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THL'JtSDAY. JUNE .. 1872TRAGIC DEATH.ICaiar Taylor's Son Found Dead.Tragedy Shrouded Mysteiy.PainfulVerdict of tne Coroner s Jury.We have etrc; b.en called upon to record ■ tragedy more melanahoiy than the one in whirl. Ernest Taylor lost hie life.Tbi* tragic eeen: happened l*xt Wednesday night, t.ut no knowledge of the casually was received Ly the father and mother of the dewd h .y until Thursday morning, when Mgj-Taylor, the father becoming alarmed at the thought of hi* son remaining out ever night, went to the Police Headquarter* and reported hi- fear* Within ten minute* after thi=, before he had lime to reach lire home, on Broadway, the report that hia eon had let* found dead in a lot not more than one block from hi* own home, bowed him to the earth with griet, and ao di-:reved hia wife lliat her reason we* delt;paircd of. The mournful intelligence vjon apread throughout the city, Jor ill newa iraeel■ wiUi llgbtning rapidity.Our reporter at one*- proceeded to the residence of Major Taylor, went up staira and ■aw the body of Ernest Taylor lying upon the bed. witr. ibe mo-l skillful surgeon' in the room. The fire of the dead boy waa lilac', with powder, and the apjiearance of the right ere indicated that a pistol ball bad pas- d tin agh it and entered the brain.The body discovered by a buy, between ' “d 8 o'clock Thun lav morning It was lying between the house on (l..llf -u.et, occupied by Mr-. Spring, and the Hi., which run- along the alley. |Vr-...- ,n the neighborhood heard a pistol shot Wedwwday sight about !»*. tic k,.i a lime More that hour, and I ha-. N Spring -dinttsvl.cnlt;mg1 -t..lJin*:undhaving pi'ked up 11,c pUtoI, berund ibis nothing definite known, although the Coroner's Jure redirect , . cidut last evening that Earnest Taylor . .. . hh death frtu. , pEtnl it. the band- ■ I in* V pringThis lad 1- fl’L.li ...1- .if man. month- t 1..- Iirrii the loi.-tai-t. ,111-paneue.f tiro. • 1 t |- j« r|rs( both 1.0*. «,ere u.npi- 01 pi-t.l-, aad sere ■bufhintly supplied will. ammunition. It ie sl- lt;leai that Kami-l Tayl.-r and this. Spin g wei, t.lt;e||ier Wrdn.-d,. evening, and no ilonbt eii-l that I atai. ( -. idetdally nliot himself tl.., t .a hpring I . aci-i-dent shot him. lie Spun- b.v, |,ow-wver. give. sorb luiifu ed, . Mdra-dk»«ry and UnihVnng account* lint uoieli-■DC. ran be placed up ,u hi- - ateuietit*. ||iamnthe, ami «-■. I r.l -. • andswwuthat they bare no knowledge ..[ tne tragedy, except that known u. tbe puhli.- in finding the body, and -»e.r tbat t hark-. In their knowledge, n: not cm*. of the bou-e that evening, lie wa* arrested, however, Thum-fbren.»iti and placed in the Mar-hal’s bake. A thorough search «a- made on the premiae* ot'the Viril]^ family t .r pistol and the piltul* tuiind, init the li.itc- dsdtred that tbe pistol* had 11. • .-1 in j. *i n of t barks.Liter in the day Ihi. Daniel L I minister of the if. 1.. t hu'Hi .tith congregation tiprin f.i . belong*. feeling it to he hi* du'v t. invc -...ate the aftnir, insauiuib s* tl. . «.- 1.. nun in 'he family, called at tin- h..'i-e, and re civ- I no it.-factor;. account of the alli'r, or a* in ’ rnired no intelligence , il. u! ’-,| to j- net rate the mystery surr mndin.'bpr was missed, but beard no piatol shot. 11 Mr. Flora sworn snJ ‘lamined.—I was 1 sitting on my front porch and heard the re- 1, l«,rt of a pistol between k and 1 o clock in j tbe erening; I supposed tbe shot was fired , I dorrs in the slier; it waa in Lb* direction of • the place wbare tbe body was found; Eroast ■ j Taylor was in my lot si 6 o'clock that eve*-11 ing. playing with my boys. JICharles Yeager sworn and examined.—111 live on tbe north aide of Osage, between I ( Seventh and Broadway, opposite Spring’s; I, saw, Ernest Tsylor Wednesday evening, about 7 o'clock; be came before tbe boose 11 and sal down on a keg; be met Cbaa. Spring j there and went away with him when I saw j than last they were in tbe alley near lt;Spring's; 1 didn't see them after dark; it j1 waa dark when I saw them; there wm* an- I • other boy along with them, but I don't know , wbo be wns; I saw Cha*. Spring walking \ • out with bis mother between C and 7 o'clock; 1this was before he went to tbe alky with j ( Ernest Tayluoc I beard a report o' a piatol |, that evening; 1 think about dark, a half. c hot^r or hour after I saw Ernest Taylor; I .1 wa- at the store, silting 00 the porch; the allot sounded in the alley j j on the other side of the street; I didn't aee ( the flash; il sounded to me like it was at { the hack end of Spring’s lot; I saw where tbe body lay; tbe ahot was not where the body ; waa fouDd; tbeae boys were together fro- j I quently and seemed friendly; I lire about | thirty yards from Spring's.Fred. Uraaer sworn and examined: I know Ernest Taylor, aw him the day before tbe decoration near Tamer Hall, about six o'clock in tbe evening: no ooe was with him; be bad some cartridges in hia pocket be j i( showed me bis pistol, said be gave four dol- ■ t lars for it: it waa a small pistol, turned to one j tide, bad a cartridge in it; tbe box waa paste j ( board, filled with cartridge*, oblong diaped £ box- 1 don't know I. has. spring. i j,Mr*. M. K. Haynes sworn and examined: ' j I didn't Know Ernest Taylor; saw him oncw (j or twice; 1 live in Arkansas, on tbe 't. Fran-1 e ci* river, at tbe Brown plantation; am here f, visiting Mr*. Spring, wbo la my mother;lt; barle* didn't leave the hooae that evening, except to go with hi* mother down Fifth street: thev went away about four o'clock and returned about fivso’clock; Charier remained in tl.e bouse or in the yard after that: mother wa» punishing him for disobedience, keeping him a* it were a prisoner, that i* kept him in the bouse or yard until aix o'clock; 1 went down town at six o'clock and came hark at slsj.it nine o'clo-A; •.'barley was then in bed, ■mdreW; 1 do not know akdht-r be was playing with Tavtor’* t-jy after six o't lork; tliarky made no staleuieiit 10 me until tbe boJy vji AjUinl, then In- -aid be did not know lirue-l Was dead; I knew nothing of tbe J. ad 1. sly until a negro boy told uir: Uii- was about T o'clock Tbonday murning. The boy said “be lire very atilk I believe he is ■ •lead.'' Then 1 thought it was t hariee, and ran and told 1.rather, and mother tame down ■ and f uiul it was Ernest Taylor'.* body; tbe 1 plate where tbe body wn found wa* not used I a* a parage wny; we keep a light burning 1 every night; my mother is an invalid; 1 did not know that tbe pistol was under the door; I I am I barle- Spring's slater.Ihjioty Marshal Wm. Hubert* aw.su and 'examined Major Taylnr came to the Holiesofiiceand re|Hirted that his sonlas missing ;aluiut S o’rlork; about lifleea minutes after 8 a boy ram. down to the oilier and said that Ernest Taylor had been found dead : I went up tLcre, but iuwnd no pi*!ol; I went in the and found Charles SpringHetragi.thinSpring, received * Charles ad.FolicI iea.l-1•si ilnt be . ioie by when tbe pistol * • lirrtl, and -ay- I meat was climbing tlx- fen -e. and when lie tired ihe pistol he threw it bar!, toward.* him, and he took it and hid it up stairs under the - door, supposing tl at Erne** had tired hi* pistol in play and had ipine home. He declared to the minister tha; he didn’t knnw Ernest waa dead uuiil morning, li uiuU be reci.l-lacted that C!iarlesS|ringdlt;iited per-i*!ently to the police of having any knowledge of the pistol. The aU*eiHW of a pistol fom the wide jf the dead body wa* the • ' . circnm-•tance exciting mispieion a- t :»• tu .nner of tbe death.After tbilt; -lalanent urtcere Mat ue ami Sbeehan, the itev. Mr. Rider and a reporter of Tnr Tnres v.-Ued Mr*. Spring's house and fuund the pi-t .l under tbe ll.mr up stairs, bavin* been placed then- through a knot hnk in the corner of the r.oui In tbe pistol wa- lynr.d the Hi.di of an c qdodeil cartridge.a Coroner’s jury wa- suioiuoanl, and th*-foil-.wing testimony taken .! |tr. \»a Huyn'ti office on Fifth-trert!;. Tirana* swom an.l e.i.ained Ex-■sained tbe body lt;f Ernest Tayluf fom.d Ibe •ye ball ptdaralrd; right rye lall; traced it lack with (hr piol.. 1.. 1 he centerI the brain to the ja.-ini .i 1. .tl ..f the cranium; froOi the appear.mi e ;bi w.ainil was made with a email pistol ball marl- t , ffder on the face, indh atiu-- 1 i«.lt;T tin p.*; .! bail been clow to hi* rye the d.r. 't .n ..f the Wound wa* inward and a Imle upward; the lower eye I'd wi- p.-i orile.l oesi lb* i-ly* saw tbe body immediately after it w .- takento Ihe lions* Id. fill,. • - -.loieen- final.. whow had him con,e down and qUfsJiooeil him; he i said be bad not seen Ernest siner about 4 1 n't Wk il.e.lir before; that be lie ami Ernest were inlrtnate—were sworn friends; a Smith A Weme pistol wa* given to me liy the family; the pistol had no cylinder in it; j i sen! ( barle* Spring ilown to the office; I then- were three pl*tol* found altogether— j twosinglr-harrelled pistols and one cylinder; | the |ia-t..r of ihr M. E. Cliurch -South found 1 out fr .iu Spring that one of tbe pistols had been secreted under Ihe tluor of tbe fecund -; .ry of Mr*. Spring's hou*lt; Dr. Van Dnyn found tbe other pistol.Officer Mat. Malone sworn and exaiuinad —Major Taylnr called at ibe Police office and requested me to look for bis boy - said be wa* missing; coming down 1 met Charles Spring who said Ernest Tavlor had been found, and was dying or de*d: the boy wilkrd along with me, and we met J M«j Tsylor, who took hold of my hand and . aiid, My I*or boy is dead 1 said ibis boy *ay* he Dnot dead yet; “Yes heisdeid, says . Maj. Taylor, the doctor’s son says to;’’ We went together in a hack to Maj. Taylor1! bouse: 1 then went to the house of Mrs. Spring, and made inquiries of the three ( ladies whom I lound there about the body ! being f und: 1 gained very little informa-| tion from them: Last night about 7 o'clock , Ibe Minister at ibe M. E. Church South, ewe to Ihe office and talked to the boy, aod Ibe boy told him that the piWol wa* under the floor, up ^staira; we went to tl.c house, Ihe Minuter, Shehmn and I, and found the pistol with an exploded cartridge in it under the flour; The Spring boy did not go op to Taylor's in theknek with u»; 1 found ibe •bell of an exploded cartridge in tbe pistol tliat wa* found trader tbe floor.lt; ha*. N. Spring sworn and examined—I knew Ernest Taylor; saw him last on W'ed-uesdir rvenini' belorv supper, but diJ not -. him alter *up|wr, yr after 1 lt;-*me back from the walk wilh mother: 1 have been acquainted with Earnest a long time, and we were Icgeth. r a great deal; Eirnest’* pistol went oft when I wi* at tbr palings of the fence; 1 did m.l see him when the pistol went
Newspaper Details
The Leavenworth Weekly Times
Leavenworth, Kansas, US
Thu, Jun 06, 1872
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Debb B.
NA, 01 Jun 2025
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