Hi! Here are the articles I re-typed. It's pretty much a given that there will be some typos...... LACLEDE COUNTY SENTINEL Feb. 24, 1899 A SHOCKING MURDER Lynchburg, MO Feb. 21 Special The most terrible crime that was ever committed in this part of the State has just come to light. Four miles northeast of Plato in Texas County, there lived an old man by the name of C. H. Thomas all alone. On the evening or night of February 12, a young man by the name of George Logan came to the Thomas place, went to the house, got the old man?s Winchester and went to the barn, about 60 yards from the house, where the old man was doing his chores. He shot him in the back of the head, the ball lodging in the forehead, killing him instantly. He then waited until the body froze when he chopped off both of his legs near where they joined the body and put him into a box with some old clothes and wagon sheet wrapped around him. He then got a young man about 18 years of age, by the name of Ed Wallace, to come and help load the box on the wagon, putting some hay over the box. The then put the old man Thomas? trunk on top of the box and tied it there, saying that he was going to take the old man?s clothes and trunk to Richland on the Frisco R. R. to ship them to Thomas at Springfield, MO. And that the old man had gone away that evening, very suddenly, with a stranger in a buggy, and that the old man had ordered them shipped to that point. He then took the wagon and started toward Richland. They traced the team to the bridge across the Gasconade River in Pulaski Co. He then returned to Marion Brownfield?s, where he stayed all night, leaving the box at Brownfield?s and telling Mrs. Brownfield that he had bought the trunk at Richland, but when Marion Brownfield came in later from Richland, he told him that the trunk belonged to the old man Thomas and that he had bought a smaller one and shipped his clothes to him at Springfield. Next morning Logan returned to the Thomas farm and took full possession of everything on the place, taking young Wallace in as a cropper. When he was arrested on Thursday by Constable George Evans, he had on the old man?s boots and overcoat. On Monday, February 20, in the afternoon, the body was found by two small boys by the name of Craft, about 4 miles north of Cookville, in Pulaski County, on the Richland road, near the Fairview School House, about 150 years from the County Road, in a deep hollow, wrapped in the wagon sheet, with some old clothes and rocks thrown in it. Nothing had bothered the body since it was left there. They found where he had stopped the wagon, about 100 yards from the big road, then carried the body down into the hollow. He then drove back into the county road and went to the bridge across the river and returned. Wallace is now under arrest and there is strong talk of lynching Logan should the officers bring him back for preliminary trial, which is set for the 28th of the month at Plato. Excitement is at fever heat. Logan is in the Texas County jail at Houston. LACLEDE COUNTY SENTINEL 2-24-1899 JUDGE LYNCH WILL PRESIDE AN ATROCIOUS MURDER COMMITTED IN TEXAS COUNTY ? MURDERER CONFESSES The following special from Richland to the Globe-Democrat under date of February 21, will be of local interest to friends of the murdered man in this county: Some days ago a man named Thomas, whose home is in Texas County, started from there to come to Richland, but disappeared strangely. Yesterday afternoon a party of farmers found his body in a ravine about ten miles from town. It was poorly concealed a few yards from the road, wrapped in a wagon sheet, over which stones and rubbish had been thrown. A wound in the back of the head, evidently caused by a Winchester rifle, was found. The legs at the trunk of the body had been cut off and were also badly hacked at the knees. A box was found at a nearby farmhouse which had been left there by a man named Logan, in which it has since been learned the body was hauled to the place where it was found. Logan was arrested, and was found to be wearing Thomas? boots, and also had his watch and purse. The crime was committed one week ago today, since which time the mutilated corpse has been hauled about the country in a wagon. At one time in a trunk and then in a box, the driver of the vehicle seeking a place to dispose of it. He purchased grain sacks at a country store only eight miles from town, intending to make several parcels of body and secrete them in different places, but substituted a wagon sheet for the sacks. Logan told the Texas County Sheriff it was useless to deny the crime, and begged the officer to shoot him rather than let a mob get him. Two women, name Williams and Kilman, both married, who are supposed to have instigated the crime, are also under arrest. The Kilman woman, supposed to be connected with the murder, is the wife of Alf Kilman, who, some months ago, walked out of the Circuit Court room at Waynesville while a motion for a new trial was pending in a case in which he has been sentenced to the penitentiary for two years, since which time he has not been seen. The three have been taken to Texas County. There is a feeling almost of certainty, as gathered from farmers who came in to day and who took part in the search, that Logan will be lynched. A sister of the murdered man, who does not know of his death, is en route from Mount Pleasant, Pa., and will arrive here Friday to visit him, expecting him to meet her at the depot. The Coroner?s verdict will likely be reported Thursday. LACLEDE COUNTY SENTINEL 3-3-1899 TAKEN TO SPRINGFIELD George Logan who confessed to the murder of his employer H. C. Thomas, near Plato, Texas County, two accounts of which were published in last week?s Sentinel, was taken to Springfield jail for protection against the mob. Young Logan attended the Hamilton White College in this city two years ago and appeared then to be only about 16 years of age. He is said to be related to the wife of Marion Brownfield where he stayed all night with the severed remains of his victim immediately before depositing it in the hollow where it was found a few days later. He is likewise said to be related to the Bench family of Gasconade Township. He was taken back to Texas County on Monday for his preliminary examination. LACLEDE COUNTY SENTINEL 3-10-1899 THAT HORRIBLE MURDER IN TEXAS COUNTY GEORGE LOGAN, CHARGE WITH THE CRIME, CONFINED IN THE GREENE COUNTY JAIL George Logan, the alleged murderer of H. C. Thomas, the Texas County ranchman, is in the Springfield jail, placed there by the Sheriff of Texas County, from a fear of mob violence., In an interview Logan denies committing the murder, but begs not to be returned to Texas County for a preliminary hearing. He also said he could not make a confession as he had nothing to confess. Logan intimates that he has money with which to wage a battle against the gallows, but he maintains a sullen silence when questioned as to how he came in possession of the money. Although he had several times weakened apparently almost to the point of confession, he still denies the crime charged against him. The latest reports from Texas County seem to strengthen the case of the prosecution and so indicate more plainly than ever that no mistake was made in the arrest of Logan. It is alleged that Logan stayed at the house of Mrs. Pleas. Williams on Saturday night, February 11. On Sunday morning the family arose early. After eating breakfast, Logan told Mrs. Williams that he would walk over and help Mr. Thomas feed his stock. As he left the house he reached up over the door and took down his 32 Winchester, which he shouldered, and started toward the home of Mr. Thomas, where it is supposed that he lay in concealment near the barn until the old man came out to feed. It is supposed that Mr. Thomas had finished feeding, and started to return to the house, when Logan, who was taking aim through a crack between two logs, fired, the ball striking Mr. Thomas in the back and lower part of the head, ranging upward and lodging in the upper and front part of the head. Thomas staggered against the door facing where his whiskers caught in a splinter, pulling out a bunch of whiskers and leaving a stain of blood from his bruised head as he fell backward into a stable. It is thought that the body was then rolled under the manger, covered up and left until night, when, under cover of darkness, the fiend removed the body to the house. Having killed the man, some disposition of the body became necessary, so the murderer procured a box about 3 � feet long, 18 inches wide and 18inches deep, into which he supposed the body could be placed. After having cut off the legs he found that the box was too small to hold the body of his victim. He then rolled the body in a wagon sheet and left it in the house over Monday. Logan dressed himself in some of the dead man?s clothes and on Monday morning started for Plato, telling the people whim he met that Mr. Thomas had gone away and that he (Logan) had charge of all the old man?s property. Securing a half pint of alcohol at Plato he started for home, remarking that he hadn?t much money, but that he expected to have a time while it lasted. On Tuesday morning of last week Logan started for the railroad, driving Thomas? team and wagon, in which he claimed to have the old man?s trunk and that he was going to take it to Richland, where he would ship it to Springfield, and the old man would get it from there. Before getting to the Gasconade river, Logan purchased two sacks which he could fill with rocks with which to sink the body, but luck was against him. He met so many people and one man even got on the wagon and rode a short distance with him. Seeing his purpose to sink the body in the river could not be accomplished, it is surmised, Logan finally drove about 150 yards to the side of the road and threw the body of the dead man in a small ravine and then drove home. Logan told different stories as to the whereabouts of Mr. Thomas and these caused suspicion that he himself had in some way got rid of him. On investigation of the premises, after the news of Mr. Thomas? disappearance had been spread throughout the neighborhood, blood was found on the door sills and on the walls of the barn. As fine manure was scattered over these tell-tale spots, suspicion of foul play was at once aroused. On being questioned as to the source of the blood, young Logan said that he had cut his finger very badly and that it came from the wound. Examination of the house revealed a large blood stain upon the floor which was covered by fine bits of hay, but Logan was not to be caught without a solution of this. He stated that Mr. Thomas and himself had butchered a hog a few days before and had taken it into the house to cut it up, and if there were blood stains there, that must have been the cause of them. Suspicion became so strong that Logan was placed under arrest and search at once began for the missing man. For several days the woods, caves, rivers, and all places where it was thought that the body could be concealed were searched, but all in vain until Sunday evening, the 12th, some boys, who were out hunting hogs, suddenly came upon the body, wrapped in a wagon sheet as above described. LACLEDE COUNTY SENTINEL 3-17-1899 Nothing of great importance has developed in the H. C. Thomas murder case, for which deed George Logan is now incarcerated in the jail at Houston since the report of our last issue. Logan weakened somewhat and made startling statements to the officials, but they do not bear the imprint of truth, and while such clews (sic) as he has given will probably be investigated, it is not anticipated that they will bring out any new developments. The preliminary trial of the young man, Ed Wallace, under charge of being accessory to the deed after it had been committed, was held at Plato last week. A change of venue was taken from Squire ??????s court to that of Squire Lingo, and the examination resulted in Wallace being discharged. The theory that old man Thomas was killed in the barn is thought by many who have viewed the premises to be wrong; but it is now thought that he was shot through the window in the kitchen while he was cooking or warming at the stove. The fact that the back of the dead man?s head was badly powder burned is positive proof that he could not have been shot at the barn as described at first from the fact that the murderer in that position would have been from 16 to 20 feet away from his victim, and the flash of the gun would not burn at that distance. It is still believed that Logan committed the deed, but it is also thought that the other party or parties had criminal knowledge of the crime. LACLEDE COUNTY SENTINEL 4-7-1899 LOGAN RECAPTURED TEXAS COUNTY MURDERER AGAIN BEHIND BARS AT SPRINGFIELD FUGITIVE FOUND AT THE HOME OF HIS SWEETHEART NEAR SCENE OF THE MURDER Whether it was a longing desire to return to the scene of his crime or to see his sweetheart, is not known, but Sheriff Cantrell?s posse had but little trouble in locating George Logan, the alleged murderer of H. C. Thomas, of Texas County. Last Sunday Logan in company with another prisoner, escaped from the Houston jail. A posse was at once organized and the fugitive stood but little chance of long having his freedom, and he was captured Tuesday evening at the home of his sweetheart near where Thomas was killed. He was captured by a man named Smith, who arrived at Houston in company with Logan?s brother from the Indian Territory. Smith having heard of the escape met Logan at Wallace?s his sweetheart?s home, and placed the murderer in custody. The sheriff?s posse was near at hand and Logan was turned over to Sheriff Cantrell, who brought him to the Springfield jail last night. The following, taken from the Houston Herald, gives further details of Logan?s escape: Tom Cantrell has been on guard in the jail for some time; but the guard has been kept on duty only during the nights, but frequent visits have been made to the jail during the days. During the day the prisoners were placed in one cell so that they could be near the stove, the other cell being left unlocked. The prisoners secured a piece of iron and made a hole in the corner in the bottom of each cell which were used to convey the slops away. Holes were made large enough to admit of their crawling from one cell to the other by removing the dirt underneath. Everything was prepared Saturday evening, and on Sunday morning, between 10 and 11 o?clock, the prisoners passed from the cell in which they had been locked, through the opening into the other cell, which, being unlocked gave them the liberty of the jail, and it only required a moment more for them to crawl out the large hole by????.[one or more lines missing]???..had been removed by a prisoner that escaped heretofore. It being Sunday morning and disagreeable weather, a very few persons were on the streets, and the prisoners ran east down the hill to Brushy and separated, Logan going through the woods to the river hills, getting about three quarters of an hour the start of the officers, who were soon on his track after the alarm was given. Logan?s crime, the murder of H. C. Thomas, is still fresh in the public mind. In the person of Kinsey he evidently had a partner even sharper in criminal experience than Logan is himself. Kinsey was arrested last Friday a few miles northeast of town by Constable Rodarmer and Tom Cantrell on word received that a reward was offered for him at Ardmore. L. T. Kinsey was under charge of counterfeiting and had jumped his bond. A deputy marshal arrived from the Territory Sunday to take him back, but arrived about an hour after the bird had flown. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com