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Elderly Woman Is Murdered in Bethany VicinityjRobbery Is Believed to Have Been Motive For Slaying.Few Clues DiscoveredIp.t. Joseph Police Arc Assisting in Effort to Track Down Killer—Feeling is Running High..44NcCaMe'jeiBethany, Mo., Mar. 8—m—Robbery prompted by gossip was believed by officers today to have been responsible for the slaying of Mrs. Elizabeth Morrow, 70, who lived alone on a farm near here.She was believed to have been strangled to death. The body, with the hands bound together, was found underneath a bed yesterday after neighbors had noted a restlessness among the livestock. A telephone line hading to the house had been cut.Si. Joseph officers expressed the opinion the crime had been committed by someone who had taken cognizance of rumors that Mrs. Morrow kept money in the house. The dwelling had been ransacked. Absence of tracks in the snow led investigators to the conclusion the slaying had taken place before Friday night.Borly Was Frozen The body was frozen and a first ex - i ^ amination did not reveal whether Mrs j ,0 Morrow had been beaten about the 1 head and face, or whether discolora-1 tions there were coagulations cf blood, the St. Joseph Gazette says.Her hands had been tied behind her back with a strip of cloth, then had been tightly fastened with a three-foot section of telephone wire taken from the line that led from the house to United States Highway No. 69, 200yards to the east.Robbery Was Motive,Robbery was the motive of the crime. The room In which Mrs. Morrow's body was found was a jumble of contents from bureau drawers. Bed coverings were scattered about, a feather tick case Jay upon the floor beside the bed and the mattress partly removed. A smull metal box of the type commonly used for storing valuables at home had been located,. and was pried open, its contents scattered about or missing.The crime was discovered after Mr. and Mrs. Drew Johnson near neighbors, who operate a store and filling station 300 yards distant, noticed the restlessness of cattle at the Morrow home. Mrs. Johnson walked there alone to see one door of the house standing open and another partly ajar.She called and received no reply.Alarmed, she returned and notified her husband. He, with three ether men saw Mrs. Morrow's bare feet showing from under the bed.Law enforcement officers, who were notified at once, made only a brief examination before setting a guard about the heme to preserve conditions as they were and telehcned for aid from the St. Joseph police department, asking that a finger-print expert be sent.Seek Finger Prints.This request was made particularly because lying just outside the kitchen door was an empty pint whiskey bottle,B T. Andrews and Detective John Rulchen were sent from St. Joseph to assist in the investigation, which was continuing late today. The bottle was carefully handled and preserved to be examined for finger prints, as was the metal safety box. The house was being searched minutely.(Continued on Page 4)her ioi ige 1 the ties req fees aiir B eeo; scii ablf ns i Ing Hitt]ant; tier no ; hellTand off eric to t T nun of c test the T the just beei A sho' test in t to £ mor Ir test marCc
Newspaper Details
Maryville Northwest Missourian
Maryville, Missouri, US
Tue, Mar 08, 1932
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Jake S.
USA 13 Dec 2024
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