LITTLE GIRL SAW MOTHER KILLED

The Kansas City Post Kansas City Mo. Fri Sep 22 1911 page 1

Harrison County, Mo., Woman Brutally Murdered-Farmer Under Suspicion.

BROKE VICTIM'S NECK

2-Year-Old Daughter Found Sitting Beside Body by Father.

Princeton, Mo. Sep 22 - (Special) - A little child, the 2-year-old daughter of Jasper Edward Shirley, a young farmer living nine miles south of Mt. Moriah in Harrison county, witnessed the murder of her mother Sunday. The husband returning home that evening from a visit to a neighbor's home found his wife lying dead on the floor in an upstairs room with her neck broken, and the daughter sitting beside the body. There was evidence of a horrible struggle.

Bunk Davidson, a farmer about 35 years old, is being kept under surveiliance by the authorities. No formal charge has been preferred against him. The community is greatly aroused over the crime.

"A big fat man came adnslapped mamma; mamma slapped him and he took her up stairs. Mamma is alseep, now." This is all the little girl could tell her father of this brutal crime.

An aunt of Shirley had visited their home Sunday morning and he took her to a neighbor's house to spend the day. His three sons accompanied him, Mrs. Shirley and the little girl being left alone.

Returning home about 5 o'clock, some three or four hours later, he found the house locked. He pried open a door and found the house in a state of confusion. Furniture was broken up and other things scattered over the floor. He spread the alarm.

Mrs. Shirley was apparently handled by a fiend. Her neck was broken, her wrists discolored and her body badly bruised. Her clothes had almost been torn from her body. Every window and door in the house was locked by the slayer.

The murderer was evidently injured in the fight for several blood spots were found in the house. Several stains were found on the window casing.

Blood hounds were unable to follow the murderer's trail.

A coroner's inquest failed to develop anything of importance. Mrs. Shirley was 27 years old.