Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 38, Number 34, 19 December 1912 — Page 1

HE RICHMONB FAIXABIUM

rm AND SUN-TELEGRAM SINGLE COPY 2 CENTS VOL,. XXXVIII. NO. 34. RICH3IOXD, IND., THURSDAY EVENING. DECEMBER 10. 1912.

SKELETON OF HENRY DAYTON. MURDERED BY JOSEPH SNYDER, FOUND IN CELLAR TODAY

Grewsome Discovery Made After the Fate of the Man Had Been a Mystery for Over Two Years When His Widow Presented Police with Confession Given Her by Snyder, Who Was a Boarder.

SLAYER FLED DAYTON Mrs. Dayton Admits Having Year but Says She Never Ago Victim Was Put by Hatchet Blow in MURDER DETAILS

HENRY DAYTON, 1106" NORTH I STREET, KILLED WITH A HATCHET IN THE KITCHEN OF HIS HOME BY A BOARDER, JOSEPH F. SNYDER. ALIAS JOE STEWART, LABOR DAY. 1910. MOTIVE FOR CRIME SNYDER'S JEALOUSY OF MRS. DAYTON AND HATRED OF DAYTON. BODY BURIED UNDER QUICK LIME IN SECRET BASEMENT OF THE DAYTON HOME. WHERE IT REMAINED UNTIL. THE SKELETON WAS DUG UP BY THE POLICE TODAY. SNYDER CONFESSED IN WRITING TO THE CRIME IN DECEMBER, 1911, AND GAVE THE CONFESSION TO MRS. DAYTON WITH INSTRUCTIONS THAT SHE WAS NOT TO READ IT FOR AN INDEFINITE TIME. HE THEN ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. THE WOMAN ALLEGES SHE READ THE CONFESSION A FEW DAYS AGO AND WHEN SHE TOLD SNYDER, LAST TUESDAY, THAT SHE INTENDED TO TELL THE POLICE HE FLED HER HOME, WHERE HE HAS LIVED SINCE THE MURDER, EXCEPT A FEW WEEKS SPENT IN JAIL A YEAR AGO.

4 The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Henry Dayton, 1106 North I street, two years ago has just been cleared by Police Chief Gormon. Dayton was murdered by Joseph F. Snyder, who 'was a boarder at his home, on Labor Day, in September, 1910. Love for Mrs. Dayton is assigned by the police as the motive for Snyder's crime. Since the death of Dayton his murderer has been living with Mrs. Dayton until Tuesday afternoon of this week, when he disappeared, following a threat of Mrs. Dayton to turn over to the police a confession of the crime written by Snyder, December 2, 1911, over a year after the murder, and given to Mrs. Dayton by Snyder the same day it was written with instructions 1 that she was not to open it for an indefinite period. Immediately before presenting this letter marked "private" to Mrs. Dayton, her paramour attempted suicide by cutting both of his wrists, but as no big arteries were severed and because he was discovered soon after this attempt on his life and given prompt medical aid he soon recovered. Snyder Disappeared. Last Tuesday, after Mrs. Dayton's threat to give his confession to the police, which action on her part was the aftermath of a violent quarrel she had had with Snyder, Patrolman Lawler arrived at the Dayton home in response to the appeal of neighbors, annoyed by the disturbance created by Mrs. Dayton and Snyder. Just before Lawler arrived, about 5:45 p. m. Snyder left the house and has not been heard of since, although every effort has been made by the local police department to apprehend him. As soon as Officer Lawler arrived, Mrs. Dayton handed to him Snyder's confession, which she said she had not openi until the- latter part of las? week. Lawler at once took the letter, which stated that Dayton's body was buried in a small sub-cellar under the kitchen pantry, covered with lime and dirt. Gormon Gets Busy. Taking for granted that the statements contained in the confession were authentic Chief Gormon wasted no time in making a search for the body, but at once in motion all the police machinery to capture Snyder. He was engaged in this unsuccessful effort until this morning, when he visited the Dayton home. Mrs. Dayton professed to be unacquainted with the location of the cellar, but Gormon discovered it to be under the kitchen pantry and entered through a small trap door. There he saw a small mound and digging through the lime and dirt discovered the skeleton of Dayton, all the flesh having been eaten off by the lime. At the base of the skull was a deep cleft, showing that the man had been struck by some sharp instrument, vhich the coroner believes was a hatchet. Motive Still Unknown. In Snyder's confession, to be found elsewhere, no reference is made to the motive of the crime and where it was committed. Mrs. Dayton has informed the police that Snyder told her, after she had opened and read his confession, that he killed her husband while he was standing in the kitchen. Mrs. Dayton says that when the crime was committed she was in an adjoining room, but that she heard nothing to arouse her fears or suspicions, not even when Snyder was taking the Lody into the secret cellar. Mrs. Dayton is ill at her home now, and has not been taken into custody. When asked if he had decided whether to hold the woman on a charge of suspicion until more light had been Bhed on the grewsome tragedy, Chief jiGormon stated that he had reached no decision as yet. He said there were several things which pointed to the act that she had been in Ignorance of

HOME LUST TUESDAY

Had the Confession Over a Read It Until a Few Days to Death in His Kitchen Back of His Head. IN A NUTSHELL her husband's fate for months after his murder, citing as an example, the fact that the cellar had evidently not been entered from the date of the crime until today, but he ia not prepared right now to accept her statement that she did not read the Snyder confession until a few days ago. He also regards as quite peculiar Mrs. Dayton's statement that although she was in the house at the time of the murder she was unaware of the crime at that time. Bought Insurance. Dayton, his wife, and three children had lived in Richmond some time prior to his murder. A short time before hia death he had his life insured for $1,000. This policy has not been collected up to the present time because no proof of his death was available. Little is known of Snyder. When he first came here, a few years ago, he was known by some of his acquaintances as Joe Stewart. His past is clouded in mystery, but it is known that at one time he was a school teacher. He can speak five languages. He admitted having been a soldier and that he had at times lived in Mexico and Arizona. He corresponded with no one, so far as the police have been able to ascertain, and never talked about himself. It is understood that at one time he lived at Hamilton, Ohio, where he served a jail sentence. Chief Gormon in reviewing the history of one of the most peculiar crimes in the history of Wayne county, stated that he became interested in the case four months after Dayton's disappearance. Fellow workers of Dayton at a local factory in January, 1911, reported to the police, Mr. Gormon said, that they thought that he might have met with foul play, as he had not been at work since the first part of the previous September and his family did not know his whereabouts. Suspected Snyder. Mr. Gormon and a police officer searched the river valley and neighboring ravines for a few days, but without securing a trace of the missing man. Mr. Gormon suspected Snyder of having some knowledge of the fate of Dayton and in March, 1911, when the man was arrested on the charge of chicken stealing he was instrumental in having him sent to jail for a long sentence so he could hold the man pending a further investigation into the Dayton case. However, nothing developed from this second investigation and when Snyder was released from jail he returned to the Dayton home where he resided until his disappearance last Tuesday. His flight then, as has been stated, was the result of Mrs. Dayton's threat to inform the police of his crime. Mr. Gormon states that when he was investigating the Dayton case Mrs. Dayton informed him that she knew nothing of her husband's whereabouts, saying the last time she saw him was on Labor Day morning when he went out the side door of the home. WThen asked if there was a cellar under the house Mrs. Dayton said she was positive there was none. Description of Man. The following is a description of Snyder given by the police: Aged about 50; about 5 feet, 8 inches high; weight 160 pounds; prominent nose; smooth shaven and large feet, walking flatfooted; hair sandy; wore soft brown hat, dark coat of mixed colors, blue overalls and tan shoes. Looked seedy. Mrs. Dayton's Story. Lying on a cot downstairs, surrounded by her family, Mrs. Dayton today told the police she hoped that Snyder would be- caught and would forfeit his life for the terrible murder of her husband. "I have been nervous for years, and to think that Snyder could take the life of my husband is more than 1 can understand, and I do not know how I can stand it. ily hus-

CONFESSION OF JOSEPH SNYDER

The following is the murder confession made by Joseph F. Snyder, slayer of Henry Dayton. It was held by Mrs. Dayton for over a year after her husband's death, because, she said, she had promised not to open it for an indefinite period: Dec. 2, 1911. "Written by me. J. F. S. "I leave this for clearing all suspicion on innocent persons. I did kill Daytcn, hiding him in the ce'lar of the house. On the day ne left here he went out the back way. He was seen by some other families, but he returned almost immediately unseen by anyone. I killed him and hid him in the cellar, knowing no one except myself went there. My fear was that some one would go there while I was in jail. Fortunately no one did, so I am not writing this from remorse, but that the insurance in force on him may be received. I and I alone knew of his killing and hiding until this time. "J. F. Snyder. "P. S. I am doing this deed for the purpose of giving all. I have tried to orocure work but could not do so. "J. F. S." This confession in a sealed envelope was presented by the murderer to Mrs. Dayton, she says, and he then tried to kill himself. It was written on Westcott hotel stationery. band worked for Gaar-Scott and company firing the boilers. He obtained $1.60 per day for his labor and continually asked for a raise. "On Labor Day, 1910, he got up early in the morning and said he was going to the country to get work. That was the last, we ever saw of him. We saw his foot prints in the frost showing that the crime had been committed after he left the house. We found no blood stains. "One day last December Sny'der arose early, as was his custotn and told us he . was going to work. He was found at 5 o'clock in the morning by Jesse Barrett, a boarder, in an outhouse. Barrett raised the alarm and dragged him to the kitchen. Snyder had cut his wrists with a razor, and was lying on the floor of an outhouse when found. He thought he was about to die, but his attempt to commit suicide was unsuccessful. Gives Confession. "He handed me a letter while lying on the floor, telling me it would be of service to me at some time, but it was not to be opened then. After his recovery, Snyder ransacked the house for the letter. He asked me for it and I put it in the sideboard drawer with some insurance policies belonging to my children. I locked the drawer. Every morning Snyder would get up and get breakfast. Many times I saw he had tried to force the drawers which were locked. I found skeleton keys on the sideboard. Finally he got into the drawer, but did not find the confession which was contained in the letter. Left Last Tuesday. "He left me last Tuesday and I have not seen him since. I knew he was going to leave by his actions. The way he looked at me many times almost made me believe that he would kill me. He would pace the floor for hours at a time and when I would ask him what was the matter he would say he was of nervous temperament. Now he has run off and left me, and has thrown the suspicion of the crime on me. I hope he is caught." Believed His Word. "Why did you tell the police that there was no cellar in the house," was asked Mrs. Dayton. "When we moved. here Snyder was one of the roomers and boarders. My husband was not living with me and he assumed charge of things he told me there was no cellar, except a ditch which was filled with tin cans under the kitchen floor. I never even raised the floor to look under there," she replied. Left Her Five Times. When asked if she ever had trouble with her husband she said: "He left me five times, but each time returned of his own free will. He beat me twice and threatened me often. He did not help me support the children as well as he might have 'done. He paid part of the rent and bought coal. The balance of the money was spent somewhere else. I supported the family by renting rooms and taking boarders. There were four boarders with me at the time of the murder. When he left me he said he was going to the country to get work, as I had enough money coming in from the boarders to insure the family support, and when he got enough money or a place where he could take us in he would send for us. Tried to Poison Family. "Snyder has tried to poison the whole family. He placed some kind of drug in the food each day and sometimes we would all be too sick to move around. Just before Snyder left us he placed something in my son's food which caused him to be so sick that we were afraid he would die." A Grewsome Task. The work of uncovering the body (Continued on Page Six.

Dynamiter Or

per . Tv 1 - uii I i m ..a mm fig Ct (L B? f ??'!&&3 ...WW!!-, ji . T ' Vl$

MALCOLM Tp on top of the Federal building dally, men are seen circling- the edge of the toot. These men sre Ortle E. McManigal, the rovemment's star wltoe in the present "drnaniite coaplracy" ca!e. and Malcolm McLaren, the Burns lnyestlgator, who has been constantly with the confessed dynamiter throughout the last twenty-two REYNOLDS HAS A RAHRDW ESCAPE Is Run Down by a G. R. & I. Freight Train Near Clark Crossing. (Palladium Special) FOUNTAIN CITY. Ind., Dec. 19. George W. Reynolds, living three miles north of Fountain City, had a narrow escape from death about 4:30 o'clock Wednesday evening when he was struck oy an extra northbound freight train at the Eular Clark crossing north Of town. Mr. Reynolds, who is about 77 years of age, was driving to Lynn in a storm front buggy. He failed to 6ee the approaching train which caught the buggy on the rear wheels turning it over. The horse became frightened and ran for a distance of probably forty yards dragging the remaining part of the buggy and Mr. Reynolds was unable to get out because of the storm front. The horse came to a stop by running into the fence and Reynolds crawled out from among the debris with a severe gash cut in his forehead, badly wrenched and bruised about the body but otherwise none the worse for the experience. That he was not killed or frightfully injured is deemed almost miraculous. Mr. Reynolds was driving north to Lynn. Howard Mann was driving south and was an eye witness to the accident, but was not near enough to be able to warn Reynolds of his danger. Mr. Reynolds is said to have stopped his horse and looked from around the storm fropt in both directions for trains, but evidently failed to see the one that was then almost upon him. Neither did the engineer or fireman see the rig until it had been struck. The train was stopped and Raynolda was carried into the caboose where the gash on his forehead was cared for by the crew. Mann then removed him to his home. Reynolds' injuries are not regarded as serious. The rig was almost totally demolished. The horse escaped injury. ASSOCIATIONTO MEET ON FRIDAY The adaptability of the new system of cottage school houses to modern conditions will be explained to the members of the West Side Improvement association at their meeting Friday evening in the Baxter school. A number of important matters will be. discussed by the association. THE WEATHER STATE AND LOCAL Fair tonight in . south portion. Unsettled in the

tie McManigal and His Guard

UcLAREN. ORT1E K. months since MoMaai caJ's arrest In Detroit. McLaren was cne of the men who placed McManigal under arrest, and who later, by bis dally reports sent to William j. Burns from the tios Angeiea connty Jail, furnished most ft the details which made the arrest of many of the others to. the conspiracy possible. McLaren, perhaps more than any other five men, Is mors HEARST FLAYS HIS DETRACTORS TODAY Calls Them High Binders of Finance Replies to Senator Foraker. (National News Association) NEW YORK, Dec. 19 William R Hearst today issued a statement in j reply to testimony given yesterday by ex-Senator Foraker of Ohio, before the Clapp campaign fund investigating committee in which the authenticity of some of the now famous Archbold I letters was impunged. In part the I statement says: i "Senator Foraker allfes that th Standard Oil letters which convict him and other statesmen of the same : character were stolen from Mr. Archhold's office by one negro and one othjer thief, and the ex-senator suggested ; that the committee summon these two j worthies to learn whether the letters i came direct from Archbold's offlce. t This is an excellent suggestion and '. should be acted upon, j "Nothing could establish finally and ! forever the absolute genuineness of the Standard Oil letters than the conjvincing proof of the fact that they ! were secured directly from Mr. Archbold and the more the genuineness of the Standard Oil letters is established, I the more Senator Foraker and Senator j Penrose and Senator Bailey and Mr. Sibley and the rest of the Standard j Oil men in public light are convicted iof their Standard Oil connection. ! "The negro and the other thief if he be a thief have committed a 6mall crime compared with the treason of those highbinders of high finance who j seek to enrich themselves and their ' corporations through governmental fa vors secured by subsidizing public men." UNIVERSITY NEEDS APPROPRIATION (National News Association) BLOOMINGTON, Ind, Dec. 19. When the state legislature visiting i committee, composed of Senator J. J.

Netterville. of Anderson; Representatives Joseph M. Cravens, of Madison, and Jesse Eschbaugh, of Warsaw, visited Indiana University yesterday. President William Lowe Bryan gave them his report of the needs of the school, which showed that the university will ask for an appropriation of $300,000. The chief request is for an Increase in the fraction of a mill tax. X

McManigal. directly responsible for tarning my too alleg-ed conspirators. McManigal and hia guard are great chums. The Informer undoubtedly bis more confidence in Malcolm McIren than la any other lWlng beta. McLaren la directly responsible to The Los Angeles county authorities for the safe dellrery back to them of tho dynamiter when the goTemment's case here is finished.

NOEL EXCORIATES TE PLOTTERS Reviews Evidence to the Jury and Points Out the Many Fake Alibis. (National News Association) INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Dec. 19. Special District Attorney James W. Noel resumed his marathon talk to the jury in the dynamite jury case today. He pointed to the evidence to show that James E. McNamara told Eugene Clancey, the California defendant, shortly before an explosion in Los Angeles, in August 1910, that he was there under the name of James . E. Bryce. Noel's then turned his attention to Peoria, 111., where an explosion occurred at the Lucas Bridge company, an another in the yards of the Peoria and Pekin railroad company, Sept. 4, 1910. Noel told the jury that the Lucas JJ ridge company explosion was ordered by Hockin, because Mr. Lucas had resented the demand of Hocking that his works be unionized. He said that defendant Smythe, of Peoria, had attended a theater the night of these explosions in order to have the ticket stubs to sustain an alibi which along with other ridiculous alibis had fallen flat in this trial. Noel arraigned Hockin as a dastardly traitor and said that Hockins told Jewel, an open shop contractor, of the plot to dynamite the Beaver1 Pennsylvania bridge under a loaded passenger train, not because as he claimed, he did not want to see human life lost, but because of enmity against J. A. McNamara.

DYNAM

Last Minute" Gifts

Lose Half

Half the pleasure of a gift is lost if it is received late. When you receive a gift two or three days after Christmas you know it is a "last minute" purchase. And no one likes to feel that an expression of good will and friendship is an afterthought. See to it that your gifts are cn time. See to it that they are chosen with such care and forethought as will make the recipient very happy. Remember that while the service-giving facilities of the stores have been doubled in many instances, they are still overtaxed at this time. In the rush and strain of the last few days, some one may be" disappointed and apparently forgotten. There are abundant gift ideas and suggestions In THE PALLADIUM'S Christmas advertisements. Make out your ccmplete list of gifts tonight, then purchase them tomorrow, between 9 A. M. and noon the three golden shopping hours.

J. P.

MORGAN

DEFENDS THE BANK SYSTEM Tells Pujo Money Investigation Committee that Stockholders Neglect to Do Their Duty. SAYS HE IS NOT FINANCIAL BOSS Agrees to Furnish the House Committee with Lists of Deposits in Interstate Banks. (National News Association) WASHINGTON. Uec. 19. That thre can lx- no turh thing as, a money trust committee was emphatically told to the Pujo money trul committee of the house today ty J. P. Morgan, financier, banker auJ follower of Wall street, whom thj committee had summoned to give his story of the inside operation of America's flnaucial center. "If you concentrate all the money (a Christendom," the financier told Counsel Untermeyer, emphasiiing his words with quick nervous movements of his hands, "you would not have control. No one man can control all the money, all the banks, or all the credits. Money is the one thing in which you cannot have a trust." Morgan said that the profits of his firm amounted to about 100 million dollars. These figures are only about twenty million dollars In excess of the amount which interstate corporations have on deposit there. The witness saw nothing improper in creating voting trusteeships to control boards of directors. He Insisted that even under such conditions the directors main tain their independence. Defends System. The financier explained to the committee that the present spirit of financial f ra terns lis m exists, because stockholders neglect to do their duty. He said there was no harm in having the same directors or boards partially the same, because the directors did not know the actual business of the banks. "They are mere figureheads." declared fntermeyer. "The banker modestly denied that he was the boss of J. P. Morgan and Company. The firm he said did lots of things without waiting for his approval, but did not admit that he was figurehead. In speaking of his holdings in the First National bank and the National Bank of Commerce. Mr. Morgan Indicated that he did not think one million or even fire million dollars a very big block of stock. He said he quite "disregarded it." Untermeyer Quints Him. When Mr. Morgan took the stand before the committee this forenoon. Samuel Untermever becan to rraeat Inn Jhim about the total deposits of the Ifirm of J. P. Morgan and Company. Untermeyer had already developed that interstate corporations carried deposits in Morgan's banks totalling al-' jmost 100 million dollars. The purpose was to show that this private instltu- ' tion has great sums on deposit that' j were entirely outside the scope of najtional supervision and largely beyond (the power of legislation by the New i York authorities. : Q. "Can you give the committee of the total deposits in your hands oa Nov. 1 ? j A. "I haven't them here." Q. "You told us of eighty million or interstate deposits. How much is there?" A. "Oh, about twenty million dollars: about 100 million in all." Morgan said that members of his firm were directors in some of the j interstate corporations that had such : deposits, and he thought that he bad ; furnished a list of the names. LnI termeyer said he had not received , this liet and the Wall street magnate i agreed to furnish it. Morgan also j agreed to present the figures of the Morgan-Drexel concern of Philadel- ; phia. He added that this class of deposits in the London and Paris branchj es were insignificant. I N. Y. C. Ry. Securities, i Untermeyer then read Into the re cords a resolution of the New York (Continued on Last Page) Their Pleasure