Transcribed from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104536895/
FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD NEGRO GIRL DISAPPEARED FRIDAY, MARCH 24.
NEW BORN BABE AT SIDE
FISHERMAN RAN ACROSS BODIES YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
BOTH HAD BEEN MURDERED
Inquest Will Be Held Today and Some Sensational Developments Are Probable – Bodies Had Been Weighted Down, a Wire Having Been Wound Around Young Mother’s Neck – Bodies Were Buried Last Night.
The badly decomposed body of Mary Glass, the 15-year-old daughter of Mrs. Mary Glass, a negro woman living in the Kloehr addition at North and Grant streets, who disappeared on Friday evening, March 24, was found in the Verdigris river, across the levee from Forest Park, yesterday afternoon about 5 o’clock. The girl’s infant son was at her side, fastened in her clothing.
The discovery was made by R.W. Jenkins of New Orleans, La., his brother, G.F. Jenkins of Pawhuska, Okla., and Chas. Panther, also of Pawhuska, horsemen at the park, who had gone to the river to set a trot line.
A wire, nearly as heavy as a telephone wire, wound around the girl’s neck, which had been used to weight the body down, showed that a double murder had been committed and an effort made to hide the crime by sinking the bodies in the waters of the Verdigris. The wire had broken and the weight had come off, allowing the bodies to rise.
The bodies had lodged against a tree, which had fallen over into the river. The men, when they first saw the girl’s body, thought it was a rock and intended tying the line to it until they got close enough to perceive it was the body of a human being.
Chief of Police Fletcher was at once notified and he and Marshal Walton, Jailer Grubbs and others went to the river. Grubbs was left to guard the bodies and the others returned to town. Chief Fletcher communicated with Coroner Hudiburg and Deputy County Attorney Holdren at Independence.
Coroner Hudiburg instructed Mr. Fletcher to have the bodies taken from the water and held there until his arrival. The Coffeyville Furniture company, assisted by the officers and others, took the bodies from the water.
While in a very bad condition, it was easily determined that the body was that of a negro girl and her identity was practically certain from the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. She was fully clothed, even to the yellow sweater she wore when last seen, and Mrs. Glass easily identified her daughter by her clothes. Mrs. Glass’ visit to the river and her identification of the body was a heart-rending sight.
Owing to the condition of the bodies, they were buried in Fairview cemetery last night, being taken directly from the river to the cemetery.
Coroner Hudiburg, assisted by Dr. Whitaker of this city, made an examination of the body. The coroner stated last night that both the girl and her baby had been strangled and then thrown into the river. The wire had been wrapped around her neck twice, then twisted and a weight attached to it, evidently. The examination of the physicians showed that the birth of the child had left the girl in a very serious condition and it was their opinion that her condition caused the double crime to be committed.
The bodies, the officers are inclined to believe, were thrown in the river some distance above the point found, probably off the bridge north of the National refinery. The wire evidently had broken, the body rising to the surface when the weight came off.
The fact that the girl, who was employed as a domestic at the Cline home, northwest of the city, is said to have been seen get into an auto driven by a white man on the evening of her disappearance, while en route home from Cline’s after working there that day, has given rise to some sensational rumors. The girl was said at the time of her disappearance to be in a delicate condition and her mother and some of the friends have been very suspicious of foul play. Most people, however, have thought that the white man, whoever he might have been, had simply put her in hiding until the child should have been born.
As late as last Sunday, however, Mrs. Glass sought a conference with Mayor Joyce, which was held at the city hall at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. At that time, Mrs. Glass reiterated her belief that her child had met foul play, saying that she could not reconcile herself to the belief that her daughter was alive. Both the city and county officials had been consulted frequently by Mrs. Glass and friends of the Glass family and the officials had made searches of different places where it was thought the girl might be in hiding. Mrs. Glass also took up the matter with Attorney-General Brewster when he was here recently.
County Attorney Ise and Deputy County Attorney Holdren were busy in the north part of the county last night and authorized City Attorney Etchen to act for the county attorney’s office.
At a late hour last night, Coroner Hudiburg and Mr. Etchen decided to hold an inquest here this morning, beginning at 10 o’clock. The summons for the jury and subpoenas for the witnesses were issued and placed in the hands of Marshal Walton of the city court. The inquest will be held in the city court room, probably behind closed doors. Either Mr. Ise or Mr. Holdren are expected to be present.