Murder Mystery is Unsolved.

Parsons Daily Eclipse Fri, Sep 22, 1911 ·Page 1

NOT FORMALLY CHARGED WITH THE CRIME.

Cousin of Dead Woman Guarded in His Home on Slim Clew of Being a "big Fat Man."

Trenton, Mo., Sept 22 - "Bunk" Davidson, a young married man of the Melbourne neighborhood, is being guarded in his home pending investigation in connection with the murder of Mrs. Ed. Shirley there last Sunday.

Davidson is a cousin by marriage of the murdered woman and has two children. He has not been formally charged with the crime, Davidson is a fat man, which fact alone coincides with the story of the 2-year-old daughter who witnessed the crime, but could not comprehend its meaning.

Mrs. Shirley was alone with the little daughter Sunday, her husband and little son having gone away for the day. When they returned they found the house locked and were obliged to break in. The door to Mrs. Shirley's chamber also was locked. On her bed lay the murdered woman, her neck broken as if by a twist, and bruises on her wrist evidenlty received in a struggle.

There was blood in the room and on the window whence her assailant had evidently fled, but no blood had been drawn from the victim.

The baby daughter said "a big fat man slapped mamma and mamma slapped him."

The little one was not frightened. Mrs. Shirley had been assaulted. Bloodhounds from Nebraska arrived here but the trail was cold. The Shirleys are highly respectable country people living in Harrison county near the Grundy county line.