Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 17, 1924, Page 1

A Newspaper for All the Family, Clean, Unbiased, anda Booster for City, County and State | Che Casper Daily Critnow VICTIMS BCS!SS FOUND IN PLATTE NEW WOMANI) CLOTHE 7 tae LIFE IN HOME SAID IDEAL ENTERS CASE nih mena renan mince cca me el FUN) F | RS IN ICY WATE Motive of Van Gorden’s Crimes Not Yet Solved—Coroner’s Inquests Here and _ What of the domestic life of Fred which ruled the humble ens as Soon triangle, the second woman in the case, entered into the Van Gorden tragedy, when a minute examination was Woman’s Body Recoy- ered First In Dragging at Douglas Today May Reveal Furth- er Details of Triple Tragedy Did events transptring within the "= four walls of his home have any made of the letters found in Van Gorden’s pocket after he was shot and killed by Sheriff Peyton. | River; Boy Found 6 | Hours Later bearing on the tragic events which resulted in wiping out the entire Van Gorden family? These are questions which are re- One of the letters, written on.La Bonte hotel stationery, volving in every inquiring mind. to- in a firm hand, was to Miss Alberta Lynch, and addressed to general delivery, Oakland, Calif. The letter was as follows: “Sweetheart— Stiffened by hours in the icy waters of the «Platte river, but fully clothed, in- cluding shoes and gloves, the body of Mrs. Fred Van “Haven't had a letter from you for ten days— “Am leaving Casper forever, so don’t write me any more Gorden, innocent victim of the depravity of a trusted husband, there— was removed from its resting Place at approximately 11:30 a. m. Sunday, by members of the hastily organized searching party. | Clad in only a light corset, a suit of win- ter underwear, a pair of silk stock- . The Weather ‘WYOMIN' fair and not so cold tonight. Tuesday un- settled, probably snow south portion rising temperature MURD BRUTAL CRIMES COMMITTED IN HOUSE SHOWED PREMEDITATION Husband Went Method- ically About Double Murder in Basement of Home.” dess hom: With the discovery in the Platte river yesterday after- noon of the water soaked and bloody bodies of Mrs. Fred Van Gorden and her son, Arthur-Lloyd, slain Saturday night by the crazed husband and father at their Sout Grant street home, the authorities came to the end of a trail that had been strewn with gory evidence. Inquests today and tomorrow wil! definitely | wards lost his nerve, this theory close up those phases of the.triple| hos been passed up. and it ts now tragedy which are of significance to | thought that he was prepared to go the officials of Natrona and.Con-|to parts unknown. verse countiés, but speculation as to the motive which led the mad- die ee ee man to commit the most ‘brutal| committed, it was learned yester murders yet recorded in the state! gay when’ the remains of his wite and afterwards to tose his own life (Continued on Page Ten) in the attempt to resist the Con: verse county sheriff is not likely to be ended. Why Fred Van Gorden, real es- tate and insurance agent should have sought to take the lives of the only two other membera of his family is not known. That he was undoubted- ly crazed at the time and was irre sponsible for his acts 1s the belief of his friends whe do not feél that his financial difficulties, . which were not large as such things are judged, qould have even incuced him to leaye the countr} had he not lort his mind. Letters written be- fore and after he left Casper def- initely show that the was intending to get away, and wnilg officials had ambitions to bulld a better house on the front of their lot, but there was no hurry. Tho Uttle house was good enough they said, and they could wait. The magic hand of @ thrifty housewifo Was ever present to transform what inight have been a. “shack” into a lovely little ‘home. It was not long until they real- ized their ambition to bulldea more Pretentious dwelling. It was fur- nished, not extravagantly, but with simpleness and an artistte taste which made it attractive. According to some of his friends, the building of the large house, which plunged him in debt beyond his means, was the germ from which tragedy sprung. That Van Gorden concealed his financial standing from his wife is evidenced by the fact that she be- Ueved the home to have been all paid for, when as a matter of fact @ mortgage of $5,400 stood against it. The Ups of the father, the mothér and son have been sealed-by death. their testimony cannot be taken. Fred Van Gorden was an ideal home man, his friends say. He loved his home, adored his wife and idol- ized his manly little son. Being a man with a pleasing personality, gentell manner and affab'e dispo- sition, he would at once be set down 48 the type of which ideal husbands anG fathers are made. When the Van Gordens came to Casper several years ago the little fami'y lived in the small house on the back of the lot at 412 South Grant street, where the awful trag- edy of Saturday evening was en- acted. They seemed supremely happy. Their little home was. mod- est, but thelr wants were few, and love seemed to be the reigning god- nae tached ac TRAGIC. GRIMES (Continued on Page Seven) Financial | Disasters Caught Van Gorden In Criminal Forgeries Caught Silent and coldly repel- lant, and yet with every- thing in the household metic- ulously ordered, the Van Gorden home at 412 South Grant street is frigid with mockery, alone and solitary but still pressed closely on both sides and at the rear with residences. It {s a white and immaculate shell. Death has swept through it leering with spectral, gloating glee, tearing away those to whom !t was home—a “ye real home where but hours ago there When they built their present home, Mrs. Van Gorden was to'd to go ahead and furnish it accord. ing to her own tastes, and to buy anything she wanted, the husband assuring her that they could afford anything needed to make one of the nicest homes in Casper, in the swift. swirling) Called to the office of his client’s lawyers. yment of the sum {l-|ings and high heeled slippers, the ‘was a purity of domestic routine up- The whisperings of some that' first clung to the theory. that. he | ™M#elstrom of financial disasters and/ attorneys, Van Gorden was given to] legally obtained was hourly assured| body at first gave the appearance lifted and enlivened by the spirit of (Continued on Page Seven) had intended suicide and had after. | dishonesty, the Fred Van Gorden| understand that his guilt had been| during the week. Believing Vanlot being only Part{ally present. eae Siitnon: sete en SR was swept Saturday night] established. In order that no public| Gorden to be in difficulty s Closer inspection revealed the fact tebe Tay A into the grave. stigma might be attached “to his|ly honest at heart, Mr. Fuchs that the head and shoulders were The aftermath of the tragedy +] Burdened an@ choked py the octu-| name, he was afforded the oppor | no attempt to press collectic At | deeply burted in the loose sand which Saturday night hurled murder into pus of crooked dealings that extend-| tunity of making good the amountof|no tlne was the threat of the law| tmarks the bed of the Platte In this is oom Sotter ncn cesite ed its enlarging tentacles about his | $4,122 which he had falsely procured | resorted to. region, The lower extremities of chambers. In the basement: near the déor that Sonnects the attached garage with the house, there is ingrained in the concrete floor a large and rag- sed brown stain. On the. door and the wall behind it are splatterings of red. Here stood Fred Van Gor- den, death’S"fiendish agent, and én- Weakening mind, Van Gorden mur- dered bis son and wife, and was himself shot down in seeking to es- cape. How long did the man who found- ed the Van Gorden agency play with the fire that leaves only dead ashes when it bas passed? How long did he usé funds that were. entrusted to for himself from Mr. Fuch. A tatal of $6,100 had been turned over to Van Gorden by his client for invest- ment. With the exception of the forgeries the balance of the notes were bona fide and, of course, col- lectable. It wag feared at the time Van Geritn Was facet With the uiseios- On the other hand, Var Gorden was given an ultimatum by insur- ance companies to which ho owed $2,600. He was warned that {f this amount was not paid to them by March 15 a warrant for ‘his arrest on’ the charge of embezzlement Would be issued. It is safe to pre- stime that this command was the di the corpse were the only parts of the body visible to the naked eye until the remains were dragged out upen (he muddy shore. An icy wind swept down upon the newly constructed bridge over the Platte river, where the city dump- ing Krount® comes down to ts, the DELIBERATE AS HE FLED AFTER DISPOSITION OF TWO BODIES ete é hotel ‘uiitlér the namo of J. S. John- LMoT 40 YEARS Many Tragedies Have Been Chalked Up In: ‘Van Gordén; after He haa care waters, The searching party Was him ‘for personal gain? No ono|ure that he might attempt to leave| rect cause of Saturday night's hor-| prestiy hatrperea by" tho PANS ded the lives of his wife and son. fully disposed of the bodies of his|scm of Guernsey. He was given | knows. town or take his own lifp. In or-|rible denouemert. (1d and by vie fact that throswer Their bod!es crumpled in to corpses wife and son in the icy waters of | room No. 201. By that time author- It is a certainty that on March 8| der to prevent him from doing elther| Because of the friendship and] grapplin beoks ere the ni: ast Four les stappling were thy only on the spot, their blood burst into the Platte, evidéntly thought that | ities in all towns near Casper’ had] Van. Gorden realized that forgeries|of these things, Mr. Fuchs hired a/kindly leniency of creditors, Fred | sroo14"* available for carrying on the chil pools on the floor and in he was safe from detection. is | been notified.” Sheritt Herbert» Pey-| of Kis had been discovered. Previous-| detective to trail him. From that| Van Gorden committed murder and| depressing ' work. Workin: 3 3 pressing r orkins upgn sprays across the walls. The tragedy of the Van| ™ovements from then on were as|ton of Converse county, on a tip|ly R. J. Fuchs had given him a large| Saturday to the following: Monday |was himself killed. A warrant for ‘The scenes of this series of deaths ge deliberate as during the committa’ of the erimes. . Sul] seéing the phantom > that throws a thin shadow of deception as a means of freedom for the crim- inai, he registeret at the Lalonte from the garage where he saw the blood smears in Van Gorden’s car, took»the room directly opposite. In the meantime Van Gorden had gone to a restaurant and had a (Continued on Page Bight) the theury that blood spots 5% either side of the bridge marked the pnt vt which Von Gorden pushsd the bodies of fi loved ones to thelf temporary turial spots, the searcn ers dropped Grag hooks in.> tHe water and begin the task which could have but one ending. “Looks like a man's overcoat about a block down the river,” an- nounced one of the dragging party, as he returned from a careful { apection of the river bank. “Let i a couple of hooks, and we'll it into shun sum of money to invest in first mor- tedges. Some of these mortgages bore forged ajgndtures, knowledge of which came fo Mr. Fuchs’ attorneys one week before Van Gorden com- mitted his terrible crime. evening the man kept watch on his charge, but no evidence of a move to escape was seen. The detective was then released. . Promises that flowed freely and recurrently were made to Mr. Fuchs’ Van Gorden’s arrest might have prevented this, y who sincerely trusted him permitted him to bring death upon his family, where oth- erwise he might today be jalled for (Continued on Page Seven) CRIMINAL COURT TERM UNDER WAY | in the: Van Gorden home were pre- meditated. The soft rugs that cover- ed the cleanly floor were removed. ‘The man, who to escape the hand which fs extended by the law and public opinion for retribution, count- ed upon bringing to a quick close the lives of his family and himself, crouched behind the basement-to- garage door. He called his son who had just come inside from a joyful ramp in the yard with his dog. Answering the command of. his father he ran into the basement and faced the men he fondly called “Dad” and slumped pitifully to the floor dead from a bullet in the heart and one in the head. Shoving aside the still warm body Gorden. family recalls. to mind .a score of famous tragedies of Natrona county which have taken place since 1889. Ella Watson, alias Kate Maxwell, and dubbed by those who knew her as “Cattle Kate” and James Averell, her partner in the cattle rustling business, were hanged to the limb of a tree July 20, 1889 in Spring canyon near the Sweetwater river by ranchers who believed them gullty of cattle rustling. John Tregoning, a night herder, shot George B. Henderson with a rifle after quarreling with him. This occurred in July, 1889. Tregoning Accordingly a number of men volunteered for the work of recov- ing Regular Panel of 35 Jurors On Hand for Duty—No Addi- tional Drawing Necessary—Jurors Examined for Quali- © coat in which at that »y supposed Mrs, Van Gory den to have been wrapped. Quick Delivery Two Murders In 2 Protruding from the surface of was sentenced to life traprisonment. Cc i a lac! a of si var: the’ fer ened», rag] Wan sentenced (© ife trapcieonrét. Of Letter Ends Sates: Blopke::: Tn; |\s serene Poe Ges eas post. $ mitted in Casper occurred in Lou erase from the floor blood that was his own. He staggered into the gar- age and with a bullet stilled the plairttive yelps of the Collie dog. Already the grim play to evade Gisgrace in this life had moved swiftly through the first act. There was an intermission that breathed with horror, with the nauseating odor of blood. The murderer enven- omed and trembling, waited—waited, for there was another to step before the tell-tale overcoat evaded the (iret cast of the grappling hooks. The second time they were thfown however, one of them sank, not in the light. flimsy cloth of a water soaked coat, but into solid material which fefused to give readily to the steady pull of the workers upon the shore, More help arrived and the logged body began to roll toward shore, stirring the fications—First Trial Starts Tomorrow Morning Polk's dance hall, September 20, 1890. John Conway shot and killed A. L. Tidwell. The act was the re. sult of a quarrel. Conway knocked down Tidwell with the butt of his six shooter before firing upon him. He was sentenced to prison for 25 years. On May 10, 1891, Willlam Hodge, town marshall, shot and killed Wil- Yam Warren a cowboy. The act Plan for Escape Last Few Years For the first time in the history ‘of Natrona county, the regular jury panel of the district court was obtained this morning without additional drawing of names from the box and 35 jurors are now chosen to serve as talesmen during the present term of this tribunal. . There were 39 names all told drawn from the box with three of the prospective jurors excused and one reported too ill to attend court. Those excused were: Barney MeNalty, stock grower; A. W. Long- ing of excuses, County Attorney E.;!ng up the Hennirg hotel last Sep- The Van Gorden tragedy at 412 South Grant street Saturday night marks the second murder case which had its setting. in that block in Casper. J. 8. Reeder, proprietor of a shoe store in Casper, was shot down Lack of knowledgé of the man- ner of handling special delivery letters in the Casper postoffice is believed to have been the chain in the link of Fred Van Gorden’s well laid plan for es- water slowly § “4 sand into clouds in the already mud: ht was done in the performance of|| °#P@ Saturday night. shore, stock grower and Arthur| 1. Foster examined the prospective| tember and in company with Joe pope ee cae ee eee i mn, with a. gladness of heart to| dut Van Gorden wrote a’ brief note || Bloomington, rig builder and con-|talesmen as to general qualifications Bullivse: popbing the safe of oe Wan’ Gordes house Sancery 1 ne ghostly whisper of the Platte be hope ‘again’ Mra, Ven Gorden| Virsil Turrier, a youth 14.yeara/ot|| to. W. By Cobb, tis attorney, anys {| coor” | Sadewith Enis) examination complet | had Ware. aporehonded.. after the}| 1#21¢ JTtie killing eocurred akoat-||s# 3 rushed onward to” thet sh, drove her car into’ the driveway,|age, shot and ‘killed his foreman|| ing he “could not stand the gaff ‘The criminal. division of the spring | °@ the Jury was excused to report | Tei were anPeebended after, the ek in the evening after shrill whistle of the icy wind perhaps directly into the garage. She| Deitleff Kramhoft after the man|| any longer,” told him to settle |! orm of the district court opened ai | for duty at 9:30 o'clock tomorrow came on for hearing during the Mr, Reeder had closed his, shop. bore down on the men en- was buoyant and gay, hurrying, ex.| threatened to whip him. The inci-| his affairs, put a special delivery {/ 9:50, with Judge R. Te. Rose onthe | Morning. term of the district court, pleadea|| The motive is presumed to be ap. Ie, Sens eee Pectant, but “not expectant of saat Onauen st Sean rane Sitios eee eee ee bench and with’ ali of tho prospec:| ‘Tho first criminal case to be| term Of the district court, pleaded|| Dit Motlre is presumed to be recovery of the body io tragedy. Her first-born, her only| The gun w! a i cor at, the depres! which fell over the tiny group at the s.ght of the remoins of the :wnr- tiye jurors excepting one, appearing | called tomorrow will be that of 4: for jury duty. Followirg the lhear-| vin Sutherland, charged with hold- 6 o'clock. He thought the let- ter would not be delivered until Sunday morning. the boy went -off when Kramhoft tried to take it away from him, William Dunbar shot and killed shooting had on his person $3,000 worth of diamonds. These were not taken, the robbers evi- robbery. Sutherland, it is understood will plead not guilty to a similar 7 charge and is to stand trial. von was huddled in a blanket, ob- livious to all earthy voices. His dog and pal was in the same eternity. baa dered woman, ths svady rolling of an Tho jury ax it now stands to|| dently having to make their es- |] 1¢ted woman, the y poluvasor ‘And there was her husband, scroug- rere Apssas: soiareat Ae we ae ape nar neccousa Ke —— = x servo during the present terms 1s|| ¢apo without accomplishing thelr || tho misshapen, bloated body toword ing into the twilight of the basement] 1892 during a card game. Dunbar |} ascertained S P. ke nd Sacer nd ni pins es hours st; scene an atmosphere which might Phadl gemeiotiecaueae ca |actensee = ee || ope Wanda Nelletatis hea tae t. Patrick a Max Hirsch, G. P. Pattitio,. Ole|| | Two men were arrested as sus- || voi nave done orsdit. to Conan pro ome sevenientnricloiotne ss | Gateosa uakcail haweg Swing hat otealio’ tue 5 erson, J. Tt. Wilson, Arthur Lott,|| piclous characters in connection || 1°, have, done eRe eee ee | 2. Prune ante aaealoe rain aioe | Jottoe we pedaRiCE by the sort- The Irish Race . J SEE oeneey eC: plant od BE eae eel One: more amaighty. aul coe. tha i th te steps| county, and at that time. mayor of|| er and being 2 local special de- Leayy ie; Fe hon Men q al rece 2, || heavy rope, and’ the corpse, free’ of i ithe nate it e Sa tachtie’ te Casper. The killing was the result|| livery, was sent out immediately. J, J. Chapman, Clarence A. Spring-|| were released. There were a nto the basement an . as af Whatever your nationality, whatever your creed, you do no violence to either in honoring the Day of Ireland’s earliest and greatest apostle; When the letter was delivered it caused Mr. Cobb to believe that Van Gorden had committed of a family scandal. Hurt was ac- quitted on the grounds of temporary insanity. close the garage door behind her, Mrs. Van Gorden must have sensed in a single, flashing instant that mud and sand rolled up on the low shore of the river. Another of the many victims of the mighty Platte (Contin number of holdups at that time in Casper, and the Reeder mur- der was- thought to have been DEAD WOMAN PROPPED UP IN CAR SEAT < committed by the men who were || had been wrested from its grasp. Dire lpras. (be andr ibe slow in mens) "pene. Coron: Mas, Billed May 30; “sates Shoe mae eres whose activities embraced so much of the mar- responsible for them. The lower extremities of the body seem tinyed on Eee ee er ue eee Grant street, and the subsequent velous and incredible as to challenge the life ff Mr n Gorden were very killing of Van Gorden by Sheriff Al Peyton of Converse county at Douglas. CIVIL DOCKET « continued on ge Ten) C. OF C. MEETS work of the premier saint or national hero of any other land. Shining through the great mass of myth sur- rounding the actual history of this wonderful personage, one thing is reflected definitely—he found Ireland heathen, he left it wholly Christ- ian. FINAL DETAILS OF AUTO SHOW TUESDAY NICHT Mrs. T. A. Cook, 430 Sduth Grant ¢ rea i - ums street, is probably the last person BY SPARK PLUG ranged for and reports are that it Through all the years sion the fifth century who saw the Van Gorden family in ‘ At a special meeting conducted | will be of the highest caliber obtain- St. Patrick has stood without peer the patron of per. At that time Van Gorden} The annual meeting, Casper Cham L. Titus of this noon in the Henning banquet | able in eee one who a eS the Irish people. driving out of his d with] ber of Commerce, will be at the I$ : Hagens of xan the Casper Automotive| the show wil! be given a moment Judge R. R. Rose, after opening s . . * a. Mrs. Van Gorden prot dead in| presbyterts yernacle, 6:30 o'clock | James P. of Casper and R. 8 sou ty ation, “lady luck’"in which to"be bored or fatigued. |the criminal ‘term oe tha. metrics They have been steadfast in their loyalty and the back seat. Mrs. Cook was pre-| tuuqae oremtue at veg Ellison of Casper. took the stand and those intending | There will be something doing|court yesterday morning, dismissed devotion to him and his memoiy. His influence pattie: dinn oranda imetieed that | Tuesday evening. If you fall to con- S Keotio. a weit “feces to oxhibit automobiles in the Third | every minute, and if enthusiasm on|the jurors until tomorrow morning and example have cheered countless Irishmen to Gordon's wife was not sitting in| pect with a ticket, it's your own The Baptist ¢ t Annual Automobi‘e show to open at/| the part of the dea‘ers is any criter-}and used up the afternoon for set- great and noble deeds for the world’s good. the front seat as had been | xs- | fault tette will sing. the Arkeon next Monday evening, | ton, the show should prove to be the|ting the civil docket for this term. ne Se pattck ih n : | Rises! Cook \ weak rica Harry Durham will Scout. organization “wit drew for the position which their] greatest ever held in Wyoming. The civil docket as it now stz Without St. Patric k the Irish people would Taiatasa Pehl peg 7 The progam” Wilt ps Soaty ands nanee dirplay will occupy at that time. Monday’s meeting was held un- pte mately wie have been, in any event great 1 a tated t ation from ster guild wil Thig meeting really brought pre-| der aye oo eee ce sere Hie pr a a Ga TE ee ise people. With him, they have I ething ngth the show up to the| Mansfield, of the Casper mo- | cases th ed Jud ne ath He Riayat Mrs, Van t 1 r opigentd and tasisptiqns care new| tive’ Dedlera” association) Raptste| opeatis’ of): last taltasterins’: Deter proven themselves the greatest ; that the exhibition “will be run off like clockwork for the four nights. The entertainment hae been ar- from the general committes and various sub-committees were heard _ Continued on Page Seven, _ mination on the judge's part in race in the world. clearing up old cases has brought about this gratifying result, | ‘