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Obit For John or James Conner
Headline A MAN FOUND DEAD
Mystery Surrounds His Death
Text Saturday morning March 9 am Freight Conductor L. M. Fromouth and J. B. Baliard, Engineer run their north bound train unto Woodruff, they discovered the body of a man lying on the east side of the main line, on his right side, with his right arm doubled up under him an his left in front, with his hat pulled down on his head his feet against the bank of the drain of the grade. These men went to Jas. Ervin's residence near by and told Mr. Ervin, and asked him to look after the body. Mr. Ervin told Alonzo Thomas and asked him to go with him to where the dead man was lying, and there found him as Conductor Fromouth had stated.

County Coroner Dr. M. C. Hagler of Monett was telephoned and he went to Woodruff on the first train. Deputy Sheriff Brattin was order to summon a jury and did so, as follows: Claib Brattin, Thos. Setzer, Wm. Browing, Monroe Lucky, Garland Johnson, and S. E. Ervin. The following witnesses were sworn: Jas. Ervin, Alonzo Thomas, Frank Bowman and Chas. Dowd.

Jas Ervin was first to testify. He related about Conductor Fromouth coming to his residence and asking him to look after the body. He said he did not know him, but that he looked like a man that he saw at Woodruff on Thursday on a flat car, and there was a tall man with him.

Alonzo Thomas testified that he did not know the man. He accompanied Mr. Ervin to where the man was laying, on the east side of the track.

Frank Bowman testified that he believed he talked with this same man at the wagon road crossing of the railroad, near-by on Monday before. That the deceased wanted to know how far it was to a water tank south, and he told him Seligman.

Charlie Dowd of the Dowd Construction Co., of Kansas City, testified that he believed he was a man who worked for him last fall, from sometime in October to about Christmas of last year. That he believed his name was John or Jas. Conner, was based on the remembrance of his face, mustache, his having one tooth in front, and his back teeth being out.

On his person was found a sack of smoking tobacco, cigarette paper, box of matches and a Frisco folder, a nickel in one pocket and two silver dollars in the other, part of a cake of soap and a cheap towel, with the letter Y worked in with black thread. He had on black hat of the Columbia make, that had been a very good one, nearly new underwear, blue shirt with black neck tie, double breasted checked coat and vest with stripped pants and No 7 Hamilton Brown shoes and nearly new gray socks. He was cleanly shaven. There was tattooed on his right arm below his elbow, "M.D." with flowers below the letters and something above representing candles burning; he also had a cross lower down on his left arm. Just in front of crown of his head, there was an abrasion on the scalp about one-half an inch and another one about the size of a No. 1 shot. The corner pressed down on these places, but there did not appear to be a fracture of hole in the skull. Both shins were bruised some. There were no marks visible of violence sufficient to have caused his death, and no indication that he had been pushed or knocked from or struck by train. If he had died there, he would have straightend out and turned on his back. There was no mud on his shoes, showing that he walked there. He died or was murdered in the early part of the night and placed near the railroad track, to cover up suspicion. We believe he was murdered in some manner. Let the officials take this up and ferret it out. Dep. Sheriff Brattin took charge of the remains and buried them at Exeter, Saturday evening.
Newspaper or Funeral Home Cassville Democrat
Date March 16, 1907
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Submitted by Barbara Erwin