UNIDENTIFIED: April 2, 1905 Ogden, Utah John Doe

 On April 2, 1905, the body of a man was found drowned in Ogden, Utah. 

John Doe was a white male around 40-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave

Suspicious Death of Birdie Hoffman and Murder of Gertrude Botts

At 7 pm on May 3, 1900, 18-year-old Birdie Hoffman and 16-year-old Charles "Otis" Botts went on a buggy ride in Peoria, Illinois. The two had been dating for the last two years and planned to get married. Birdie's parents tried to convince them that they were too young, but the two didn't care they wanted to marry.

On the ride, he would end up either sexually assaulting her or they had sex. Afterwards, this would upset Birdie greatly and he claimed that she was full of remorse over them doing that. He claimed that she refused to go home and they argued until 4 am. During the argument, she would grab his revolver and shoot herself in the head. 

Police however did not believe that she had killed herself. However, he could not be prosecuted for the crime as no evidence contradicted his statement. 

Five years later on January 6, 1905, a few days before his 21st birthday Otis argued with his wife, 19-year-old Gertrude at the border house they were staying at in Peoria. The two had been constantly arguing ever since they got married the year before. During the argument, He would strike her in the face and then begin to strangle her with a slender hair ribbon killing her.

He would leave the home and go to a saloon in Knoxville and Glendale. When he entered he seemed heavily intoxicated already and caused a disturbance. He was quickly kicked out. So he would catch a car on the way to the courthouse where again he made a disturbance. He was kicked out after traveling two blocks. 

He would then make it to Wall's Saloon on Fayette St. He would hang out there until late that evening. Towards the end of the night, he became more sober. He seemed greatly worried and even told the bartender that he wanted to drown himself in the river. 

 He would spend the night with his friend William Trautman on Nebraska Ave. At 10 am Patrolman Brannon and McEnvoy would go to William's to arrest him. He was still asleep when he arrived, and surprised him when they arrested him. It was found that he had a razor under his pillow. It was suspected he was planning on using it on himself. 

 He would then be arrested the next day for the murder. He would seem indifferent to his wife's death. He stated that it was an Eastern traveler named Albert Baer. His wife was infatuated with the man and the two had spent that night together, so he had to of been the one to kill her. Police did not believe him, especially since he was the last one seen in their room. It also didn't help that he was a suspect in the murder of another woman.

There was no solid evidence, but there was circumstantial so he would be brought to trial in just a couple months. At the trial, he would deny that he knew anything about his wife's murder. The jury would find him guilty and set him to be executed. This angered him and he yelled at the jury in the courtroom.


SOURCES:
Legal Executions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri page 20

The Altamont News May 10, 1900

Mount Carmel Register May 10, 1900

Herald and Review January 8, 1905

Herald and Review January 13, 1905

Marshall County Democrat March 30, 1905

Woodford County Journal April 6, 1905

Murders of Thomas Smith and Squire Knyston

Photo of Thomas Smith

On April 4, 1905, 15-year-old Thomas Smith would leave his home on Wood Street in Chorlton-on-Medlock in Manchester, England. His mother would think that he was looking for work. However, the timid boy would not return home that night. It was assumed that maybe he had gone to visit either his sister in Dunkinfield or the one in Denton. 

The next day two boys he knew came to the house and asked if Thomas was going to work. Not knowing where Thomas was and not wanting him to lose his job she sent a note to his employers that he wasn't feeling well. However, she was worried sick about him. She would make inquiries to see if he was at either sisters, but he wasn't.

At 3pm on April 11, 1905, a rag-and-bone men would go to an uninhabited house on Hoyle Street off Fairfield Street in Ancoats. While gathering items he looked in the cellar window a body would be found lying on his back under a slab. He would tell another rag-and-bone man his discovery and the two would go to the police. 

The police would break into the home and go down to the cellar. It was obvious that the boy was murdered brutally. There was a bloody brick on his neck. A newspaper comic of "Funny Cuts" from April 8th was found stuffed in his mouth as a gag and his red handkerchief with 7 black stripes was tied over it. He was partially dressed and what clothes he had were torn and disarrayed. His pants were pulled down in the back and cut in the front. 

 His face was so beaten that he was unrecognizable. His body was also covered in bruises. He had fought back with his attacker that the nail from his middle left finger was torn off. His arms were covered in scratches he wasn't just beaten, but also stomped as a boot print was on his stomach. His genitals were also mutilated while he was alive. 

It could not be said if he was sexually assaulted, but it was suspected that he was. 

Even though the brick was bloody and found at the scene the coroner believed that a knob-like object was used to beat him. 

It was thought that he had been dead for a couple of days even though he had been missing for a week. It's not stated if they think he was held prisoner, but they know that the crime didn't happen in the cellar he was found in. The only access was a window as the doors to the cellar were locked. 

He had not been reported missing, but when the description was put in the paper his mother knew it was him. His mother and older brother, Issac, would go to identify him. They could not identify him from his face due to the brutality on it. Instead, they identified him by his clothes. At the time he was dressed in a black Vicuna jacket, black vest, dark grey trousers with black stripe, blue and red striped cotton shirt, two odd black stockings, and clasped clogs. He also had in his possession a second-class ticket for the swimming bath, Mayfield Baths, number 7,837.

In 1906, 15-year-old Squire Kynston lived with his mother at Whitsuntide at 7 Back Grey Street in Manchester, England. In August he and his mother would get into an argument after he had stayed out all night. She saw him the day after he stayed out on Butler St. She would say "You naughty boy, go right home and stay in the house" while slapping him on the side of the head. She would never see him again after this argument. 

Someone had told her later he was with his cousin. She would assume that Squire was staying with her sister and assumed he was safe. She did not check up on him however since she and her sister did not have a good relationship. It wasn't stated if he was staying with his aunt or just assumed he was. 

On Chapel St behind London Road Station, there was an unoccupied house set to be demolished. On November 20th A workman would enter the house. He stated when he entered the ground floor rooms of the home there was a stench in the air. He would find out that the stench was coming from the cellar. He would go down the stairs nearly tripping over something. It was Squire's body. The worker would quickly go and get the police. 

One of his shoulders was under a slab of flag and his head was partially under a slope stone. Squire was not wearing any clothes when he was found, but a thin strap was found wrapped around his neck. It's believed it was wrapped tightly around his neck. It was unknown what his cause of death was as he was too decomposed and rats had been eating him. However, it was believed he may have been sexually assaulted as his pants were not on him. He was not beaten on his head like Thomas.

Though both boys had died in different ways, the way they were found in similar ways and places. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK (Thomas)

Unsolved Murders UK (Squire)

Days of Horror

Manchester Evening News April 12, 1905

Leicester Mercury April 12, 1905

Birmingham Evening Mail

Murder of Herbert and Kate Rapson

 

By 1905 59-year-old William Rapson was frequently arguing with his son 25-year-old Herbert and Herbert's wife 28-year-old Kate. They would fight over the farm of H.N. Nottingham where they were tenants. In early January William agreed to leave the farm. Accounting of the farm started and fights still ensued and they nearly threw fists. Kate would get involved siding with her husband. They all lived in Joilet, Illinois together.

The morning of January 7, 1905, started out normally as the two would take care of the farm together. William and Herbert would go to the barn and feed the cattle and horses. Herbert would climb the hayloft and pitched hay down to the animals.

While Herbert was doing this William brought out a shotgun he had hidden the night before. While Herbert was coming down the ladder William would shoot his son once his head was visible. His death was sudden as the buckshot entered the base of the head and without even a groan Herbert fell to the pavement dead.

William would hide the gun behind the barn door and go to the home and ask Kate for help. She and her mother-in-law did not hear the gunshot. He told her that one of the cows was sick and he and Herbert needed her help with it. So unknowning of her fate she came into the barn first spotted Herbert on the ground.

She would run to her husband as William grabbed the gun. She initially thought he had been hurt, but she noticed that he had been shot she screamed and looked at William horrified. He pointed the gun at her and he was between her and the only exit. He told her "I'm going to kill you". She tried to run the other way away from him. 

The chase ended when they were at the far corner of the stable. There was no way out. She  tried to cover her face to protect herself. He held the gun a few inches from her head an fired. After he killed her he walked out of the barn not bothering either body. He would make his 

He would walk straight to a neighbors home, Lewis Grouger, and tell him "My son and his wife are in trouble." He gave no further explanation and Lewis and William rushed to the barn. Lewis was disturbed by the sight of the murders and rushed to another neighbor for help. Inside the home William's wife had no idea of his crime.

William would reload his gun and take off his boot. He placed the muzzle in his mouth and used his toes to shoot the gun. This did not kill him. When Lewis returned he would find William and William would tell him "I killed them both. I raised the boy and I loved him. Him and his wife were mean to me. They wanted to throw me out to beg."

William would be sent to the hospital and would survive. William would plea guilty. Against what Kate's family wanted William would get life in prison. Because of his injuries from his attempted suicide and his old age even with the minimum of 14 years for both would mean he would die behind prison.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave Herbert

Find a Grave Kate

Chicago Tribune January 8, 1905

Matoon Morning Star January 8, 1905

The Worthington Advance January 13, 1905

The Tamaroa Times January 18, 1905

The Joliet Evening Herald-News March 2, 1905

The Joilet Evening Herald-News March 27, 1905

The Champaign Daily News March 28, 1905

The Joilet Evening Herald News March 30, 1905

The Joilet Evening Herald News April 1, 1905

Murder of Winona Charlotte Newton

 

On July 12, 1890, Winona Newton was born. She would live in Kansas City, Missouri near 55th St. and College Ave with her family. After her mother was sent to an asylum in St. Joseph Winona took care of the home and her siblings. 

In August of 1905, the 15-year-old Winona Newton began to meet with Austin Francis. He would come near the house and would give a signal so that Winona could meet with him.

Their relationship was not completely good. A friend of Winona stated that Winona claimed her lover had threatened to kill her several times. She had said that one of the times Winona went to Austin's office and he threatened to kill her if she would not marry him. Ada, Winona's 12-year-old sister, was sent in her stead to meet Francis a few times. He would tell Ada that he would kill Winona. Winona claimed that she didn't take the threats seriously and was not afraid of him. 

On November 3, 1905, Winona complained of feeling ill. She would make dinner with the help of Ada, but at 7 p.m. she would leave after hearing the signal. After a few minutes, she would return and grab an empty china cup and rush towards the bridge. That night she would not return to eat dinner. Her father would look for her at a few places, but figured she went to stay the night with a friend and didn't tell them.

The next morning an 8-year-old boy, Roy Wilson, would find the body of Winona on the bridge. He would scream and run to his employer Mrs. Hollenbeck telling her of the body. From his window, Mr. Newton saw Mrs. Hollenbeck running and he had a bad feeling about it. Roys father would be called, and then two other men, and then Mr. Newton. Mr. Newton and Winona's siblings ran to the scene knowing it was Winona.

Winona's murder was brutal. It had turned out that inside the empty cup she was given a large amount of carbolic acid, but before the effects of the poison could work she was attacked. Her face showed evidence of being slashed she had a cut above her right eye and slashed beneath both eyes and an incision beneath her ear. She had been strangled as fingermarks were found on her throat. She would then get beaten with large stones found at the bridge

Austin would be arrested on November 5th. He would go to trial where he claimed that he did write letters to the girl, but was not her lover. He said that he met her at the bridge only a couple of times since August. That there would be no reason for him to murder her. 

He would be found guilty, but the supreme court would overturn the conviction. It was believed that there was not sufficient evidence to say that Austin had killed the girl. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

The Kansas City Star Nov. 4, 1905

The Kansas City Times Nov. 16, 1905

The Kansas City Star Dec. 16, 1905

The Kansas City Times Dec. 19,  1905

The Kansas City Times December 21, 1905

Paxton Daily Record Jan 29. 1906

The Post-Crescent Jan 29, 1906

The Kansas City Star  December 3, 1916