Imperial Valley Press

Search Now on for Third Body in Kirk-Truden Probe

Startling New Developments in Big Mystery

Belief Strengthened of Valley Woman in the Case

Was there a second person killed in the lonely spot northeast of Imperial last Friday night when Henry Kirk met his death at the hands of John Truden, in the most sensational murder case that has ever appeared in Imperial county?

This is the question now being probed by the sheriff's office, together with the numerous other angles presented by this baffling tragedy.

The supposition that a second person had been killed came last night, following a mysterious call to a Brawley newspaper by some unidentified man who stated he had been told there were two other persons present beside Truden when Kirk met his death.

After conveying this information the informer hung up the telephone and efforts to trace the call proved unsuccessful. The sheriff's office was notified and Undersheriff Bert Underwood, with several deputies, immediately went to the scene of Kirk's murder to investigate the premises again. What is believed to be blood spots, and human hair of a shade different from that of Kirk and Truden, were found a short distance away from where Kirk's body was discovered.

Also a strong odor of decayed human flesh could be noticed, officers state, the smell coming from a different section than the spot where Kirk was found, and appearing to be centered in a swamp not far from the scene of the tragedy. Although search was made nothing was found, though it is the intention to make a further search either late this evening or early tomorrow morning, to avoid the extreme heat.

The sheriff's office this morning questioned a Brawley man, who stated that Kirk and Truden had discussed an Imperial woman with him and each had asserted that the other had better keep away from this woman.

That there is a woman in the case and that she may have been present at the murder of Kirk, is substantiated by the story of a man employed in Imperial, who states that on Saturday morning of last week he was driving to work near the vicinity of the tragedy, when he saw a car in which a woman was seated and from which the feet of a man protruded. Believing that it was none of his affair, the man made no investigation, and only recalled the incident when he heard of the tragedy.

One Mystery Cleared

The mysterious telephone call received by Sheriff Gillett last Friday or Saturday, asking if the murderer of a man had been located near Imperial, has been cleared up by W. A. Weinstedt, of Beaumont, California, who called at the office of Marshal Harris in Imperial yesterday afternoon to explain that he was the party who called the sheriff from the Imperial hotel.

Weinstedt, who used to be a bank detective in Texas, was passing through Yuma last week when he heard the police of that city were looking for a man who committed a murder in the northern part of this state and was believed to be heading for Yuma. Weinstedt is acquainted with the Yuma officers and knowing him to have been a detective, they asked him to keep a lookout for this man while driving into the valley.

Arriving at Imperial without having seen any trace of the man, Weinstedt called up the sheriff to find out if the murderer had been apprehended, and the fact that the hour he called tallied with the approximate time of the Kirk murder, was merely a coincidence.

Investigation by the Imperial police yesterday revealed the information that Kirk had written registered letters to Mrs. Russel Richards of Honolulu on May 29 and June 9 of this year.

Question Vacinek

Yesterday afternoon Sheriff Gillett and Undersheriff Bert Underwood went to Imperial and questioned Rudolph Vacinek, who also lived at the Imperial hotel. Vacinek accompanied the officers to this city, but could not give any information that would aid them. He was well acquainted with both the dead men, and on last Thursday night went to Mexicali with Kirk, returning with him to Imperial shortly after 9 o'clock. Kirk went to bed and that was the last Vacinek saw of him.

He missed Kirk Sunday, he told the officers, and made inquiries as to his whereabouts, but nobody had seen the missing man.

As Kirk had told the people at the hotel that he intended to leave Saturday, it was presumed that he had merely carried out his plans.

When Vacinek heard that Kirk's body had been found, he hurried to Lemons funeral parlors to see it and was so excited as to arouse some suspicion.

He told the officers yesterday that Kirk and Truden quarreled on several occasions, but he could give no reason for any of the quarrels.

Kirk's mother is reported to be prostrated at her home in San Francisco by news of the death of her son. Her father was Colonel Jonathan D. Stephenson, a famous California pioneer and a distinguished hero of the Mexican war. His father who is chief engineer of the Virginia City and Truckee Railroad, has not as yet arrived in this city, though he is expected here tonight.

Coroner Lemons held an inquest on Kirk's death this afternoon, the hearing starting at 2 o'clock, and being still in progress at the time of going to press.

Truden's body was shipped from San Diego, where it was taken after his suicide, to Michigan yesterday, where relatives will claim it.