Stout, William

The mystery surrounding the death of William Red' Stout, a miner, 28 years old, whose body was found floating in the Old Netta Mill pond, First and Picher Streets, Picher Oklahoma, at 11 Sunday morning, is expected to be cleared up at the inquest, which has been set for 6 this afternoon. The hearing will be held in the parlors of the Todd undertaking company, Picher, probably before Mrs. Hattie Henderson, justice of the peace. Stout's body was found by workmen whose attention was first attracted by a black hat floating in the water. They investigated and saw the body floating, face upward, in about three feet of water. They informed superintendent Norton Ritter, who notified the police. Belief was expressed by friends of the dead man that he walked into the pond while intoxicated and drowned. There were no marks of violence on the body and $11.11 was found in his pockets, which caused some investigators to dismiss the theory that he might have been slain by "hi-jackers" and thrown into the pond. Several love letters also were found in his pockets. Stout was last seen alive at 8:30 Saturday night, when he left his brother, Sherman Stout, with whom he had visited and Mrs. Alice Murphy, 523 North Netta Street, Picher, where Sherman Stout roomed and where William intended to rent quarters. William had been drinking, the brother said, and had turned into the path past the mill pond, which was a short cut to his room. The robbery theory was discounted by some acquaintances, who said that Stout had received a check for $26, but had expended some sums which, with the cash found in his pockets, accounted for all his money. Part of his wages was spent for whisky, according to the brother. The love letters in the dead man's pockets were written by Miss Frances Boyd, a beauty parlor employee at Columbus Ohio, with whom Stout was said to have become acquainted through a matrimonial bureau. Stout had been employed as a machine man's helper at the Lacily Mining Company. Besides his brother; Sherman Stout, he is survived by a sister, Mrs. Dora Ward, 623 Cherokee Street, and a foster brother, Jesse Matteer, Treece Kansas. Funeral services will be held at 2 Tuesday afternoon at the chapel of the Todd undertaking company, Picher. The Rev. R. C. Cantrell of the Central Methodist Episcopal church, South, will officiate. Burial will be in the G.A.R. cemetery at Miami.

Picher, Oklahoma, Jan 30.--William 'Red' Stout, came to his death from accidental causes unknown to the coroner's jury, according to a verdict reported to Hattie Henderson, justice of the peace, at 9:30 last night after 15 minutes deliberation. The inquiry occupied almost three hours, during which time the following witnesses were examined: Mrs. Alice Murphy, Miss Ethel Leatherman, Mrs. Freda Seward, James Dickson, Norton Ritter, Joe Nolan, Melvin Thornton, Sherman Stout, and Mrs. Dora Ward. The inquiry was conducted by county attorney A. L. Commons before Justice Hattie Henderson at the city hall following a brief examination of the body at Todd's mortuary at Picher. No marks of violence were found on the body. Witnesses agreed that Stout was intoxicated when last seen about 8:30 Saturday night. His body was found in the Netta Mill pond of the Eagle-Picher Lead Company, First and Picher Streets, Picher, shortly before noon Sunday. Officers expressed the belief that the man had accidentally fallen into the pond and drowned. The special coroner's jury was composed of Roy Bingham, Floyd Simmons, J. F. Clark, F. C. 'Buck' Fulbright, Fred DeMier and John Stauffer. Funeral services for Stout were conducted from the chapel of the Todd undertaking company, Picher, at 2 this afternoon. Burial was in the Miami cemetery.