Murder Mystery Stories for Sumner County, Kansas

Last night Frank Noyes was taken from his house in Caldwell by a party of men who represented that they were officers from Wellington. This morning he was found hanging to a beam across a high gateway near the stock yards. The body was discovered about eight o’clock, and was quite cold when found. The sheriff and coroner were telephoned at Wellington. Sheriff Henderson telephoned back to take no further steps in the matter until he arrived.

As soon as the men had departed with her husband, Mrs. Noyes prepared to go to Wellington to see what he was arrested for. He was taken some time between one and two o’clock. At 5 o’clock she boarded the train for this city. When she arrived here she learned that Noyes had been hung at Caldwell.

The body of Noyes swung to and fro in the storm of sleet and drizzle, viewed by the gaping groups to view the ghastly spectacle. At first it was thought best to leave it hanging there until the arrival of the authorities, but about ten o’clock it was taken down and decently arranged.

The train left Caldwell a few minutes after five o’clock this morning. Up to five o’clock parties engaged in loading hogs were passing through the gate to the beam of which Noyes was hung. The train passed within seventy-five yards of the spot when it pulled out. Noyes was taken from the house between one and half past one o’clock, and could not have been hung until after five. Where was he during the interval? What confession did the party who hung him extort from him during that time?

Mrs. Noyes, the wife of the man who was hung stopped at the Phillips house when she arrived in town. She stated that about one o’clock last night someone knocked at the door. She went to the door and opening it asked what was wanted. She saw the figure of a man, who said he wanted Frank. She invited him in but he said no, for Frank to dress and come out, for he was the sheriff of Sumner county and wanted him. Noyes called out and said he would be ready in a minute. Mrs. Noyes then attempted to shut the door, but the man put his foot inside and kept it from going shut. It was very dark and she could not tell whether the man was masked or not. When Noyes had dressed and passed out of the door and she attempted to follow but the door was shut in her face and held. She called out to Frank and asked where he was going. He said: “I am going to Wellington in a wagon, I suppose.” Mrs. Noyes did not hear the sound of any wheels nor did she go out of the house until train time. At the inquest this afternoon she testified that she recognized one of the men as Jones, the deputy sheriff, who lives at Caldwell.

The inquest is in progress as we go to press, but one or two witnesses having been examined. Jim Russell was aroused about 1 o’clock by the Noyes woman to see what had become of him. He went down the road but could hear or see nothing.

Frank Noyes was a man about 35 years of age, about six feet high and good looking. He had resided in Caldwell for several years, had kept a saloon there, and during the past year had been running a “blind tiger” or “whiskey joint.” He had recently served out a sentence of 30 days in the county jail for a violation of the prohibitory law. He has the reputation of being a hard case, though not a desperado, and at the time of the hanging had no visible means of support.

Editor Walton and Mayor Reilly, of Caldwell, came up on the train this morning to attend court. They left Caldwell before the body of Noyes was found and knew nothing of the affair until they arrived here. They were inclined to be non-committal, but expressed their opinion that it was a bad business any way it could be looked at.

Why was Frank Noyes hung? This is the question asked by every one who has heard of the affair, and groups of persons all over the town of Caldwell are sitting around red hot stoves discussing the question this cold, dreary, drizzly, December day. All sorts of stories are flying around and several theories are afloat. One thing seems to be settled. The deed was perpetrated by a very small party, certainly not over eight or ten in number. A story is told that he was hung by the partners in some crime who were afraid he was going to turn states evidence on them. Another report obtains considerable hearing that he was implicated in the burning of Editor Blair’s residence a short time ago. And still another report as to the effect that a number of persons in the community had received mysterious warnings to leave the county and that Noyes was suspected of being the author of these. But when a reporter attempted to trace up these reports the trail ran directly to some clam--who immediately shut up--and there ended.

The mystery of the hanging of Frank Noyes at Caldwell, appears to get deeper instead of becoming clearer. The strongest theory that has as yet been advanced is that leading citizens had received ominous warnings to leave town, and some say it was suspected that Noyes had something to do with these warnings, that the party which took him out of bed were prohibitionists or their friends, that Noyes was taken away in a wagon or buggy and the hours between the time he was taken and the time he was hung were exhorting a confession from him.

An idea of the place where Noyes was found hanging may be gained from the diagram below. The gateway was used by parties up to 5 o’clock of the morning of the hanging. Noyes was taken from the house according to witnesses, about 1 o’clock. He must have remained in the hands of the party about four hours.

The inquest has settled nothing. A number of witnesses were examined but nothing beyond the mere facts published yesterday, was elicited. The Noyes woman was on the stand again but nothing obtained from her beyond the fact that she was not Noyes’ wife. The coroner’s jury returned a verdict of death by hanging by parties unknown and that the hanging was felonious.

The inquest was held at the city hall. There was considerable interest but no great excitement. The hardware merchants report considerable sales of ammunition, and there is some talk about this being but the beginning of the end.

The question is put all over town “was Noyes hung by the prohibitionists?” If not then by whom was he hung? Very few excuse the deed, but there is an absence of a determination to bring the perpetrators to justice very revolting to the law loving man.

The inquest was held at the city hall. The body has not yet been buried, and still not, probably, until Noyes’ friends have been heard from. They have been telegraphed to. They are said to be influential people, and they may make up their minds that Noyes was deliberately murdered and determine to vigorously investigate.

The interest in the Noyes hanging at Caldwell continues unabated. Sheriff Henderson returned from that place yesterday, accompanied by Deputy Jones and a man named Lambert. The woman, Noyes, also came up on the train and filed a complaint before Justice Graham charging Jones and Lambert with murder and they are now in the charge of the officers.

A prominent Attorney said to a PRESS reporter this morning, “If the PRESS intended to convey the impression that the hanging was done by Prohibitionists, as a Prohibitionist I consider it an unfortunate opinion.” The reporter hastened to assure him that nothing was further from his thoughts. He had no opinion to offer nor any theory to advance.

Another gentleman, holding an important position in the county said, “It is the opinion of a great many law and order citizens of Caldwell, anti-Prohibitionists as well as the Prohibitionists that the hanging was done by the law and order element of the community who have determined to rid themselves of the lawless characters with which Caldwell has been infested.”

Another gentleman familiar with the situation of affairs down there says that Noyes was suspected of being directly engaged in the burning of the house belonging to editor Blair, and that the hanging party undoubtedly had good and sufficient proof of the fact.

County Attorney Murray said he would use every endeavor to probe the tragedy the bottom (sic) and bring the guilty parties to justice. He declined however, to allow the reporter to look over the evidence before the coroner.

From parties who attended the inquest it was learned that a paper was found upon the person of the deceased containing the names of Sam Woodson, Ren Moore, Henry LeBritton, Dave Sharp, John Sharp, Dave Speer, Old Speer, Fred Berry and Bruce Younger. The paper was headed “To House Burners,” under the names was “Take warning.” The paper was signed “Vigilance Committee.” Woodson is the landlord of the Lindell hotel. Moore is, or was, a saloon keeper. The others, some are gamblers and others are men whose occupations are unknown to the community. This paper is now in the hands of the county attorney. Bruce Younger is a nephew of the celebrated Younger brothers. Berry and Younger were witnesses at the inquest. They sleep directly across the street from the Noyes house, and Berry testified that he stood in the second story and watched them take Noyes away. He thought one of them was Jones.

It now looks probable that Noyes may have been hung immediately after being taken out of his house. The night was so dark the parties engaged in loading the stock might have passed within ten feet of the body without discovering it. No one actually passed through the gateway, as far as can be learned. It is on the east side of the yard and is used as a receiving pen.