second > wife, from whom he was divorced several years ago, is employed in a local > department store. > > Formerly in Railroad Service > > Payne said that he had known Cessna for about twenty-five years and that > the dead man had been dismissed by the railroad before the general strike > of engineers and firemen in 1926. > > The six-room house In which Cessna lived alone was owned by Henry C. Miller, > who lives next door. Members of the Miller family said they heard no noise > of a struggle at time yesterday or Monday night. > > Cessna is survived by two brothers. Thomas B. Cessna, meat market owner > of Mt. Savage, and Chas. Cessna, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad agent at Uniontown > Pa., and by two sisters, Mrs. Clara Jamison, of Uniontown, and Mrs. John > Warmuth, of Bedford Valley, Pa. Two sons of the first marriage are dead. > ------------- > >