Thursday afternoon, June 6, 1912, this community was shocked by the discovering of the most fiendish murder ever committed in Miami Co. About 4 o'clock the bodies of Rollin D. Hudson and his wife, Anna Hudson, were found with their heads crushed in a most horrible manner in their bed in a five room cottage which they rented from Sid Aker, at 710 West Wea street, Paola. The murder was discovered by Mrs. Charles Musick, Mrs. Sherman Stump and Mrs. William Pryor, neighbors of the murdered couple. Not seeing either Mr. Hudson or his wife about the house all day, they became suspicious that something was wrong, and going to the house and not receiving any response to their knock at the door, they pushed it slightly ajar and could see the outline of the two forms lying in the bed in the back room. Herman J. Hintz, who is deputy marshal for the west part of town, came driving by in his buggy and the women told him of their suspicion. With Fred Hogan, Mr. Hintz went into the house and saw a ghastly sight. Turning back a coverlid and sheet that covered their heads, they found Mr. and Mrs. Hudson dead. Mr. Hudson was lying on his right side with the left side of his head and face crushed. He was evidently murdered while he slept, without having made a struggle. Mrs. Hudson was apparently awakened when her husband was killed and raised her head, when she was struck on the back of the head and on her face with some partially sharp instrument and inch or and inch and a half wide, as there were several holes in her face. It is thought both were chloroformed before the fatal blows were struck.

The pillows and bed clothing were soaked with blood, which had soaked through the mattress and dripped on the floor under the bed. It was a horrible sight and was the work of a veritable fiend.

From holes in the coverlid and other indications, the murderer had evidently thrown the sheet and coverlid over their heads before he struck the fatal blows, his purpose to prevent blood spattering on his clothing. There was no blood on a coverlid that hung over the head of the bed and little anywhere except on the pillows and bedding beneath them, on the covers over their heads and where it had soaked through and run on the floor.

Mr. Hintz notified Sheriff Chandler and when the news of the murder became known, a great crowd gathered and the little house was soon the scene of an excited and expectant throng. Dr. J. V. Ferrell of Louisburg, the county coroner, was notified and hastened to Paola in an automobile. He made an examination of the bodies and premises and ordered the bodies taken to Johnson's undertaking rooms, which was done about dark.

The little cottage where the crime was committed is about two blocks east of the Frisco depot. It contains five rooms, which were scantily furnished, but the little furniture which it contained was tastily arranged to make the best appearance. In the front room there was straw matting on the floor, a square center table, a new trunk and a few pictures on the wall. Back of this room was the bed on which they were murdered. Beside the bed, there was a box neatly covered with paper, on which were several little baskets containing trinkets belonging to Mrs. Hudson, and a coal oil lamp without a chimney. Mr. Hudson's overalls were lying on the floor at the side of the bed on which he lay and his other clothing and some of Mrs. Hudson's were hung on brackets on the wall. The center room contained a neatly blackened cook stove, two chairs and a table, on which set their supper dishes. In the north room, there was a wash tub and washboard. In the other room were a few small articles of furniture, and in the closet, neatly hung up, were Mrs. Hudson's wearing apparel, which had not been disturbed. The floors were clean and every thing indicated that Mrs. Hudson was a neat, careful housekeeper.

Mr. Hudson came to Paola, April 9 and Mrs. Hudson came the following Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Geo. W. Coe, who live on the opposite side of the street, knew Mr. Hudson a year. They then lived at Centerville, where Hudson worked on the railroad and boarded with them. Mr. Hudson staid at their house when he first came to Paola, and when his wife came they bought a small amount of second hand furniture, rented the house where they were murdered and went to housekeeping. They had little acquaintance outside of the neighborhood where they lived, were apparently honest and industrious, paid the rent of their house both months in advance and were well spoken of by the neighbors.

Since coming to Paola until May 30 Hudson had been working on the M.K.& T. section under Chas. Musick, the foreman. There had been some disagreement between Hudson and his wife on that day, and he left, going to Beagle, where he worked on the section two days. Returning home the following Sunday, he and his wife fixed up their disagreement and the neighbors say they seemed happy and contented. He went to work on the M.K. & T. coal chute and worked two days, when engaged to work for Sherman Stump, section foreman on the Frisco. He was to begin work Thursday morning, but he did not show up, and this fact, with the suspicion aroused among the neighbors in not seeing either of them about their home, led to the discovery of the murder.

The murder was committed with some sort of blunt instrument, first thought to be a coal pick, but the present theory suggested is that it was a brick mason's hammer. A careful search has been made for it, but it has not been found. The care with which the murder was committed leads to the belief that it was done methodically and with extraordinary precaution as to details. Had it been done as a result of a hasty quarrel or a sudden impulse, it is evident so much precaution to guard against discovery of the murderer would not have been taken. It was committed either by some one who knew the Hudsons before they came to Paola, probably in their Ohio home, who was actuated by jealously, or by a mad man. No other theory is tenable. It could not have been done for the purpose of robbery, as they had nothing to be robbed of.

Every clew has been followed, the only one that revealed anything worth while, and it is quite significant, being the fact that the day before the murder a stranger went to Peiker & Scheer's and Wishropp's stores and at several others places and inquired where the Hudsons lived. He is described as weighing about 150 or 160 pounds, rather ordinary in appearance, dark mustache and wearing a dark blue coat. Mr. Johnson, a wholesale grocery salesman who makes Paola, says such a man boarded the same train that he took at Paola Thursday morning, and C. W. Archer, who lives north of Paola, says a man of that description asked for work at his place on Thursday morning and was told to go to work, but he did not show up again.

G. W. Coe relates a conversation he had with Hudson while Hudson and his wife were separated the last time, at which time Hudson said he would send his wife home if he dared. He was afraid to send her, however, he said, or to go himself, and said he would rather be dead than in such trouble. Then he took a letter from his pocket and said if Coe knew what it contained he would sympathize with him. He also told Coe that he had caught his wife with another man three times.

Every effort to find the letter Hudson had has failed. Coe says he saw Hudson and wife wife meet near the Missouri, Kansas & Texas depot Sunday, June 2, when Mrs. Hudson said: "How could you go and leave me this way."

Hudson said: "You have not treated me right, Anna."

After this, they walked away together and were seen that evening in the garden, apparently happy. The husband was singing and all differences appeared to be settled.

William Pryor, night man at the Frisco coal chutes, who lives the first house east of where the murder was committed, says he went home Wednesday night about 9 o'clock after his midnight lunch, and while he and Mrs. Pryor were standing on the porch a strange man went to the Hudson home, and he heard the man say to Mr. and Mrs. Hudson he wanted to detain them a few minutes, and stepped into their house. He was undoubtedly the murderer. This is the last time Mr. and Mrs. Hudson were seen alive by any one in the neighborhood.

Mr. Hudson was a son of Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Hudson, who live at North Industry, a suburb of Canton, Ohio, and Mrs. Hudson's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Axxe, live at Massillon, Ohio. They were married at Massillon on April 10, 1910, and after a time did not get along well. The father of Hudson arrived in Paola Saturday. He is a prominent attorney at North Industry and has been prominent in politics there. He knew the late President McKinley and Judge Day well and was counsel in cases there with them and against both of them. He is a man of education and refinement, and great sympathy was expressed by all who met him while he was in Paola, over the terrible calamity that has befallen his family. He says his murdered boy was not quite twenty-one years. His son was born and raised at Canton, had a common school education and was a member of the Christian church. He worked as a cone grinder in an automobile factory there, but was compelled to give up his work an account of the steel dust affecting his lungs. He came west and returned to his Ohio home last December. He remained at home until April, when he again left for the west. During his absence, his wife worked as a housemaid and Mr. Hudson spoke well of her.

Dr. Ferrell called an inquest Friday morning, and after hearing all the evidence obtainable, an adjournment was taken until Wednesday afternoon. As nothing further had developed, the jury rendered its verdict on the evidence that had been submitted, as follows:

"That Rollin Hudson and Anna Hudson came to their deaths some time during the night of June 5, 1912, by means of being willfully and feloneonsly killed and murdered by some person whose name is unknown to the jury and with a weapon supposed to be a coal pick or some similar instrument."

The jury was composed of John J. Yeater, Fred W. Schmitz, Dan F. Amick, Char. M. McKoon, J. T. Logan and Wm. A Wilgue.

Mr. Hudson is survived by his parents, a brother and sister, Mrs. Grace Caley, at North Industry and a brother, Ira Hudson, a farmer near there. Mrs. Hudson leaves her parents, several brothers and sisters at Massillon and other relatives at Ashland, Ohio.

Mr. Hudson left Tuesday afternoon with the bodies for Canton where they will be buried in West Lawn cemetery.

Mr. Hudson expressed himself as being well pleased with the handling of the matter by the officials here and is grateful to County Attorney Sheldon, Sheriff Chandler and all the officials for their efforts to locate the murderer. Governor Stubbs offered a reward of $300.00 for the apprehension and conviction of the murderer, as a result of which several detectives were here and were now at work on the case.

It is earnestly hoped that the man who committed this awful crime will be speedily arrested and convicted. Hanging is too good for him. He should be made to live the balance of his days in the Kansas penitentiary, with the memory of his crime to haunt his waking and sleeping hours as long as he lives, and when he dies to suffer the torments of a hell that is made for such fiends.


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PSYCHIC READINGS

Misty's Reading, Paola KS

Joyce's Reading, Paola KS

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

Murderer Came In The Night  (Western Spirit, June 14, 1912)

Found The Affinity Letter?  (Western Spirit, June 14, 1912)  

Fiendish Double Murder  (Miami Republican, June 14, 1912) 

No Clew To Hudson Murder  (Western Spirit, June 21, 1912)