Bethany Clipper
Wed, Feb 07, 1923 ·Page 11
State of Missouri, Grundy County, ss.
In the Circuit court of Grundy county, Missouri
Notice is hereby given to.....Seth D. Stanley...
The east half of the northeast quarter of section twenty-five (25), township sixty-three (63), range twenty-sic (26)
commissioners heretofor appointed to assess benefits and damages to the property and lands located in and situate in said Drainage District and to appraise the cash value of the lands necessary to be taken for rights of ways, holding basins and other works of the said District within or without the limits of said District, filed their report in this office on the 17th day of January, 1923, and you and each of you are hereby notified that you may examine said REPORT and file exceptions to all or any part thereof, as provided by law.
Witness my hand and the Seal of said court this 17th day of January, 1923
(SEAL)
TENIA MYERS,
Clerk Circuit Court.
(Jan. 24, 1923 v. 18, No. 20-22)
Grant City Star
Wed, Mar 16, 1921 ·Page 1
his body was found in an old well with a sack cement tied to it and his body and feet were wrapped securely in baling wire holding his hands against sides. This information was secured from the insurance representative who had a $10,000 policy on Mr. Stanley, and he was unable to see any signs of suicide.
Bethany Republican-Clipper
Wed, Sep 28, 1921 ·Page 1
The Bethany Marble & Granite works, belonging to the Seth D. Stanley estate, were sold last Wednesday to Orley Bartlett, and the stock is now being invoiced. C.C. Hiatte, administrator of the estate, has been running the business since last March 15th, when he was appointed. The sale includes stock, real estate, and good will of the business here. A yard was formerly owned by Mr. Stanley at Cainsville, but was moved here by Mr. Hiatt following Mr. Stanley's death.
Orley has been employed at the Bethany postoffice since July 1, 1919, as auxiliary clerk, and for several months before that time was a city carrier. He has also worked at surveying and operated a farm near town for a number of years. He is known as a man of much business ability, and the marble works should prosper with him at its head. A number of out of town persons have been at Bethany since spring to see if the works could be purchased, but Mr. Hiatt has felt that the interests of the town and county would be better served if it were sold into the hands of local people. It would be hard to find a man better fitted for the business than Orley is, and we wish him all success.
Bethany Republican-Clipper
Wed, May 03, 1922 ·Page 7
All creditors and others interested in the estate of Seth D. Stanley, deceased, are hereby notified that the undersigned administrators of said estate intend to make final settlement of their accounts as such administrators on the first day of the next regular term of the Probate Court of Harrison county, Missouri, to be held at Bethany, in said county, beginning on the 4th Monday in May, 1922, or as soon thereafter as same can be heard by the court.
NANNIE A. STANLEY,
C.C. HIATT,
Administrators.
The Albany Capital
Thu, Jan 06, 1921 ·Page 1
S.W. Allen and sons Clayton and Clinton last week bought out the interest of Seth Stanley in the Albany Marble Works. The Messrs. Allen have been in charge of the business here for a couple of years, and had also bought out the yard at King City last year, Clinton Allen having been in charge of the good business there since early in 1920.
The Albany Marble Works was established here back about 1885, and the business was conducted by A.W. Hutchinson and G.W. Reed for many years, Mr. Hutchinson being in the active management. After his health failed, the building and business wsa sold to Kenyon & Stanley of Bethany, and later Mr. Allen and his sons bought into the business. They have had a nice run of business the past year, and will continue to reach out for all the monument trade in this section for the future. Mr. Stanley continues to hold his interest in the Marble Works at Bethany.
Bethany Republican-Clipper Bethany Mo. March 16 1921 page 2
The following is a part of the testimony before the coroner's jury. The coroner's verdict does not place the cause of death, so you can read and form your own opinion.
State of Missouri
County of Harrison, ss.
At an inquest held before the undersigned, Coroner of said county on the 10th day of March, 1921, at HaasfFurniture store in Bethany, in said county, over the dead body of Seth D. Stanley, who was supposed to have come to his death by method and means unknown, the following testimony of witnesses was taken before said coroner and the jury, and was then and there reduced to writing and subscribed by the witnesses:
CHARLES A. MILLER, Prosecuting Attorney
E.F. HARDING, Coroner.
Jury:
J.A. Gray, C.T. Webb, Bert L. Layson, W.M. Foster, W.L. Webb, and A.F. Planck.
W.W. Meyers, of lawful age, being duly sworn, stated :
Q. Mr. Meyers, you were well acquainted with Mr. Stanley?
A. yes sir.
Q. Have you had any business with Mr. Stanley?
A. I have had business dealings with him for the past twelve years in the Bethany Savings Bank.
Q. You are well acquainted with the family?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Do you know anything about his financial condition? Whether or not he was heavily involved and was worrying about it?
A. Mr. Stanley had quite a few debts, but none that was bothering him in any way. Nobody was pushing him.
Q. Did you ever have any conversation relative to his indebtedness?
A.. Yes sir
Q. From those conversations did you form the opinion that he was worried?
A. I did not think so.
Q. were you with him last week?
A. Yes, on last Monday the 7th day of this month, I had occasion to go toa sale at Akron, I called on Mr. Stanley on Sunday evening and asked him if he would like to go up with me, as his farm adjoined this one. He said he thought he would like to go up there with me. At that time I intended to take my car. But on Monday morning I came over to town, brought my car and Mr. Stanley had his Ford. It had rained rather heavily on Saturday and some on Sunday, and the roads were muddy, and he suggested that he take his Ford and go in it. I would possibly that it would be best so we left about, I should judge about ten o'clock when we left Bethany, and we drove from here to Ridgeway, and before we got there Stanley said he had some matters in Ridgeway he would like to stop and see about either now or when we came back. I said we had better stop and attend to it going up, as we might be late coming back. We were there possibly thirty minutes, and he told me that he got the matter all arranged. He was getting a note secured and was feeling pretty good about that. We started on, went to Blythedale and over to his son-in-law's. Got there about and we stopped and had dinner with his daughter. Then went to the sale. And during our trip both going and coming, we talked about financial conditions considerable, and he told me that his condition, so far as land trades concerned, how he got it arranged, and he said now the matters at the bank, the boys are all mighty nice to him, nobody crowding him in any way, he seemed to be in good spirits. I remember as we were coming in Blythedale he said that of course if the boys in on me it would make it pretty hard, but there is nobody crowding me. This is what all the banks are do, not crowding anybody. So far as his talk to me, and I was with him all that day, he did not seem to be worried or a thing along that line that he was worrying about.
Q. Mr. Meyers, do you know of any enemies that he had?
A. I did not.
Q. Any trouble that he has had within the last two or three years?
A. None that I know of except at the time his automobile was stolen, at that time he seemed to have some worries about that.
Q. There was no collecting that amounted to very much that had come in the last few days?
A. none that I know of, he might of had.
H.C. Darr of lawful age, being duly sworn, stated that:
Examination by Chas. A. Miller
Q. Your name is H.C. Darr?
A. Yes sir.
Q. You live in Bethany, Mr. Darr?
A. Yes sir.
Q. You were acquainted with Mr. Stanley?
A. Yes sir.
Q. How long has you known him?
A. About 16 years.
Q. Where do you live with reference to his shop?
A. Just across the alley.
Q. Were you at home between the hours of seven and eleven o'clock last night?
A. Yes I was.
Q. Did you see anyone about the shop of Mr. Stanley between eight and ten?
A. No, I didn't notice anyone, people along there all night and I don't notice them, see them.
Q. Did you hear any noises?
A. No sir.
Q. Now Mr. Darr tell the jury anything else you might know touching this matter, or anything you might have learned this morning.
A> This morning about seven o'clock, I just don't remember exactly what time, I saw two or three men on the sidewalk and asked them what the trouble was - I just don't remember who they were. They told me Mr. Stanley was missing. I jumped out of the window. They said he had been missing all night. His car was across there. Someone found the well up. His coat was lying there, and hat and one rubber shoe.
Q. Where were they in reference to the well?
A> About three or four feet, that is my recollection. I did not see them when we first went in.
Q. What else did you see?
A. I thing Mr. Cushman got a stick and could not do do anything with that, then he went and got a pump rod and felt in the well and found something. He could not pull it up. It was bent at the end, but not so he could catch hold. Then Rolcke brought a rope, tied a grab hook to it, they got the body up with that and then made a loop and throwed over one foot and pulled it out of the well.
Q. Now tell the jury how the body was pulled up with reference to the face.
A. They drew him out of the well on his back.
Q. Did you notice the curbing in particular before the body was brought out?
A. No sir.
Q. Never saw blood or anything?
A. No sir.
Q. Did you notice the condition of the body, what was on it?
A. When they first got it out they laid it on a board and I think a cement sack about half full of sannd was around his neck.
Q. What was the position of the hands when he was brought out?
A. Both hanging down.
Q. Were they wired?
A. Wire on left hand, or right, I don'tjust remember which, but on one end, and loop in the other end of the wire.
Q. Was there any blood on the face?
A. I think some across the eyes.
Q. Anything else?
A. Mr. Sigler suggested that I go with him to tell his wife about it, and we left.
Q. That is all you know?
A. Yes that is all I know.
Q. You stated that you were well acquainted with Mr. Stanley?
A. I think so, yes sir.
Q. You know anything about his business affairs?
A. I have heard him talk about his business, his farms and trades.
Q. Do you know how his financial condition was?
A. No.
Q. Do you know of any domestic trouble?
A. No sir, I have been to his house often, have ate dinners there and there never was any trouble in his family.
Q. Do you know of any trouble he had with anyone else?
A. No sir.
Q. Were you and Mr. Stanley such friends as to be confidential?
A. I think yes, as much as anybody else around.
Q. Did he tell you anything in connection with his trades and farms, anything in confidence within the last six months?
A. No Sir.
Q. Did you notice any evidence of violence?
A. No I did not, but of course there had been a good many in before I went in.
Examination by Chas. A. Miller
Rufus Beckfsi of lawful age being duly sworn, stated:
Q. Mr Beeks, you live in Bethany?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Are you acquainted with Mr. Stanley?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Did you see Mr. Stanley yesterday at any time?
A. Yes, yesterday evening about seven o'clock.
Q. Where was that?
A. He came down in my barber shop to see a man.
Q. Who?
A. Mr. Jesse Little
Q. Who else was there?
A. I do not remember just who else, I think the barber, Mr. Smith.
Q. Did you have any conversation with Mr. Stanley?
A. No sir, nothing more than just to speak to him as he came in.
Q. Did you hear him talking to anyone else?
A. No. He talked to Mr. Little a short time.
Q. How long?
A. I should judge about fifteen minutes.
Q. What time did he leave your barber shop?
A. I should judge between 7:30 and 8:00.
Q. Did he seem to act as he usually did?
A. Yes. I noticed nothing unusual.
Q. Had her conferred with Mr. Little in your presence in the last three or four days?
A. I called him the evening before and he came down to the shop and Mr. Little was there and I did not know but what Mr. Little being relation, he might want to talk to him with regards to his business affairs.
Q. That was night before last?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did he seem to act as usual?
A. Nothing unusual about his actions.
Q. Did you hear any of their conversation?
A. Only when he went out he spoke good night to Mr. Little.
A. Now, Mr. Beeks, when did you first learn of the fact that Mr. Stanley was missing?
A. A little after six this morning Mrs. Stanley called the jail. I answered the phone and she asked me if I knew anything about Mr. Stanley, he had told her he was coming over to the barber shop to see Little. I told her he had come and stayed a little while and left by himself. She asked me if he said anything about going anywhere. I asked Little, and he said he had told him he had a little knocking around to do when he left.
Q. What investigation, if any, did you make?
A. I told her and I would go and see and I asked her if he had the car and she said yes. I went up to his place an d of business and his car was sitting on north side of the street.
Q. Facing which way?
A. The east. And I went to the door and the door was unlocked, and I walked in.
Q. No key in the door?
A. No sir.
Q. Did you see any evidence of anyone being in?
A. No. I went in the back work room.
Q. Was that door opened?
A. No, I think it was closed.
Q. State what you found there, if anything?
A. The overcoat. I recognized that as soon as saw it as the one that he had on that evening.
Q. Where was it?
A. Laying over in the southeast corner of the shop on some monuments, or a table or something.
Q. Was his cap laying up on top of his coats
A. No, it was laying over here.
Q. Was it near the well?
A> I did not recognize that the place was a well.
Q. Did you notice any other article of clothing?
A. One rubber laying where his cap was, and I went back and I believe the next fellow I say was Louis Omer and told him about the circumstances and him being missing all night, and I believe we went back up. I told him about the car being up there, and when we got back up we looked around and through the back part, in the alley and saw nothing.
Q. Was the back door of the shop locked or barred?
A. I don't think so.
Q. Were yo uout of it?
A. We went on through the building and went out the back way.
Q. Can you state anything further that you know of?
A. Well we then went on down and, the next man we saw was Aubrey Cushman. We told him, and thought maybe that he had been up to the Masonic hall and we had been there and could not get in,and Mr. Cushman said he had a key to the hall and we went up and that Mr. Cushman said he could get in and he went with us. Went up and looked in the hall and he was not there, and came back and went to the building, Stanley's marble shop. Cushman asked us if we had looked in the well and we told him we did not know anything about it. Different ones were coming in all the time, and we had quite a crowd gathered, and we prodded around in the well with a pole, and Cushman located something. First had a small piece of gas pipe with a small hook on the end of it, just a short piece, and we pulled him up part of the way, but that did not hold, being blunt, slipped off. Then we got what is known as a grab hook, fastened it on a rope that Karl Roleke had brought over, pulled him out of the water with it, and then looped the rope around his leg, and pulled him out on the floor.
Q. What way was his face with reference to the wall?
A. As near as I can remember his face to the wall, but in moving him around and putting the rope on his foot his back was to the wall, and we pulled him up with this face up.
Q. You think you pulled him up with his face to the wall?
A. Yes, I think so.
Q. Now let us understand, if this were the well, the curbing comes around out like that, and when they pulled him up was the face over the curbing or the back?
A. The back after we got him to the top of the water; we then put a rope around his leg and pulled him up. I am pretty sure with his back down, but up till that time his face had been to the wall.
Q. Was there any blood that had dropped or was dropping?
A. Nothing but his face, there was bloody water dripping from his face.
Q. Anything else that you know that you have not told?
A. That is all.
Karl Roleke, of lawful age, being duly sworn, stated that:
Q. Mr. Roleke, you know Mr. Stanley?
A. Yes sir.
Q. When was your attention first called to the fact that Mr. Stanley was missing?
A. When I was coming to town this morning Dick Flint asked me if I had been to town, and I said no, and he asked if I had heard Stanley had committed suicide or somebody had murdered him, and I could not realize it hardly, and when I got in front of the marble shop I seen quite a crowd and somebody asked me if I had a rope to fasten on a grab hook to pull him out with. I went over the the shop and got this rope and then I went over to the marble shop and Aubrey Cushman tied the rope on the grab hook. Several men around the well. They pulled him up to the top of the water and I could not get up any closer until they got him over the curbing, and his face was up then.
Q. Did you notice anything around his neck?
A. Yes sir.
Q. What was it?
A. There was a rope tied around his neck and a sack of something with a wire around the sack, and the rope in a slipknot around his neck.
Q. Was it a sack of sand or cement?
A.
A. Don't know which.
Q. How heavy do you suppose it to be?
A. About fifty or sixty pounds.
Q. Was the rope real tight around his throat?
A. Never noticed.
Q. Who removed the rope?
A. Don't know.
Q. Was the rope untied before he was laid out on the floor?
A. No.
Olin Kies, of lawful age, being duly sworn, stated:
Q. Mr. Kies, you were well acquainted with Mr. Stanley?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You knew something about his business conditions?
A. Yes sir, to a certain extent.
Q. How long have you known Mr. Stanley?
A. Twenty five years or better.
Q. When did you last see him?
A. Could not just say as to that, possibly a couple of days ago.
Q. Do you know of any trouble he has had?
A. No.
Q. Did not seem to be worried or depressed over his business?
A. No sir.
Q. Do you know of any family or other trouble?
A. No sir.
Birt Allen, of lawful age, being duly sworn, stated:
Q. Mr Allen, do you live in Bethany?
A. Yes sir.
Q. You have known Mr. Stanley some time?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Are you familiar with his business affairs in a general way?
A. No, I don't believe I am, I don't know so very much only in insurance and ways like that.
Q. What are they?
A. Well in the last few years, a good many times I have had business wite Mr. Stanley in the ways of title, loans, and insurance, and as far as business is concerned, always write his insurance here and have lately, but nothing of any consequence.
Q. Have you had any conversation in the last week or so relative to business affairs.
A. He came up to see us Saturday or Monday evening, rather late, and said he needed some money and thought we might have some. I asked him how much and he said $750.00 and wanted to know if I could get it for him or locate it for him.
Q. That was not in the way of a farm loan?
A. No, just wanted temporary money and plenty of collateral of all kind for security, and he said he needed it mighty bad. I told him I thought I could locate it for him, but the party was out of town who had the money. Early Monday Stanley came up, but the party had not come back so I had not been able to see my party, and told him I would see him soon, so about some two or three hours later Stanley came up and said he had found the money and if I had not made any arrangements, not to, and I had not got around to it.
Q. Did he seem to be worried?
A. I don't believe he was.
Q. Did he act as usual?
A. About the same.
Q. When did you talk to him last?
A. Yesterday.
Q. What did you talk about?
A. Don't just remember.
Q. He was all right as far as you could see?
A. Not any different than usual.
Wilbur Planck, of lawful age, being duly sworn, stated:
Q. Mr. Planck, you have known Mr. Stanley for some time?
A. Yes sir.
Q. From that acquaintance you are familiar with his business affairs?
A. In a way, familiar with some of them.
Q. Did you have any business relations in the last month?
A. Yes sir.
Q. State to the jury whether or not he seemed to be worried because of his financial condition.
A. The last business transaction I had with him, he seemed to be worried, but not to the extent of taking his own life. Mr. Stanley talked to me pretty freely about the matters he had in hand and in which I was concerned about, and he seemed to be depressed in a way and worried, no more than lots of other men I have seen under such circumstances.
Q. He has talked to you several times in the last six months or so, did he seem to be depressed often?
A. Well, not until the last month or so.
Q. Did you ever notice when he seemed to be very deeply worried?
A. Not any more than lots of other men.
Q. You know of no enemies that he had?
A. none.
Q. Know of any trouble he had with anyone?
A. No sir.
Logan Prentiss, being of lawful age, duly sworn, stated:
Q. You are well acquainted with Mr. Stanley?
A. Yes sir.
Q. You know anything about Mr. Stanley's business?
A. Yes sir, I think I do.
Q. Would you say he was heavily involved and wasworried?
A. My opinion would be that he was not worried.
Q. Have you talked to him in the last month relative to his business?
A. In the last couple of days.
Q. He has business relations with your bank?
A. Yes. Each time he talked, he brought up the subject himself about his deals and how he expected to do them. Mr. Stanley was a man exceedingly prompt in his obligations, and if he could not meet the, he would let you know.
Q. When did you last see him?
A. Well, he was in the bank yesterday with his son-in-law, Mr. Maple, transacted some business which concerned them both.
Q. Did he act as usual?
A. Yes, sir, he did; he was pleasant, and if he had any worries he did not show them.
Did you know of any enemies that he had?
A. None.
Q. Do you know of any collections or any deals he had made lately?
continued on page 6.
The Post-Telegraph
Wed, Mar 16, 1921 ·Page 1
Seth Stanley Found With Hands Shackled And Weight Tied To Neck-Thought To Be Suicide
Bethany, Mo., March 10- With his hands tied tightly together with wire and a sack of cement tied to his neck, the body of Seth Stanley, widely known business man and farmer of Bethany, was found at 7 o'clock this morning in a well in the rear of his place of business.A coroner's jury this afternoon returned a verdict that Stanley had committed suicide, but the general opinion in Bethany and vicinity is that Stanley met with foul play.
Stanley was about 55 years old, married and had four daughters, two of who are married, the other two living at the family home in Bethany. He was proprieter of the Bethany Marble and Granite Works, in addition to managing about 400 acres of farm land in this vicinity.
Stanley was to have met a traveling salesman for a granite firm at the depot here last night. He parked his motor car in the rear of his shop and proceeded to the depot on foot. The salesman missed his train at Maryville, Mo., so Stanley returned to his shop. He did not return home and persons in the neighborhood noticed that the motor car remained in the rear of the shop all night. This morning search was instituted for Stanley and he was found by employees at the bottom of the well. His coat and hat were on the ground near the edge of the well.
There were no marks upon the body except scratches on the face, which probably were made by the fall into the pit. Bethany citizens are greatly aroused by the tragedy.
Bethany, Mo., March 12- A careful investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death of Seth Stanley, whose body was found in a well here Thursday morning, failed to uncover any substantial indication that his death was due to other means than by his own hands.It is true that member's of Stanley's family and friends are of the opinion that suicide was not the cause of death but, up to this time, nothing of a definite nature has been developed that would substantiate their claims, except the unusual circumstances surrounding Stanley's death. The body was taken from a cistern in Stanley's marble works early Thursday morning. Around the dead man's neck was a rope to which was tied with a slip knot, a sack of sand. Around his left wrist was twisted one end of a piece of wire and at the other end was a loop thru which the right hand apparently had been drawn when the body was being taken from the cistern. If both wrists were tied with the wire when Stanley's body was in the cistern, his hands would have been bound about a foot apart.
Some who have examined the wire and loops at its ends are of the opinon that the one which covered the right wrist was sufficiently large to permit the right hand to have been thrust through it after the loop was made.
There were a few abrasions on the face and head and these at first, were thought to have been the result of a blow or blows inflicted by some other person. However, physicians, who have examined the body, are certain that bruises were sustained when the head and face came in contact with the wall of the cistern.
The noose about the neck had been drawn tight and an autopsy on the body developed the fact that there was little water in the lungs.
Had death occurred before the body entered the water, doctors say, there would have been no water in the lungs. But the rope tied tightly around the neck considerable water in the lungs would have indicated drowning.
Rufus Beeks, deputy sheriff, instituted a search for Stanley after the latter's family became alarmed when he did not return home Wednesday night. Beeks says there was no evidence of a struggle in
the marble works and that the dirt floor showed no indication of the presence of more than one person. A nightwatchman stated that after he found the marble works door unlocked abput 10:15 o'clock Wednesday night, and that after he entered the building someone called to him and he recognized the voice of Stanley. Stanley said, according to the nightwatchman, that everything was all right, and the other man left immediately.
Beeks says that he searched Stanley's pockets and found the dead man's watch which had stopped running at 9:45 o'clock, apparently an hour before the nightwatchman talked to Stanley. Stanley's pocketbook containing money and a number of personal letters also were found on the body.
Financial difficulty might have been a suicide motive, although it was not known that Stanley was in a condition that would have caused unusual embarrassment. He was considered wealthy, although it was said within a week of his death he discovered that, through poor collections, he did not have sufficient funds with which to promptly meet his bills.
