THE CASE STUDY OF, The Man with Cauliflower Ear

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THE CASE STUDY OF:

THE MAN WITH CAULIFLOWER EAR otherwise known as

Mystery of Room No. 1046

by

CHARLES BELL-CROFTON HEARD

THE CASE STUDY OF THE MAN WITH CAULIFLOWER EAR

CONTENTS PART 1: THE FACTS Transcription of the Case Research………………4 Prologue……………………………………………29 PART 2: EXPERTISE A Man of Various Names………………………...30 Shades Shut Tight…………………………………32 The Nightly Encounter…………………………...35 Visiting Hours……………………………………..37 Establishing the Timeline………………………...40 What the Crime Scene Tells……………………...43 Presence of a Woman…………………...….43 A Bear in the Net………………………..…44 The Key Problem……………………...……44 The Necktie…………………………...…….45 The Bottle…………………………….…….46 Jagged Glass, Blooded Walls…………….…46 The Last Words…………………...………..47 Letters from Beyond a Grave…………………….48 Act of Honor and Compassion…………………..49 2

THE CASE STUDY OF THE MAN WITH CAULIFLOWER EAR

PART 3: CONCLUSION The Conclusion……………………………………51 Epilogue……………………………………………56 Brief Profiles……………………………………….57 Additional Source………………………………...60

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TRANSCIPTION OF THE CASE RESEARCH, By Dr. John Arthur Horner A little before 11 p.m. on Thursday, January 3, 1935, Robert Lane was driving on 13th Street. Lane worked for the Kansas City water department. He later said that as he drove he noticed something rather strange. As he approached Lydia avenue, he saw a man was running west on the north side of the street. This man was clad in trousers, shoes, and an undershirt. That’s all. Though the day had been pretty mild by January standards, he must still have felt chilled. He waved and shouted to Lane to stop. He approached Lane’s stopped car, but slowed, furrowing his forehead. He apologized, saying, “I’m sorry. I thought you were a taxi,” then looked up and down the street. “Will you take me to where I can get a cab?” Lane nodded, and replied, “You look as if you’ve been in it bad.” The man grumbled, “I’ll kill that—” (here the Times printed a long dash to indicate a deleted expletive) “… tomorrow,” as he opened the door and got into the back seat.

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Lane glanced at the man, shifted gears, and headed his car toward 12th and Troost. He stared quietly at the man through his rearview mirror, noticing a deep scratch on his left arm. He also noticed that the man cupped his hands. Lane thought that the man might be trying to catch blood from a wound more profound than the scratch on his arm. As the car approached the desired intersection, the man thanked Lane as he jumped out, then ran to the driver’s side of a parked taxi, opened the door, and honked the horn. Very quickly the cabbie could be seen hurrying from the restaurant where he had been eating. Lane drove off. On Wednesday, the second day of the New Year, a lone man, carrying no luggage, entered the Hotel President at 14th and Baltimore, four blocks from the Central Library. He apparently had one of those faces that different people read in different ways. One account gives his age as 2025, another 25-30, and yet another around 35. It was about 1:20 in the afternoon. The man went to the front desk and asked for an interior room several floors up. He signed the register as Roland T. Owen, and gave Los Angeles as his home address. He paid for one day. 5

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Owen had a cauliflower left ear, which made it easy for people to see him as a professional boxer or wrestler. He had dark brown hair and a large, horizontal scar in the side of his scalp, rising above his ear. This was at least partially covered by hair that he had combed over the disfigurement. The desk clerk gave Mr. Owen the key to room 1046 and sent bellboy Randolph Propst with him to the elevator, to show Owen the way to his room. Propst later described Owen as neatly dressed, wearing a black overcoat. Propst and Owen chatted on the way up to the tenth floor. Owen told the bellboy that he had been at the Muehlebach Hotel the night before, but they had charged him the outrageous price of $5.00 for his room. (With inflation, $5.00 in 1935 had the buying power of a little over $80.00 in 2012 dollars.) As the two got off the elevator on the tenth floor they turned right and headed down the corridor, turned left at the corner, then left again when the corridor reached the corner with the stairwell. Room 1046 was just down the hallway on their left, on the inner row of rooms looking down on the hotel’s court, rather than the outer row that looked down on 14th Street. Owen unlocked the door and entered while Propst turned on the light.

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Owen walked through a short entryway—closet to his right, bathroom to his left—and saw the room itself. Beyond the entryway, it measured nine feet wide and 12 feet long. The bed was to his right and the small stand with the telephone to his left. Situated more or less along the middle of the left wall stood a writing table with chair, and beyond that, angled in the northwest corner, was the dresser. Angled in the northeast corner was an easy chair. Propst watched as Owen took a black hair brush from his overcoat pocket, along with a black comb and toothpaste. That was it. Owen placed the three items above the sink, and the two men then exited the room and were headed back down the hallway, toward the elevator, when Propst asked if it was okay with Owen if Propst went back to the room and locked it. Owen gave him the key, and Propst went back to the room, turned off the lights, and locked the door. He then returned to Owen, gave him the key, and the two of them took the elevator back to the first floor, where Propst went back to his duties and Owen left the building. The maid that first day, Mary Soptic, had come back to work after a day off, and around noon went to room 1046 to clean, finding the door locked. She knocked, and Owen let her in, which surprised her a little, since a woman had been staying in the room before Soptic’s day off. 7

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Apologizing, she said she could call back later, but Owen said it was all right, and to go right ahead. Just moments later, Owen told her not to lock the door—that he was expecting a friend in a few minutes. Soptic noticed that the shades were tightly drawn (this was true every time she or any other member of the hotel’s staff entered), and that the lamp on the desk provided the only light, which was rather dim. In her signed statement to the police, she said that, from his actions and the expression on his face, Owen seemed like “he was either worried about something or afraid,” and that “he always wanted to kinda keep in the dark.” While Soptic continued cleaning, Owen put on his overcoat, went into the bathroom to brush his hair, and then left the room, reminding her to leave the door unlocked, because “he was expecting a friend in a few minutes.” Mary Soptic didn’t see Owen again until about four o’clock, when she went back to 1046 with the fresh towels that had finally been delivered by the laundry. The door remained unlocked, the room was dark, and she could see from the light from the hallway that he was lying across the bed, completely dressed. Presumably from the light from the hall, she noticed a note on the desk.

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“Don, I will be back in fifteen minutes. Wait.” The next morning, Thursday, January 3, Soptic headed to 1046 around 10:30 to clean it. Assuming that Owen was out, she unlocked the door with her passkey (which she could only do if it had been locked from the outside) and entered. Owen was sitting in the dark. Soptic realized that someone else had locked the door from the outside. The telephone rang. Owen answered, and after a moment said, “No, Don, I don’t want to eat. I am not hungry. I just had breakfast.” After a moment he repeated, “No. I am not hungry.” After cradling the phone, Owen asked the maid about her job. Did she have charge of the entire floor? Was the President a residential hotel? Then he looked around, and said that the Muehlebach Hotel had tried to hold him up on the price for an inside room just like 1046. Soptic finished cleaning, gathered up the soiled towels, and left.

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Around four o’clock that afternoon, after the clean towels had arrived from the laundry, she took a fresh set to Owen’s room. She heard two men talking, and knocked gently on the door. A rough voice asked, “Who is it?” The maid identified herself and said that she wanted to leave the clean towels. “We don’t need any,” replied the rough voice loudly, which was peculiar since Soptic knew there were no towels in the room, having removed them herself that morning. That afternoon, Jean Owen (no relation to Roland T.), a 30-year-old woman who lived in Lee’s Summit, drove into Kansas City to do some shopping and then meet with her boyfriend, Joe Reinert, who worked at the Midland Flower Shop. After a few hours shopping, she started to feel ill and went to the flower shop and told Mr. Reinert that she didn’t feel up to going out that night, and that she would get a room at the Hotel President so she could avoid driving back to Lee’s Summit till the next day. She told Reinert that she would let him know what room she was staying in. She arrived at the Hotel President about six o’clock and registered a little over half an hour later.

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Jean Owen called Reinert about ten to seven and told him that she was staying in room 1048. He came to the hotel about two and a half hours later, and they visited for another two hours, when he left. In her statement to the police, she said that during the night she heard a lot of noise which sounded like it (was) on the same floor, and consisted largely of men and women talking loudly and cursing. When the noise continued I was about to call the desk clerk but decided not to. Charles Blocher was the elevator operator for the graveyard shift at the hotel, and he started work a little before midnight on January 3. For the first hour and a half of his shift he was pretty busy, but around half past one business tapered off, though there seemed to be a fairly boisterous party in room 1055. As he puts it in his statement, sometime in the first three hours I took a woman that I recognized as being a woman who frequents the hotel with different men in different rooms. It is my impression from this woman’s actions that she is a commercial woman. I took her to the 10th floor and she made inquiries for room 1026 (sic) – about 5 minutes after this I received a signal to come back to the 10th floor. Upon arriving there I met this same woman and she

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wondered why he wasn’t in his room because he had called her and had always been very prompt in his appointments and she wondered if the might be in 1024 because the light was on in there the transom was opened – she remained about 30 or 40 minutes then I received a signal to go back to the 10th floor – I went back and this same woman appeared there and came down on the elevator with me and left the elevator at the lobby. About an hour later she returned in company with a man and I took them to the 9th floor – I later received a signal to go to the 9th floor at about 4:15 AM and this same woman came down from the 9th floor and left the hotel. In a period of about 15 minutes later this man came down the elevator from the 9th floor complaining that he couldn’t sleep and was going out for a while. The woman’s searching for 1026 rather than 1046 raises some interesting questions. Was she actually there to see Owen, or was it another man altogether? Did she get the room number wrong, or did Owen inadvertently give her the wrong number? Did this woman have anything to do with what happened in 1046 that night? (The use of 1026 as Owen’s room number appears to have gone out over the wire service account of the story, as that is what appears in the accounts I have seen in papers from the south and the northeast parts of the country.)

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Blocher described the man as being about five foot six, slender, about 135 pounds, wearing a light brown overcoat, brown hat, and brown shoes. The woman was about five foot six, with black hair, weighing about 135 pounds, wearing a “coat of black hudson seal or imitation hudson seal.” The coat had a collar with a light fur strip, and the collar stood up. The woman was also noted by James Hadden, hotel’s night clerk, when she left the building. He recognized her as someone he had seen “in and out of the hotel at various times and at various hours of the night and early mornings.” The next known encounter between Owen and the hotel staff took place Friday, just a little after seven o’clock, when Della Ferguson, the telephone operator, took over the board. She noticed that the board indicated that the phone for 1046 was off the hook. At ten after, when the phone was still off the hook, with no one using it, she requested that bell service send a bellboy up to the room to tell the occupant to hang up the phone. The bellboy was Randolph Propst, who had taken Owen up to the room when he had first checked in. When he got to Room 1046 the door was locked, and a “Don’t Disturb” sign was hanging from the knob. Propst knocked loudly and got no response. After a moment he again knocked 13

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loudly and finally heard a deep voice say, “Come in.” He tried the doorknob and, yes, it was locked. Again he knocked, and this time heard the deep voice tell him to “Turn on the lights.” He knocked yet again, and again, and finally, after seven or eight times, yelled through the door, “Put the phone back on the hook!” He got no response and returned to the lobby, where he told Della Ferguson that the guy in the room was probably drunk, and that she should wait about an hour and send somebody else up them. About half past eight, Della Ferguson noted that the phone for 1046 was still off the hook, and she sent bellboy Harold Pike up to ask Owen to replace the receiver. When Pike got there, he found that the door was still locked, and he used a passkey to let himself in—again indicating that the door had been locked from the outside. With the light from the hallway, Pike noted that Owen was lying on the bed naked, surrounded by what appeared to be dark shadows in the bedclothes, apparently drunk. He also saw that the telephone stand had been knocked over, and that the phone was on the floor. Pike straightened the stand and put the phone on it, securing the receiver in its place. He locked the door behind him and returned to the lobby, telling his supervisor that Owen was lying naked on the bed, apparently drunk. 14

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Around 10:30 to 10:45 that morning another operator reported to Betty Cole, the head operator, that the phone for 1046 was again off the hook. Around 11 o’clock Randolph Propst headed back up to the room, noting that the “Don’t Disturb” sign was still on the door. After knocking loudly three times with no response, he unlocked the door with his passkey and entered. [W]hen I entered the room this man was within two feet of the door on his knees and elbows – holding his head in his hands – I noticed blood on his head – I then turned the light on – placed the telephone receiver on the hook – I looked around and saw blood on the walls on the bed and in the bath room – this frightened me and I immediately left the room and went downstairs … Propst rushed to the assistant manager, M.S. Weaver, and told him what he had found. Joined by Percy Tyrrell, they hurried back to 1046, but could only open the door about six inches—apparently Owen had collapsed on the other side of the door. Newspaper accounts, however, conflate the action, having Propst discovering Owen sitting on the edge of the bathtub, his head resting on the top of the sink, which occurred a short while later.

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The police arrived in short order—Detectives Ira Johnson and William Eldredge, and Detective Sgt. Frank Howland—and at some point in this time Dr. Harold F. Flanders arrived from General Hospital. They were later joined by Detective D.C. King. Owen had been restrained with cord—around his neck, his wrists, and his ankles—and looked like he had been tortured. Knife wounds bled on his chest from over his heart. One of these had punctured his lung. His skull was fractured on the right side, where he had been struck more than once. There was bruising around the neck, suggesting strangling as part of the torture. Besides the blood that was on the bed itself, more blood had spattered onto the wall next to the bed, and a small amount of blood could even be seen on the ceiling above the bed. When Dr. Flanders arrived, he cut the cords around Owen’s wrists. His hands freed, Owen turned on the bathtub spigot, which Flanders shut off. Detective Johnson asked Owen who had been in the room with him. Owen, semiconscious and barely able to talk, said, “Nobody.” How had he gotten hurt? “I fell against the bathtub.” Had he tried to commit suicide? “No,” he mumbled, and then started to slip fully into unconsciousness. Owen was rushed to the hospital. 16

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Dr. Flanders later put the inflicting of the wounds at six to seven hours earlier, since a lot of the blood on the body had “dried to a hard mass,” and the blood on the walls and furniture had “solidified.” This would place the stabbing and cutting at well before Propst’s 7:00 trip to 1046. As the detectives searched Room 1046 they began to realize that what they did find might not be as telling as what they didn’t. There were no clothes in the room, anywhere—no black overcoat, no shirt, no undershirt, no pants, no shoes or socks. The closest thing to clothing was the label from a necktie. Also missing were things like the usual hotel-supplied soap, shampoo, and towels. And any sort of knife or other weapon that might have been used in the stabbing and cutting. This last, along with the cords that had bound Owen, early caused the police to set aside the possibility of suicide. Beside the label (which showed the tie as originating from the Botany Worsted Mills Company, of Passaic, New Jersey), the only items found were a hairpin, a safety pin, an unlighted cigarette—and a small, unused bottle of dilute sulfuric acid.

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There were also two water glasses. One remained on the shelf above the sink, and the other lay in the sink, missing a jagged piece. The glass top of the telephone stand yielded four small fingerprints, possibly from a woman. The Kansas City Star and the Kansas City Journal-Post, the city’s evening papers, both carried the story on page one that day. The Journal-Post quoted Detective Johnson as saying that “There is no doubt that someone else is mixed up in this.” Jean Owen was held for questioning, and was finally released when police were able to verify her account with Joe Reinert. Roland Owen slipped into a coma before they got him to the hospital. He died a little after midnight that night, Saturday, January 5. During the night the police queried the Los Angeles police, who found no record of any Roland T. Owen. Before the night was over, via the wire photo process, the photo lab at the Star sent Owen’s fingerprints to the Justice Department’s Bureau of Investigation (the future FBI). Doubts were already being raised as to whether Roland T. Owen was the actual name of the victim. A woman had called the Hotel President during the night to ask for a

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description, and said the victim was a man who lived in Clinton, Missouri. By Sunday the Journal-Post reported that “Police believe Owen registered under an assumed name.” This was just the start. On Sunday people viewed the body at the MellodyMcGilley funeral home. One report says 50—another says over 300. One of the viewers was Robert Lane. Lane identified the victim as the man who had stopped him on 13th Street. He saw the deep scratch on the arm that he had noted Thursday night. He was sure that this was the man who had waved him down under such unusual conditions. Detective Johnson, though, dismissed the identification, not believing that the passenger was “Owen,” though I haven’t found anything that indicates he doubted that Lane picked up somebody. Police said they did not see how “Owen” could have gotten out of the hotel without any of the staff or passersby noticing him. (This, of course, presupposes that “Owen” was dressed the way Lane describes when he left the hotel.) Another account says “enter” the hotel.

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The story had been picked up on the wire services, and more and more people started contacting the Kansas City police to see if the victim might be the relative or loved one who had gone missing. Most of these either included no description or picture of the missing relative, or they sent a description or picture that bore no resemblance to “Owen.” The police began requesting that people send pictures to help speed the identification. The KCPD also started sending letters and telegrams to police departments in cities throughout the country, trying to track down the large number of leads they were amassing. The police established that “Owen” had been “seen in certain liquor places on 12th street in the company of two women.” As the detectives started to hear back from other police departments around the country, they began to close out the huge number of leads they had received. The rate of new leads slowed. Upon re-examining the room on Sunday, police briefly thought they had come upon an important clue when they found a discarded towel that was covered with blood. They concluded, though, that the towel had been left by a hotel employee who had been sent to clean after

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the initial forensic examination by the police. I assume that someone remembered Soptic’s statement that she had picked up the soiled towels on Friday morning and had not been allowed to deliver the fresh ones that afternoon. At some point the detectives followed up on the statement that “Owen” had stayed at the Hotel Muehlebach the night before he came to the President. They found that no one named Roland T. Owen had registered at the Muehlebach. But on the night in question, a man who looked like the picture had stayed there, insisting on an interior room—and he had given Los Angeles as his home address. His name in the register was Eugene K. Scott. The police contacted the LAPD again, this time concerning Eugene K. Scott, and received the same response as they had gotten for their query about Owen. The Los Angeles police found no record of anyone living in Los Angeles named Eugene K. Scott. The detectives tried to find out more information about the other man, the one who was coming to be known as “the mysterious ‘Don.’” Was he the same man who was in Owen/Scott’s room with the unnamed woman Thursday night and Friday 21

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morning? Were they the couple who both stood about five foot six—he all in brown, she all in black except for a light fur collar on her sealskin coat? Could he be the rough voiced man who told Mary Soptic through the locked door that room 1046 didn’t need any towels when she knocked on the door Thursday afternoon? Was “Don” the man that the man Robert Lane identified as Owen told Lane (Lane told police) he was going to kill? We know that Owen/Scott told Soptic that he was expecting a visitor, and to leave the door unlocked when she finished cleaning the room. She later heard him talking with “Don” on the phone. The search for “Don” continued. Others came forward and identified the body. Ernest Johnson of Kansas City viewed the body and positively indentified Owen/Scott as his cousin, Harvey Johnson, formerly of Dallas. Ernest Johnson’s sister, Mrs. Anderson, came to view the body later, and told police that her cousin Harvey had died five years ago. Ernest was surprised and indicated that Owen/Scott looked exactly like Harvey. On Friday night, January 12, Toni Bernardi of Little Rock, Arkansas, viewed the body at Mellody-McGilley. Bernardi was a wrestling promoter, and he identified

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Owen/Scott as the same man who had approached him several weeks earlier, wanting to sign for some wrestling matches. Bernardi said the man had given his name as Cecil Werner, and had said he had wrestled for Charles Loch of Omaha. On Saturday, Loch looked at pictures that had been sent to Omaha, but did not recognize Owen/Scott as anyone who had ever wrestled for him. On Tuesday, January 15, Lester W. Kircher and Clarence T. Ratliff, two city detectives were reassigned to the homicide squad. The squad was investigating two other murders beyond the one at the Hotel President. On Monday morning Vincent J. Cibulski, manager of the Mid-State Finance Company, was in his back yard when he was shot in the abdomen and shoulder after getting out of his car. Monday night carpenter John Logan was found near Missouri Ave. and Harrison St. in an alley. Logan appeared to have been killed with an ax. As time went by, the detectives continued to follow up leads, but the Owen/Scott case seemed to grow colder and colder. On Sunday, March 3, the Journal-Post published an announcement that Owen/Scott would be buried the next day in the potter’s field. Detective Johnson

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said he still hoped someday to identify the man who had been so mysteriously murdered. The burial did not take place as announced. Mellody-McGilley received an anonymous phone call. The caller asked that the body not be buried immediately, and promised that he or she would soon send funds to cover the costs of a funeral. On Saturday, March 23, Mellody-McGilley received a special delivery envelope containing cash wrapped in a newspaper. It was enough to pay for the funeral and burial. The sender remained unidentified. The funeral home shared the information with the police, and the funeral was held and Owen/Scott’s body was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. On Wednesday, a woman called the Journal-Post, refusing to identify herself, and told the paper that “Roland Owen was not buried in the potter’s field. Call the undertakers and the florists and you’ll learn that Mr. Owen’s funeral expenses were paid and that a floral tribute was placed on his grave.” The flowers were secured from the Rock Flower Company, in much the same way as the funeral and burial were set up, although the anonymous money to cover the bouquet of 13 roses had to be sent twice. With

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the $5 payment for the flowers was a card to be placed with the flowers on the grave. It read, “Love for ever— Louise.” The Rev. E.B. Shively of Roanoke Christian Church conducted the funeral, and the only people who attended were police detectives. The police continued to try and track down the elusive “Don,” looking into different possibilities, but with no conclusive success. In mid May, The American Weekly magazine, a Sunday supplement published by the Hearst Corporation, carried a sensationalistic account of the murder titled “The Mystery of Room No. 1046.” This contained a photograph of Owen/Scott’s profile, presumably taken as he lay on the coroner’s table. (In the police file on the case I have also found a letter from Harry Keller, editor of Official Detective Stories to Chief of Detectives Thomas Higgins, KCPD, indicating that his magazine later had also published a review of the case.) And that’s where things stood, with little real progress towards finding out Owen/Scott’s real identity or finding his killer. Nothing obvious happened for another year and a half. 25

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In the fall of 1936, another woman thought she recognized Owen/Scott’s picture when she came across the American Weekly article, or the Official Detective Stories review. The picture looked very much like the son of a friend of hers, whom the family had not seen since he left Birmingham, Alabama, in April of 1934. For over a year Ruby Ogletree had not received anything from her son, except three short, typed letters, the first of which was mailed in the spring of 1935—after Owen/Scott had died. Mrs. Ogletree had exchanged more than one letter with J. Edgar Hoover, and she had written to the U.S. consul in Cairo, Egypt, seeking help in finding her son. When she received the magazine from her friend, she finally verified what she had long feared—her son was dead. Mrs. Ogletree exchanged letters with the KCPD, and on November 2, 1936, twenty months to the day that he had registered at the Hotel President, several newspapers around the country carried the story that let us know that Roland T. Owen’s real name was Artemus Ogletree. His mother gave Ogletree’s age as 17. She also explained that the scar in the scalp above his ear was the result of a childhood accident when he was burned by some hot grease. 26

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Over time other facts came out. One of the most important of these was that, during his time in Kansas City, Ogletree had stayed at a third hotel, the St. Regis, sharing a room with another man, who may have been the mysterious “Don.” But the main questions remained unanswered. Who killed him? Why was he killed? What exactly happened in room 1046 that night? Was “Don” the rough voiced man? Who was Louise? Was she the woman whose voice was heard? The case remains unsolved. There are reports that are dated into the 1950s in the case file that usually end with the detective writing something along the lines of “I will continue to pursue the investigation.” And that’s where things stand today. Except … About eight or nine years ago, when the Main Branch of the Library filled the northern half of the Board of Education Building on 12th St., and the Missouri Valley Room was located on the third floor, I took an out of state phone call from someone who asked about the case. This person and another had been helping itemize the belongings of an elderly person who had recently died. 27

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They found a box with several newspaper clippings about the case. The caller said that, besides the newspaper clippings, something mentioned in the newspaper stories was also in the box. The caller tantalizingly refrained from telling me what that something was.

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PROLOGUE Such was the extraordinary narrative that gave raise to my interest upon my late night studies, short after my dear friend implied to me a discussion thread emphasizing on unresolved cases. It was indeed promising from the start but it also appeared to be rather strange that this particular, although peculiar one was not explicated over the years since it occured, for as you will see for yourself, altough it is of an discerning character, there is not much to it, for there are enough crucial points to form a conclusion. For the sake of comprehensible narrative, I will state only critical points and eductions that are of interest, for the case is complex enough for the reader to easily loose continuity. It required two days of ruminating and a considerable amount of tobbacco, but I will strive to present my observings to you in a relative and selfexplanatory order.

Note: There is an additional source, transcription from papers featuring the case, in particular, that you can find at the end of this document. 29

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A MAN OF VARIOUS NAMES There are at least several points of particular interest about Artemus Ogletree. From the systematic concealing of his identity under assumed names and his actions, especially changing his lodgings night-to-night, we can conclude that he was trying to mist his whereabouts and that he appeared to be misguiding the law. Given the time he spent between his home departure and his own end, it appears to be of some sort of ‘crime of opportunity’ character. This presumption is more probable, supported by a particular statement of ‘The New Yorker’ in 1938, which claimed that Ogletree was a waiter. Described as ‘neatly dressed’, paying for his nights in different hotels and seen in company of two women between manifold liquor places do not seem like a lifestyle of a waiter, with average income of $520. His absent luggage indicates that he recently changed his lifestyle and the timeline shows that he also quit his job and was on his savings, corroborated by his remark about outrageous $5 for his rooms in the Muehlebach hotel. From this, it is evident that his delaying departure was caused by some sort of unresolved and rather personal concern. Furthermore, there is a significant question, and that is where exactly were his belongings during his last period? What we know about Artemus Ogletree so far. 17 years old with distinctive head-scar, described as ’husky’ and tall, which means 170cm+ (6ft) according to US 30

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average height of males around 18 y.o. in 1920 . Originating from Birmingham, Alabama, high school student, who left home to hitch-hike to California in April, 1934. After eight months, however, to be found in Kansas City, Kansas, relatively settled, with a job and a side-job in crime involvement. On top of the given, with a wrestling dream, which we can infer from his meeting with Toni Bernardi and his singular left cauliflower ear, which is specific for boxers or wrestlers. Over all, we know that Artemus Ogletree was an optimistic young man, more of a dreamer, confident, impulsive, but with some partially good and considerably strong character, although of an average intellect, for the name ‘Eugene Scott’, which he used as his own upon registration in Muehlebach hotel is the name of the afroamerican baseball player, who debuted approx. in Ogletree’s birthyear.

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SHADES SHUT TIGHT We know, from the staff members testimonies, that Ogletree kept the shades in his room at Hotel President shut tight pretty much all the time of his stay. Nextly, he, according to these very testimonies, appeared to be “as if he was worried or afraid“. Considering the fact, that his rooms was on 10th floor and that he displayed no overreactive behavior over intruding staff members at all, we can disinclude the fear caused by a threat upon his life at that time. Nevertheless, following the previous chain of reasoning, we can conclude that his mindset was possibly caused by his upcoming “personal matter” rather than his recent crime-involvement problem, although the two causes were certainly combined. This is visible mostly in his amplifying depressive, anxietic and apathetic behavior over his time spent in Hotel President. Critical point in Ogletree’s evolving maneurs was the meeting with a man, whom he named, firstly on a note and later through a telephone, as “Don” (which could be a full name, but presumably, based on the character of his verbal interaction with this man, it is probable, that it is short form of a name such as Donald or Donovan. Also, in years around 1915, the name “Donald” was far more frequent than “Don”, or even “Donovan” in the U.S. historic naming charts, presuming that this man was not much older than Ogletree). According to Soptic’s testimony, Ogletree referred to him 32

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as his friend, also that he was waiting for him and later she even catched a glance over a note which said he will be back in 15 minutes. As to this, we can safely establish, that “Don” was truly a friend of Ogletree, based on the fact, that Ogletree used his name two times in two sentences in this very form of familiar character in their dialogue over the phone. The point, when Ogletree left the note in his rooms and left the building for the said 15 minutes tells us about several facts, to be crucially important later. Primo, this very “Don”, from this point further, does knew the number of Ogletree’s rooms. Secundo, Ogletree was more than willing to meet this man, thus considering his situation, there was a certain trust between them. Tertio, Ogletree left the hotel for 15 minutes, wanting from Don to wait in his rooms. It is clear, that he was excepting of their meeting to be a longer one. The meeting lasted about 2 hours at tops though, so it is not much of a question about how the meeting ended. Clearly enough, the subject was not resolved, based on his apathetic behavior after the meeting, which indicates that the subject was possibly even worsened. Next morning, 03.01.1935, Don attempted to regain connection with Ogletree, giving him a call over breakfast. From his responses, following the previous line of reasoning, we can tell that he was putting a distance between himself and Don, and that Don was possibly trying to reopen the matter of their previous day

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discussion with a new day’s start. Ogletree, in that case, must had had considered the matter unresolvable. However, we know that 03.01.1935 at around 04:00 p.m. , another meeting had taken place in room no. 1046. Now, when we reflect on Ogletree’s situation, it is more than probable that a very few people knew about his whereabouts. The fact that this man, whoever it was with whom Ogletree met that afternoon, responded from behind the door to maid that “they do not need any towels“ implies, that he was trying to keep upper hand in their discussion, and wanted no interferences at all. This means that this man came with particular expectation of the outcome of the situation, and also that is ts just as possible, that he came unexpected due to Ogletree’s intention to isolate himself. Over all, from what we already know, including the fact of Don’s knowledge of Ogletree’s room number, it is supporting the presumption that it was indeed Don, who came to visit Ogletree that afternoon.

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THE NIGHTLY ENCOUNTER This very point is of an utmost interest. According to his testimony, Lane was stopped in his car by Ogletree, at around 13th block, a little before 11:00 p.m. . In his statement to the police he claimed, that Ogletree was running, shirtless, in undershirt and stopped him shouting and gesticulating, and after closing the distance apologizing, because he tought that Lane’s car was a cab. Lane stated, that when Ogletree got in his car, he noticed a deep wound on his left hand, and that his hands were cupped, as if he was catching the blood. Absent shirt and overcloak tells us that he left in a hurry, in particular from a place indoors, where he got his overcloak off. His running could be due to a chilly night, in order to warm himself, but the damage on his hand and his prompt departure points to more of a shock and intention to gather distance between him and a place he was running from. Specific interest, however, rises over his mistake as to the Lane’s car. Deep wound and cupped hands clearly mean a considerable bloodflow, even amplified by the running, but the chance of probability is more for that some considerable damage was caused also to his head, which shook him enough to desorient him and get him into a shock and running. We know, that when Ogletree’s body was found, his skull was fractured by multiple blows. Projecting on the previous, it seems like there was some kind of quarell between Ogletree and the person, whom he came to meet. Quarell changed to hand-to-knife fight, critically 35

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changing Ogletree’s position to disadvantage, the damage on his left hand caused, shirt ruined and within the fight of posession of the weapon, multiple blows of knife’s handle laid upon Ogletree’s head, when he, at last, managed to run from the place. What we know is, according to Ogletree’s statement that “he will kill the man tomorrow”, Ogletree clearly knew this man. Nextly, that they met indoors, problably the two alone, presumably at this man’s place. There was a quarell. And at last, the attemp on Ogletree’s life has occurred.

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VISITING HOURS Although the timeline after midnight of the day 03.01.1935 is rather chaotic, there are enough critical points to establish one which would be of use. Firstly, as to the “commercial woman” who has been sighted in the hotel at around 00:00 to 03:00, even been on the 10th floor, inquiring the elevator boy about room no. 1026. It is not much of a question whether or not she was somehow involved in that night’s events, based on a presumption that the police would seize her soon after that night to inquire her, as she was recognized as a woman, who frequents this very hotel. She, nevertheless, had most probably departed from the city after that night, never to be found. From what we know, according to testimony of the elevator boy, this woman inquired him about room no. 1026, after a while to inquire him again, because as she said “he was not there and he was always prompt with his appointments” and at last, she continued in search for the correct room on her own, staying for 30-40 minutes. It is quite some time for waiting in the hallway instead of asking the receiptionist for a call. As this did not happend even when she was leaving the building, and considering the fact that she reffered to a known customer, the on point assumption is that she indeed, at last, found that, for what she was searching. The particular problem of room’s number is of an special interest. By repeatedly questioning about the 37

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room’s number, she evidently raised a general curiosity. That points to possibility that she had no idea whatsoever about what will happen in the next few hours. Now, as to how could she get the number wrong, it is clear that she does not knew the number, thus although he was a known customer, it was their first appointment over the time of his stay in Hotel President. She most probably did not received a call from him, for there is a minimal possibility that she would get the number wrong through a verbal interpretation. More probably, she got the number in written form, where is a variety of chances of misinterpreting. It costs a wrong pen, bad handwriting, little clumsiness due to an use of secondary hand or unright pressure to write down a number in a way, that will make it difficult to reinterpret. From the “Nightly Encounter” we know that Ogltetree had a deep wound on his left arm, which was also his dominant-side hand, judging by his cauliflower left ear, caused often by a specific fight stance, where the fighter is backing his dominant side, yet creating an opening. Considering the previous chain of reasoning, it is more than probable that she indeed was after Ogletree, and in that case, the chances are that Ogletree wrote a note for this woman after 11:00 pm. Furthermore, the woman left, only to return in about an hour. This time, however, in company of a man, described the very same as this woman, as to the approx. height and weight (5ft, 135 pounds). They went together onto 9th floor. From that, we can get that, for sure, she

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was not there after this man in her previous visit, for the number of any room on the 9th flor could hardly be mistaken for a one on the 10th. The timeline of that night’s incident, based on hotel staff members testimonies, ends at around 04:15, when this “Commercial Woman” left the building and in 15 minute period after her, the man also. What is of critical importance is that one of the sources featuring the case at the time claimed, that this man was seen leaving with a gladstone bag, which is pretty inconsistent for someone who goes on a stroll because he “could not sleep”, especially at 4:30 a.m. .

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ESTABLISHING THE TIMELINE 02/01/35, ABOUT 13:20 Ogletree’s registration in Hotel President 02/01/35, BETWEEN 13:40 – 15:55 Actual meeting with Don, based on his note that he will be back in 15 minutes. 02/01/35, ABOUT 16:00 Ogletree’s meeting with Don ended

03/01/35, ABOUT 10:30 Don’s call over breakfast 03/01/35, ABOUT 16:00 Another meeting with Don 03/01/35, BETWEEN 16:05 – 22:55 Ogletree left the hotel and went to meet an unknown man, based on his remark to Lane that “he will kill the man tommorow”. 03/01/35, ABOUT 23:00 Ogletree gets from Lane’s car to a cab

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03/01/35, ABOUT 23:00 – 04/01/35, ABOUT 01:00 Ogletree left a note to a Commercial Woman, based on the analysis of her inquiries about room’s number.

04/01/35, ABOUT 01:00 The Commercial Woman inquiries about no. 1026

is

making

04/01/35, BETWEEN 01:00 – 02:00 Woman’s meeting with Ogletree, lasted about 30 – 40 minutes, according to testimony of the elevator boy. 04/01/35, ABOUT 02:00 The Commercial Woman leaves the hotel 04/01/35, BETWEEN 02:00 – 03:00 The Commercial Woman meets with uknown man.

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04/01/35, ABOUT 03:00 The Commercial Woman company of a man

returns

in

04/01/35, ABOUT 04:15 The Commercial Woman leaves the hotel 04/01/35, ABOUT 04:30 The man leaves also 04/01/35, BETWEEN ABOUT 04:30 – 05:30 Stab wounds inflicted, according to doctor’s expertise 04/01/35, ABOUT 07:15 First staff encounter with Ogletree after the night, still living 04/01/35, ABOUT 11:30 Ogletree went unconscious and later died in the hospital

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WHAT THE CRIME SCENE TELLS As to the crime scene, there is a little few, due to a problem of data being only reinterpreted by the various popular sources. However, the very character of it is elementary and unsusual enough for newspapers to get us enough crucial points. Let us now get to these very points, in relative order. Presence of a Woman: Among the evidence from the crime scene, there was a hairpin found, which indicates the presence of a woman, in particular, an intimate one. The safety pin, which was also found on the scene is of special interest. From the photographs, it seems like the safety pin was damaged, probably from forced opening. Safety pin alone tells us, as it is often used to adjust clothings, that this woman clearly does not spent a much on a tailor. So where she was putting her income of a commercial woman? For as to a call girl, certain class is needed. Due to an absent data about her, there are two possibilities, and that of the cause of her manager, or if she was independent, it is possible that she was a single mother. Nextly, the forced opening tells us again about two possibilities, and that it was caused by either passionate disclothing of the woman by a man or some kind of quarell.

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A Bear in the Net: There is a particular fact, that Ogletree was a 6ft+, husky type with some fighting experience, and a singular problem as to the very character of him getting restrained, for either the commercial woman, or the man who came with her that night, with their 5ft and 135 pounds, would not do a much in close quarter situation over Ogletree’s life. Even if we consider the previous lines of reasoning in “The Nightly Encounter”, due to an adrenaline burst there would still be a bearly resistance. Then there is not much as to the possibilities. The stout built man, or a brute, who could overcome Ogletree is way less probable, due to an overall character of the crime. Yet, the missing toxicology is making it hopeless for us to surely establish an assumption that he was probably drugged. The Key Problem: Altgough sources did not state whether or not the room’s key was missing, we could clearly conclude, that it indeed was, and that for a simple reason. If the key was not, considering the fact that the doors, with a “Do Not Disturb” sign over the doorknob, was locked from the outside, it would instantaneously lay the police’s suspicions on the hotel staff, and of course it would surely be stated everywhere, as it would be quite of a “mystery feature”, excellently fitting for the press. The rest is simple. Following the previous chain of reasoning, the key must have had been retrieved from the room, later to be used for an unexpected entrance, and at 44

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last, to seal the room, with the addition of the very “Do Not Disturb” sign. The Necktie: A label from a necktie, which was also found at the crime scene, according to newspapers, shows that the necktie was originating from the Botany Worsted Mills Company, of Passaic, New Jersey. Which is completely irrelevant. Label itself tells us a very little, but of a critical importance as to how was the crime executed. For according to Owen’s testimony, that night, she heard a lot of noise on the same floor, consisted of multiple voices and short after, loud snoring-like sounds. As to the execution itself, following the chain of reasoning, it seems like there indeed was an argument between multiple people at the scene, which was also a breaking point of that night’s events. In order to suppress Ogletree’s voice, a necktie was used to strangle him, supported by doctor’s statement of strangling, and a label ripped off by Ogletree himself, over the fight of relieving the pressure on his neck, which also caused the “loud snoring sounds”, as he was gasping for a breath. The necktie itself clearly belonged to the intruder, for Ogletree had no luggage whatsoever and that actual night came to the hotel in an undershirt.

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The Bottle: A small, unused bottle of dilute sulphuric acid, aslo found at the crime scene, points again at the previously concluded breaking point. Acid itself is not much of an importance, althoug it tells us about the murderer himself, for he must have had a direct access to it. This narrows a variety of possible occupations to a probability of a plumber. The acid was meant to be used to damage Ogletree’s face in order to baffle with facial recognition of the victim. This also indicates a definite murder intention of the intruder. However, the fact that it was not used means that the murderer left in a hurry, disturbed, short after the concluded breaking point of the events. Jagged Glass, Blooded Walls: There is not quite much left as to the crime scene. There is blood, on the bed, walls and in the bathroom. When the wounds upon Ogletree’s chest were inflicted, he probably passed out, in bed, later to regain consciousness, with wounds sealed with solified blood. He tried to get up, in the total darkness, got to the wall to support him and at last, got into bathroom, where he was about to rehydrate himself. With movement, sealing over the wounds cracked and he started to bleed again. In the bathroom he collapsed, and one of the glasses above sink fell into it. These trips around his rooms were two, at least, one around 07:00 and the other around 10:30 to 10:45, both times he knocked the telephone stand over. 46

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The wounds themselves are of an interest, for they were not meant to be immediately lethal. Considering the restraint, locked door and sign over the doorknob, they were clearly meant to cause a slow bleedout, which points to a personal motive. The Last Words: There seems to dominate a general misconception as to Ogletree’s last words, for the majority tend to come to a completely erroneous conclusion that with his naive and plain lie, that “nobody did it” and that he “fell against the bathtub”, he tried to conceal the indentity of the wrongdoer. That only shows that people are not likely to consider one simple and obvious fact, and that the very people from whom he was hiding over his last period, stood at the time just before him, making inquiries. The cause is mostly visible in fact, that though he was indeed consciouss at the time of 07:00 and also 10:30, he, however, did not called for a help, as it is for sure that he naively believed he will walk it off. That makes his last words absolutely irrelevant to the case, although they tells us a little more about his background.

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LETTERS FROM BEYOND A GRAVE Next two chapters are of an utmost importance, for at this state, there are many loose ends and the investigation would be much more complicated, if not for the events that occured after that dreadful night at Hotel President. A year after Ogletree’s death, when his mother, at last, positively indentified him, she told the police about a most interesting thing, and that she was recieving letters from her son, though the dates showed that they were sent after her son’s death. These letters she described as rather “slangy”, and were aslo typewritten, which was not her son’s style, as she remarked. The letters themselves were clearly meant to deceive Ogletree’s mother about her son’s death. Clearly enough, when we consider that his identity was not known to public until mother’s identification, the individual who wrote the letters, typewritten, in order to obscure his identity, indeed knew about Ogletree’s death. Nextly, they tells us about a certain knowledge of Ogletree’s person, this individual must have known him. What is important is that he, or she, knew him well enough to have knowlege of his identity, his family and his origins, but not well enough to be able to replicate Ogletree’s style in written form. Apart from this, the letters tell us also about particular movements of the said individual.

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ACT OF HONOR AND COMPASSION At last, we are about to come to an end of the chain of events behind the death of Artemus Ogletree. There are only three critical events left, in particular, three calls which were made over Ogletree’s funeral. First, from a woman that called to the papers about that “they got it wrong and he will not be buried in potter’s field” and “arrangements were made”. In answer to the question about what happened to Ogletree, she responded that “he got into a jam”. From this we know, that this woman knew Ogletree and that she also knew about the call to the funeral house. Her exclaim about that “he got into a jam” indicates an unwillingness to discuss the matter, with the possibility of not knowing complety about it. What is important, however, is the call itself, for it was clearly an act of honor, specifically an act to preserve one’s. Second, from a man that called to the funeral house about that “he will send the money needed”. As answer upon inquiries made on him he stated several information. That “he is doing it for his sister”, that Ogletree “jilted a girl he promised to marry” and that he witnessed the jilting, for the three of them had meetup in Hotel President. Furthermore, he gave instructions to the house as to where he wish the body to be buried, because “then he will be near my sister”. And at last, there is his singular remark that “cheaters usually get what is coming to them”. Apart from the obvious, act of compassion is 49

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clear, although there is a significant coldness towards Ogletree’s person. The last is the call to a florist, making an anonymous payment for bouquet of 13 roses for $5. The payment came twice, but the important part is a note which was meant to be attached to the bouquet, that stated “Love forever – Louise”. Floral tribute was meant to give the last honor to Ogletree, that is clear enough. Nevertheless, the police was able to find no Luise whatsoever, which is crucial, considering the fact that this kind of tribute is of a great personal character and paying such a tribute under assumed name is rather dishonorable. What is clear is that this very Louise is the key to unravelling the events behind Ogletree’s death.

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THE CONCLUSION Let us now recollect the events as they occurred. A young man, with a wrestling dream, named Artemus Ogletree, left home to pursue his dreams in California. Short after, he found himself in Kansas City, Kansas, in a romantic affair with a girl from a good class, Jane Doe, which came to a twist not long after, when she found out that she is pregnant. With her family insisting, Artemus promised to marry her, found himself a job and for a time, moved in with her. A little before end of the year 1934, however, something happened. There is some uncertainty as to the cause, but to my guess, he wanted to move to California with his newly family and is just as possible, that he also wanted an engagement ring to be not reflecting a class of a waiter. For the money needed, he got into disputable company and short after business done, found himself on the run and hiding from the law. The situation at this point was quite uneasy for him, he was simply too young, naïve and overwhelmed. He got himself loose, as he was clearly guilting Jane Doe for his misfortune. He isolated himself and was shortly quite fond of the company of a particular prostitute. Jane Doe’s brother, Don, took an iniciative in the problem, as he was there from the start. He tried to confront Ogletree in hopes of resolving his strange behavior and a suspicion of cheating, on the afternoon 02.01.1935. He, however, apparently does not succeeded 51

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in neither. Next morning, he tried to handle it with a fresh start, but Ogletree turned him down. Don then came for an unexpected visit, on the afternoon 03.01.1935, and it is very much possible that it was also in a company of his sister, Jane. Mary Soptic came that afternoon to bring some fresh towels, when this occured, and was turned from behind the door by Don, who wanted to resolve the matter at once and for all. Ogletree, cornered, took an absolutistic solution and backed off from the marriage, for he more and more guilted Jane, and now also Don, and as he was still on the run, could not take a chance of getting caught, neither a chance, that Jane’s or his own family will find out about his recent dishonour. But there was someone else, from the start, who observed the events. John Doe, a close friend of Jane’s, who never revealed his love to her, for her family would never bless their marriage, as he was from a common laborer’s family. He found out immediately over that dreadful evening, what has happended on Don’s and Jane’s visit at Hotel President. He knew well about Jane’s feelings towards Ogletree and was also very well aware of Ogletree’s just affairing with his loved one, later to only bring a dishonour on her and her family, as single mother, needless to say, with a stranger. On that same evening, he lured Ogletree out to confront him, but a quarell between them outbursted, 52

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when John picked up a knife against the raging bear as Ogletree, wounding him, fractured his skull and got him running. Nevertheless, he knew that this was hardly an end and that there will be consequences, as to Ogletree, that to Jane also. He decided to resolve it for once and for all, and ultimately, to finish what he started. Ogletree, in the meantime, raging, contacted the Commercial Woman and left her a note with his room’s number and went to the hotel to get himself together. John Doe presumed such and promptly went after the woman, manipulating her to indeed go to Ogletree, but also to retrieve the room’s key, and, to get a certain drug in his drink. She then did so, as she was asked. In the meantime, John made up his plan, prepared himself and when the woman returned, he got her to come with him as his backup. Probably also to suppress a suspicion she raised when she got the room’s number wrong. They came to the hotel, together, and went after Ogletree. The woman was not absolutely aware of the seriousness of situation, but her womanly instinct was clearly telling her that she got into a serious problem. John made her to uncloth Ogletree and he restrained him and woke him up. The woman was from second to second more uneasy, making inquiries, but John was confronting Ogletree. There started an intense argument between these three, and John, loosing his nerves in such a suspense, suppressed Ogletree’s voice with his necktie, 53

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strangling him and at last, bringing out the knife and stabbing him. The woman, terrified, ran from the room, got a level under, in order of not rising any suspicion that could link her to a murder, and left the hotel. John found himself in a situation, where he was not sure if the woman would not turn him immediately, and also struck with acute guilt and doubt, so he acted promptly, collecting all of Ogletree’s belongings, locking the room and setting up the “Do Not Disturb” sign over the doorknob, leaving Ogletree to bleed out. He got a level under, called an elevator and left the hotel, although unaware, that he left there a bottle of dilute sulphuric acid, which he would have used to burn Ogletree’s face to make it impossible to recognize him. Also, he left there a phone, which could Ogletree simply use for calling some help. Soon after, probably both left the country. When Don and Jane found out about Ogletree’s death, they concluded that that has certainly something to do with his strange behavior in his last period and out of a fear of getting involved in this kind of bussiness and linked to such an individual, they decided to not go to the police. For Jane, it would make the father of her child a potential criminal, for Don, with his own family considering, it would make him a suspect in a murder case. However, when the time came, Jane got her brother to anonymously pay for Ogletree’s funeral and 54

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also for a floral tribute. Neither of them attended the funeral, for it was clear there would be the police also. As to the Louise, whose name was on the note attached to a bouquet, the police was not able to track no Louise whatsover, dead or alive, which is absolutely crucial. They were not able to find her for the simplest of reasons. For Louise was only yet to be born. John Doe, slowly consumed by guilt and doubt, anxiously following the case, came to Chicago, from where he sent first letter to Ogletree’s mother, in order to make her distant to the case, for his own sake, but also for the sake of Jane, for he knew that his mother would have the body moved and would hold a wage over the child. Then he came across New York and sent a second letter. Then, on 12.08.1935 he called her from Memphis, Tennessee, giving his name as Jordan, and tried to ultimately close the matter with the story of Cairo. As to the call, that Dr. John Arthur Horner received, about a box with several newspaper clippings of the case, which was found among the items of a recently passed elderly person and that something, that was in the box besides the clippings. This elderly person was indeed no other than John Doe and the said item, the door key of Room No. 1046.

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EPILOGUE Principal problem, as to the unravelling the events, was that there was too much evidence. There is also a problem of the sources reinterpreting the facts in such a fashion, that they are making it ultimately impractical for analysis, for they often tend to either distort the facts, to not state some at all, or paraphrasing statements, all for the sake of dramatic. But thanks to Dr. John Arthur Horner and his complex research, we were able to learn almost everything there was on the case. But the problem with this amount of facts is that the irrelevant ones are shading the critical ones. Then we had to pick up only these, which were of importance, to be able to form a conclusion.

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BRIEF PROFILES ARTEMUS OGLETREE, THE VICTIM: 6ft+, husky, dark hair, head scar on the left side, left cauliflower ear Recent crime involvement, possibly drug related Probably living with Jane Doe’s family for some time before New Year Multiple appointments with the Commercial Woman Sportsman with a wrestling dream and knowledge of sports

JANE DOE, THE FIANCÉ: Ogletree’s lover Pregnant at the time (with Ogletree) Living in Kansas City, Kansas at the time, probably with parents From upper class family Possible German/Irish ancestry Actual name possibly of Germanic origin

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DON, THE BROTHER: Brother to Jane Doe, older Man of action, practical Probably living with his own family at the time Well paid job, not a common laborer Possibly German/Irish ancestry Actual name most probably Donald

LOUISE: Child of Ogletree’s and Jane Doe‘s Born in between February and August, 1935 Name could be Louise, if female, or Louis/Louie if male

THE COMMERCIAL WOMAN: 5ft, 135 pounds, dark hair Possibly independent, single mother Multiple appointments with Artemus Ogletree

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JOHN DOE, THE WRONGDOER: 5ft, 135 pounds Considerable strength in hands Intelligent Man of principle Dedicated Jealousy and hatred fueled From a common laborer’s family Considerable knowledge of forensics By occupation, possibly plumber Close relationship with Jane Doe, possibly with Don also

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ADDITIONAL SOURCE Transcript of 1943 article

Too many clues spoil the broth!

So the police of Kansas City. Mo., might have parodied the old adage on that morning, some eight years ago, when the curtain rose on one of the strangest murder mysteries in the annals of American crime.

At 7 a.m. on January 4, 1935, the switchboard operator of the Hotel President prepared to call Room 1046 in accordance with instructions left by the occupant, who had registered on New Year's Day as Roland T. Owen, L0s Angeles, Cal. As she picked up the plug, the red light over 1046 blinked on, indicating that Mr. Owen had re moved the receiver from the hook, presumably to inform her he was already awake. But no response to her repeated 'good mornings' came from the other end of the line. Perhaps Mr. Owen had inadvertently knocked the receiver from its cradle in his sleep, she thought, and dispatched a bellboy. In answer to his knock a gruff voice responded, and the boy returned downstairs.

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At 8.30 the phone in 1046 was again off the hook. Discovering the door locked—from the out side—the bellhop entered with a passkey. The blinds were drawn, the room dark; and he was surprised to see the shadowy, nude form of Owen sprawled on the bed, face to the wall. The bell boy, believing Owen intoxicated, replaced the phone which had fallen from its stand, and tiptoed out.

At 11.15 the same thing was repeated. This time the bed was empty. The bellboy raised a blind— and froze. A chair was overturned. The telephone sprawled on the floor. The bedclothes were in a rumpus, and everywhere— on sheets, pillows, wail— were crimson stains. Blood! The bathroom door was ajar. Seated on the edge of the tub. a stalwart figure, stripped, clung with scarlet hands to the wash stand. Shoulders, chest, abdomen were slashed and bleeding. The back of his head was crushed; his throat was gashed: blood pumped from a stab wound above his heart.

House doctor and detective, summoned by the bellboy's wails, found Owen still conscious. The detective knelt over him. 'Who did this. Mr. Owen?' 'Nobody,' he whispered. 'What happened?' 'I fell against the bathtub,' he mumbled, and collapsed.

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He died 18 hours later without regaining consciousness. Meantime a police squad, rushed to the hotel: discovered that not a single article of Owen's remained in the room. His clothing, travelling kit. toothbrush, everything was gone. The door key, too, was missing. The telephone and a broken tumbler yielded smudged finger prints. Apparently a woman's. They could not be traced.

Guests in an adjoining room reported hearing visitors in 1046 around midnight. The voices indicated two couples, they thought, and about 2 a.m. a quarrel developed. Then at 4 there was a sound like drunken snoring. The night elevator man recalled taking up to the tenth floor a woman who inquired for 1046. A half-hour later she'd descended to the lobby. An hour after that she returned with a man and went up to the ninth floor. This couple departed the hotel around 4. So did a gentleman carrying a Gladstone bag.

The inquest established that Owen had been attacked about 4 a.m., but the identity or involvement of the nocturnal visitors could not be determined. His slayers had tortured Owen cruelly. Why? And why had he refused to name them? And who was Owen?

Los Angeles authorities, advised of the murder, were unable to find any records of such an individual. A maid 62

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in the hotel said that on the afternoon of the 2nd (Wednesday) she had entered 1046 and found Owen sitting with the shades drawn, in semidarkness. 'Leave the door unlocked. I'm expecting a friend.' he told her, and walked out looking worried. Returning later with fresh linen, she found him lying on the bed in the stilldarkened r00m. The following morning she found the door locked from the outside and let herself in with a pass key to make up the bed. To her surprise there sat Owen, fully dressed, in the dark. He told her to go ahead with her work. Presently the phone rang and she heard Owen say. 'No, Don. I've had my breakfast. I don't care to go out.'

Obviously, then, Owen was being held a prisoner. And in a situation in which he did not dare attempt escape or appeal for help.

On March 3. 1935. the local papers carried an announcement that Owen's body was to be buried in potter's field.

Hardly was this story on the street when the phone rang in one of the city's editorial rooms. 'You have a story in your paper that is wrong,' a woman's voice said. 'Roland Owen will not be buried in a pauper's grave. Arrangements have been made for his funeral.' 'Who are 63

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you?' queried the startled editor. 'Who's calling?' 'Never mind. I know what I'm talking about.' 'What happened to Owen at the hotel?'' 'He got into a jam,' was the laconic answer, punctuated by the receiver's click. Meantime: 'Don't bury Owen in a pauper's grave,' a man's voice instructed McGilley's undertaking parlors. 'I want you to bury him in the Memorial Park Cemetery. Then he will be near my sister. I'll send funds to cover the funeral.'

'Who is this? I'll have to report this to the police.' 'That's all right, Mr. McGilley,' the undertaker was assured. In answer to another question the voice explained that Owen had jilted a girl he'd promised to marry— the speaker had witnessed the jilting— the three had held a little meeting at the President Hotel. 'Cheaters usually get what's coming to them!' he exclaimed, and hung up.

A little while later the telephone rang in the office of the Rock Floral Company. 'I want 13 American Beauty roses sent to Roland Owen's funeral,' the anonymous caller said. 'I'm doing this for my sister. I'll send you a fivedollar bill, special delivery.'

None of these phone-booth calls could be traced. Neither could the subsequent letter to McGilley's mortuary— its address carefully printed by pen and ruler. Enclosed was 25 dollars. A similar missive with money reached the 64

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florist. Inside was a card, its handwriting obviously disguised, to go with the flowers: 'Love for ever — Louise.'

These melodramatic developments, tauntingly brazen, drove the Kansas City authorities to new furies of endeavor. A love vendetta seemed evident. Louise was the jilted. Owen, supposedly faithless, had been decoyed into a trap and vengefully slain. Detectives serving as pallbearers guarded the funeral. Others. disguised as grave diggers, watched the cemetery for days. But nothing happened.

Two years went by— then In November. 1936. Mrs. L. E. Ogletree, of Birmingham, Ala., saw a resume of the case published in 'The American Weekly,' with 'Owen's' photograph. Mrs. Ogletree was shocked to recognise the portrait. The scar — result of a childhood burn. The features — stalwart build. No doubt about it. 'Ronald Owen.' was Artemus Ogeltree— her son!

Early in 1934, Artemus, then a 17-year-old high-school student, had started to hitch-hike to California. she said. Ample funds were sent him while he was apparently enjoying his holiday. Then, early in 1935, Mrs. Ogle tree had received a typewritten letter, signed 'Artemus,' queerly slangy and unfamiliar, postmarked Chicago. In 65

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May, from New York, came a second note, telling her Artemus was going to Europe, followed immediately by a special delivery saying he was sailing that day. The letters seemed spurious— Artemus had never before used a typewriter— and Mrs. Ogletree was suspicious, and worried. Then, on August 12, 1935, she received a longdistance call from Memphis, Tenn. A man, who gave his name as Jordan and explained that her son had once saved his life, said that Artemus was in Cairo, Egypt, and well. He called later to tell her Artemus had married a wealthy woman in Cairo and was unable to write because he'd lost a thumb in a bar-room brawl. The speaker sounded irrational.

Mrs. Ogletree sent her son's photograph to the Kansas City police. Sergeant Howland identified the youth at once. And the grim fact was immediately evident — Mrs. Ogletree had received mysterious phone calls and typewritten letters after Artemus was dead. Was the purpose of this cruel deception to further cloak the slain youth's identity? Perpetrator of letters and calls has never been found. The mystery of Room 1046 is still unsolved.

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