The Forrest City times. [volume], May 29, 1896, Image 8

About The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919

Image provided by: Arkansas State Archives

                
i PIC rntAUntn*rlcND.
Kseltlng Day la Scandinavian
Church Investigation—Further Evidence
of \ lllainy—Hone* and ltlood-Nt alnr<)
Wearing Apparel Ilug I p In the Have
ment of the Church- What the Ashet
from the Furnace Revealed.
Sai.t Lark. Ftah, May 2.V—This has
been nn exciting and eventful day in
the investigation of the Scandinavian
Methodist church tragedies, the netre
*ult being1 a chain of circumstances
which, taken with those previously
discovered, fasten the guilt of murder
ing Miss Clawson on Rev. Francis
Hermann beyond a reasonable doubt
and also go to show that Miss Sam
nelson fell a victim to the pastor's Sa
tanic actions and that he may also have
had other victims.
I he work of excavating1 the floor of
the basement of the church began
at an early hou r this morning. A
fast amount of earth was removed
and quantities of bones found in vari
ous stages of decomposition. Some
were plainly identified as human
bones, others were in such a condition
Ihut it was impossible to tell whether
they were human or the bones of an
animal, and others were plainly rec
ognized as being those of cattle and
fowls. The general appearance of the
place was such as to suggest the
Idea of a cemetery, and there is
no telling how many human beings
have been interred in the basement of
the sacred edifice. At a certain spot
beneath the stairway, where the soil
showed evidence of having been re
cently disturbed, the sole and heel of
fc woman's shoe were found near the
surface, and a little deeper down in
the same spot a piece of bloodstained
Derails, which, it is claimed by the
tenants of the church, were worn by
Ihe pastor while he was engaged in
laboratory’ and other work separate
and apart from his books. The over
alls were bloodstained on almost every
part.
Ed Johnson, tha young man whose
room was heated to such a high degree
of temperature the day’ the minister
built the big fire in the furnace, de
clares that Hermann had them on when
the latter was met by him on the base
ment stairs with a gunny sack under
his arm. He also said he wore a jumper
of like goods. All effort to find this
article of clothing were futile.
Then came a piece of confirmatory’
evidence as to what became of it. The
furnace ashes, on being sifted, were
found to contain the requisite number
of steel buttons for such an article of
apparel, and the strong point is that
they correspond exactly with those on
the blood-saturated overalls.
Miss Clawson wore five or six artifi
cial teeth and a further examination
of the ashes taken from the furnace
resulting in the finding of two arti
ficial teeth with metalic rivets similar
to those worn by the dead girl.
This afternoon the detectives found
in a second-hand store Miss Clawson’s
trunk, which the pastor claims
to have sent to her by an un
known express some weeks after her
disappearance. The trunk, it trans
pires, contained the wearing apparel
of the missing girl. Among the ar
ticles of clothing was the dress in
which Miss Clawson had the photo
graph taken now in the possession of
the police. In addition to this.
It now appears that Herman
Sold the trunk and clothing himself
and that he disposed of the girl’s gar
ters at the same time. The date of
this transaction was December 11 last,
Just two months and eleven days after
the girl disappeared. Whether the
bones found in excavating the base
ment of the church, include those of
Miss Samuelson, the other girl who is
believed to have fallen victim to the
preacher's lust and bloodthirstiness,
remain to be seen. He was intimate
with the Samuelson girl, and he per
formed an abortion on her a few
weeks before her disappearance in
January last.
a lew nays prior to her disappear
ance the pastor had a large box made
at the lumber .yard, and the officer*
hold to the theory that the board*
found in the church are too old tc
have been in the church only since
January. Miss Clawson, it is known,
gave him $300 shortly before her dis
appearance, and Mias Samuelson had
also given him several sums of money
while she was living with him.
Hermann drank heavily at times and
kept a stock of wines and liquors in
his study. The officers are keeping up
the search in and about the church,
and the place has been visited by
thousands of curiosity seekers to-day.
Dr. Meacham, who made an analysis
of the stains upon the various articles
found in the cellar, said that he was
not prepared to state that the stains
were those caused by human blood,
owing to the fact that during the long
period that had elapsed since the per
petration of the deed the blood cor
puscles had become contracted, making
it a hard matter to distinguish it from
the blood of animals, sucli as horses,
dogs. etc. Nevertheless he emphatic
ally pronounced the stains that he
found on the lower door of the fur
nace and upon the barrel found in the
cellar to be undoubtedy human blood
stains. Beyond that he was prepared
to give no further statement, ex
cept that he would operate with
a final test this evening
upon the articles, including the smears
upon the paper. The officers have no
tidings of the missing preacher. The
governor of the state has been asked tc
offer a reward for his capture, and it it
expected that his excellency will do so.
^ LEADERS OF LOW PRICES
BECKER & LEWIS,
DEALERS IN’
★ Qeqcyql A( ei<cl]qrjdise^f
Fire Brick, Lime, Cement, Plaster Paris, Iron,
Wagon Material, Curtains, Wall Paper,
Oil Cloth, Carpets, Etc.
FURNITURE AT ROCK BOTTOM FIGURES
Will make it to your interest to examine their stock before purchasing elsewhere
Drink Now and Then is Relished by the Best of Men,"^~
AND THE MOST
PALATAfeLE BEVERAGES
CAN HE HAD AT THE
★PEARL*SALOON^
IKE MALLORY, Proprietor.
Hip Best of Tennessee and Kentucky Whiskies. Imported and Domestic Wines
Liquors, Cigars. Beer, Ale, Porter, etc.|
Special Attention Paid to the Jug Trade.
A Beautiful Line of Bottled Goods.
North Washington Street, next to J. W. Beck & Co.
BTC. P. TATLCS.
Geo. P. I ay lor & Co.
FORREST CITY, ARKANSAS.
ESS AS V. TATLOS,
--
Real Estate ana General Insurance Agents ani Brokers
Representing the Old Reliable, Time Tried and Fire Tested Companies.
We Pay Taxes, Redeem Lands, Sell and Exchange
Property, and Negotiate Loans.
We sell Fire, Life, T«raado and Accident Policies, and
Represent the
Equitable Life Assurance Ass’n.
Correspondence Solicited. L.^ck Box 21. Office in Roll
I
wage Building, Upstairs.
L. R. GROBMYER,
Proprietor oftlrx©
CITY MKAT MARKET
West Side North Washington Street.
Keeps Fresh Meats of all kinds and Game in season. Buys and sells T.ivo
Stock, paying the highest Market Price for Hogs and Cattle. Your
trade and inquiries solicited.
J. M. ALLINDER.
W. B. YOUNG.
T. W. ALLINDER.
on4.
-PROPRIETORS OF THE
Palace Saloon.
Hancock Building, North Washington Street, Forrest City, Ark.
—DEALERS IN—
piipe U/ii)es, Ciquors ai}d Qi^ars
Case Goods a Specialty.
The Celebrated Clifton Springs Whisky—Regular
Four Dollar Goods—will be sold at $3.
We are Sole Agents for the Old Canadian Rye
Whisky. Everything first-class, and a share of the
public patronage is invited. Fair and courteous
treatment guaranteed to all.
IDH3 A.X_H]K,0 IKT
General, * *
★ it Merchandise
ITlUbl UUi aUla DUUUUI
: t : Boot Ever Made
FUSSELL, GRAHAM 4 CO.
Are Bole Afenu (or the
Snag Proof
Rubber Boots
Thttc are the Bant Boots on the
Market, and will be sold
very close
IWOLTTDIIT*
j Furniture,
Stoves,
Tinware.
Cultivators & Mown
Barbed Wire
and Lime
a Specialty.,
The Highest Market Price
will be paid for
Chickens, Butter,
Eggs, Hides,
Tallow, Etc.Eto
m. FUS5ELL
V.UUI1I
L. ROLLWAGE.
OHO B. ROLLWAGE.
L ROLLWAfiE 4 CO.
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL DEALERS IH
General \ Merchandise.
CHEAPEST CASH STORE IN THE CITE
J. W. BECK & CO.
dealers in
GENBRAL
Merchandise
Careful and Prompt Attention Given to Trade in CottoB
Hides, Furs and Country Produce. Consign
nente of same solicited.
N. W. Corner Front and Washington Sts,, Forrest City, lit
J. Kls.SKI.1., I’t t-uldrnl. L. 1IOU-HAI.K. Urr-I'rMidoat. CHAtv j|. SAHDM*.
Paid up capital, $50,000. Surplus, $5,000.
BANK Of EASTERN ARKANSAS.
FORREST CITY, ARK.
Huti’d M CiUtetiou i SynitUf
CORRESPONDENTS: #
Fourth National Bank. New York. State National Bank. Mempht*.
Continental National Bank, St. Louis. German National Bank. Little Ro*
•-riHECTOHS
n. nviv. OI J. w. neci uo.
JAMKS FUSSF.LL. of Fupsell, Graham Jk Oo
L. KOLLWAGB, of L. Rollwag-e 4k Co.
W. H. McI)AJ<lIBL. Capitaliat and Plantar.
N. W. NORTON, Attorney mi
A. BECKER. of Becker A Uwi*.
CHAP. L. KGQLRSTON, Brinkley
I WM M. BLOCK. Real Estate Deaier.TaBi
J. W. WYNNE, of Wynne, Lore & 0o.f MernpfcU, Tfcnn.
sr
EVERYTHING NEW AND FIRST-CLASS
TOLBERT & DUNCAN,
Barbers and Hairdressers.
North Washington Street, Forrest City*
Havinir oormnHduted our two eheps, and *»«etythSntr tieintr new a*d w
a* Uia . r • wwjwtrwJ *k gir* mure Miuiiuttua. we solicit a Ulmttl P•waafcg*
*