THE CASE STUDY OF, The Man With Cauliflower Ear PDF

THE CASE STUDY OF:
THE MAN WITH CAULIFLOWER EAR

otherwise known as
Mystery of Room No. 1046
by
CHARLES BELL-CROFTON HEARD

THE CASE STUDY OF THE MAN WITH CAULIFLOWER EAR
CONTENTS
PART 1: THE FACTS
Transcription of the Case Research………………4
Prologue……………………………………………29
PART 2: EXPERTISE
A Man of Various Names………………………...30
Shades Shut Tight…………………………………32
The Nightly Encounter…………………………...35
Visiting Hours……………………………………..37
Establishing the Timeline………………………...40
What the Crime Scene Tells……………………...43
Presence of a Woman…………………...….43
A Bear in the Net………………………..…44
The Key Problem……………………...……44
The Necktie…………………………...…….45
The Bottle…………………………….…….46
Jagged Glass, Blooded Walls…………….…46
The Last Words…………………...………..47
Letters from Beyond a Grave…………………….48
Act of Honor and Compassion…………………..49
2
PART 3: CONCLUSION
The Conclusion……………………………………51
Epilogue……………………………………………56
Brief Profiles……………………………………….57
Additional Source………………………………...60
3
TRANSCIPTION OF THE CASE RESEARCH,
By Dr. John Arthur Horner
A little before 11 p.m. on Thursday, January 3, 1935,

Robert Lane was driving on 13th Street. Lane worked for
the Kansas City water department. He later said that as
he drove he noticed something rather strange. As he
approached Lydia avenue, he saw a man was running
west on the north side of the street. This man was clad in
trousers, shoes, and an undershirt. That’s all. Though the
day had been pretty mild by January standards, he must
still have felt chilled.
He waved and shouted to Lane to stop. He approached

Lane’s stopped car, but slowed, furrowing his forehead.
He apologized, saying, “I’m sorry. I thought you were a
taxi,” then looked up and down the street. “Will you take
me to where I can get a cab?”
Lane nodded, and replied, “You look as if you’ve been in

it bad.”
The man grumbled, “I’ll kill that—” (here the Times

printed a long dash to indicate a deleted expletive) “…
tomorrow,” as he opened the door and got into the back
seat.
4
Lane glanced at the man, shifted gears, and headed his car
toward 12th and Troost. He stared quietly at the man
through his rearview mirror, noticing a deep scratch on
his left arm. He also noticed that the man cupped his
hands. Lane thought that the man might be trying to catch
blood from a wound more profound than the scratch on
his arm.
As the car approached the desired intersection, the man

thanked Lane as he jumped out, then ran to the driver’s
side of a parked taxi, opened the door, and honked the
horn. Very quickly the cabbie could be seen hurrying
from the restaurant where he had been eating.
Lane drove off.
On Wednesday, the second day of the New Year, a lone

man, carrying no luggage, entered the Hotel President at
14th and Baltimore, four blocks from the Central Library.
He apparently had one of those faces that different people
read in different ways. One account gives his age as 20-
25, another 25-30, and yet another around 35.
It was about 1:20 in the afternoon.
The man went to the front desk and asked for an interior
room several floors up. He signed the register as Roland
T. Owen, and gave Los Angeles as his home address. He
paid for one day.
5
Owen had a cauliflower left ear, which made it easy for

people to see him as a professional boxer or wrestler. He
had dark brown hair and a large, horizontal scar in the
side of his scalp, rising above his ear. This was at least
partially covered by hair that he had combed over the
disfigurement. The desk clerk gave Mr. Owen the key to
room 1046 and sent bellboy Randolph Propst with him to
the elevator, to show Owen the way to his room. Propst
later described Owen as neatly dressed, wearing a black
overcoat.
Propst and Owen chatted on the way up to the tenth floor.

Owen told the bellboy that he had been at the Muehlebach
Hotel the night before, but they had charged him the
outrageous price of $5.00 for his room. (With inflation,
$5.00 in 1935 had the buying power of a little over $80.00
in 2012 dollars.)
As the two got off the elevator on the tenth floor they
turned right and headed down the corridor, turned left at
the corner, then left again when the corridor reached the
corner with the stairwell. Room 1046 was just down the
hallway on their left, on the inner row of rooms looking
down on the hotel’s court, rather than the outer row that
looked down on 14th Street. Owen unlocked the door and
entered while Propst turned on the light.
6
Owen walked through a short entryway—closet to his

right, bathroom to his left—and saw the room itself.
Beyond the entryway, it measured nine feet wide and 12
feet long. The bed was to his right and the small stand
with the telephone to his left. Situated more or less along
the middle of the left wall stood a writing table with chair,
and beyond that, angled in the northwest corner, was the
dresser. Angled in the northeast corner was an easy chair.
Propst watched as Owen took a black hair brush from his

overcoat pocket, along with a black comb and toothpaste.
That was it.
Owen placed the three items above the sink, and the two
men then exited the room and were headed back down
the hallway, toward the elevator, when Propst asked if it
was okay with Owen if Propst went back to the room and
locked it. Owen gave him the key, and Propst went back
to the room, turned off the lights, and locked the door. He
then returned to Owen, gave him the key, and the two of
them took the elevator back to the first floor, where Propst
went back to his duties and Owen left the building.
The maid that first day, Mary Soptic, had come back to
work after a day off, and around noon went to room 1046
to clean, finding the door locked. She knocked, and Owen
let her in, which surprised her a little, since a woman had
been staying in the room before Soptic’s day off.
7
Apologizing, she said she could call back later, but Owen
said it was all right, and to go right ahead. Just moments
later, Owen told her not to lock the door—that he was
expecting a friend in a few minutes. Soptic noticed that
the shades were tightly drawn (this was true every time
she or any other member of the hotel’s staff entered), and
that the lamp on the desk provided the only light, which
was rather dim.
In her signed statement to the police, she said that, from

his actions and the expression on his face, Owen seemed
like “he was either worried about something or afraid,”
and that “he always wanted to kinda keep in the dark.”
While Soptic continued cleaning, Owen put on his

overcoat, went into the bathroom to brush his hair, and
then left the room, reminding her to leave the door
unlocked, because “he was expecting a friend in a few
minutes.”
Mary Soptic didn’t see Owen again until about four

o’clock, when she went back to 1046 with the fresh towels
that had finally been delivered by the laundry. The door
remained unlocked, the room was dark, and she could see
from the light from the hallway that he was lying across
the bed, completely dressed. Presumably from the light
from the hall, she noticed a note on the desk.
8
“Don, I will be back in fifteen minutes. Wait.”
The next morning, Thursday, January 3, Soptic headed to

1046 around 10:30 to clean it. Assuming that Owen was
out, she unlocked the door with her passkey (which she
could only do if it had been locked from the outside) and
entered.
Owen was sitting in the dark.
Soptic realized that someone else had locked the door

from the outside.
The telephone rang.
Owen answered, and after a moment said, “No, Don, I

don’t want to eat. I am not hungry. I just had breakfast.”
After a moment he repeated, “No. I am not hungry.”
After cradling the phone, Owen asked the maid about her
job. Did she have charge of the entire floor? Was the
President a residential hotel? Then he looked around, and
said that the Muehlebach Hotel had tried to hold him up
on the price for an inside room just like 1046.
Soptic finished cleaning, gathered up the soiled towels,

and left.
9
Around four o’clock that afternoon, after the clean towels

had arrived from the laundry, she took a fresh set to
Owen’s room. She heard two men talking, and knocked
gently on the door.
A rough voice asked, “Who is it?”
The maid identified herself and said that she wanted to

leave the clean towels.
“We don’t need any,” replied the rough voice loudly,

which was peculiar since Soptic knew there were no
towels in the room, having removed them herself that
morning.
That afternoon, Jean Owen (no relation to Roland T.), a

30-year-old woman who lived in Lee’s Summit, drove
into Kansas City to do some shopping and then meet with
her boyfriend, Joe Reinert, who worked at the Midland
Flower Shop. After a few hours shopping, she started to
feel ill and went to the flower shop and told Mr. Reinert
that she didn’t feel up to going out that night, and that she
would get a room at the Hotel President so she could
avoid driving back to Lee’s Summit till the next day. She
told Reinert that she would let him know what room she
was staying in. She arrived at the Hotel President about
six o’clock and registered a little over half an hour later.
10
Jean Owen called Reinert about ten to seven and told him
that she was staying in room 1048. He came to the hotel
about two and a half hours later, and they visited for
another two hours, when he left.
In her statement to the police, she said that during the

night she
heard a lot of noise which sounded like it (was) on the

same floor, and consisted largely of men and women
talking loudly and cursing. When the noise continued I
was about to call the desk clerk but decided not to.
Charles Blocher was the elevator operator for the

graveyard shift at the hotel, and he started work a little
before midnight on January 3. For the first hour and a half
of his shift he was pretty busy, but around half past one
business tapered off, though there seemed to be a fairly
boisterous party in room 1055. As he puts it in his
statement, sometime in the first three hours
I took a woman that I recognized as being a woman who

frequents the hotel with different men in different rooms.
It is my impression from this woman’s actions that she is
a commercial woman. I took her to the 10th floor and she
made inquiries for room 1026 (sic) – about 5 minutes after
this I received a signal to come back to the 10th floor.
Upon arriving there I met this same woman and she
11
wondered why he wasn’t in his room because he had

called her and had always been very prompt in his
appointments and she wondered if the might be in 1024
because the light was on in there the transom was opened
– she remained about 30 or 40 minutes then I received a
signal to go back to the 10th floor – I went back and this
same woman appeared there and came down on the
elevator with me and left the elevator at the lobby. About
an hour later she returned in company with a man and I
took them to the 9th floor – I later received a signal to go
to the 9th floor at about 4:15 AM and this same woman
came down from the 9th floor and left the hotel. In a
period of about 15 minutes later this man came down the
elevator from the 9th floor complaining that he couldn’t
sleep and was going out for a while.
The woman’s searching for 1026 rather than 1046 raises

some interesting questions. Was she actually there to see
Owen, or was it another man altogether? Did she get the
room number wrong, or did Owen inadvertently give her
the wrong number? Did this woman have anything to do
with what happened in 1046 that night? (The use of 1026
as Owen’s room number appears to have gone out over
the wire service account of the story, as that is what
appears in the accounts I have seen in papers from the
south and the northeast parts of the country.)
12
Blocher described the man as being about five foot six,

slender, about 135 pounds, wearing a light brown
overcoat, brown hat, and brown shoes. The woman was
about five foot six, with black hair, weighing about 135
pounds, wearing a “coat of black hudson seal or imitation
hudson seal.” The coat had a collar with a light fur strip,
and the collar stood up.
The woman was also noted by James Hadden, hotel’s

night clerk, when she left the building. He recognized her
as someone he had seen “in and out of the hotel at various
times and at various hours of the night and early
mornings.”
The next known encounter between Owen and the hotel

staff took place Friday, just a little after seven o’clock,
when Della Ferguson, the telephone operator, took over
the board. She noticed that the board indicated that the
phone for 1046 was off the hook. At ten after, when the
phone was still off the hook, with no one using it, she
requested that bell service send a bellboy up to the room
to tell the occupant to hang up the phone.
The bellboy was Randolph Propst, who had taken Owen

up to the room when he had first checked in. When he got
to Room 1046 the door was locked, and a “Don’t Disturb”
sign was hanging from the knob. Propst knocked loudly
and got no response. After a moment he again knocked
13
loudly and finally heard a deep voice say, “Come in.” He

tried the doorknob and, yes, it was locked. Again he
knocked, and this time heard the deep voice tell him to
“Turn on the lights.” He knocked yet again, and again,
and finally, after seven or eight times, yelled through the
door, “Put the phone back on the hook!” He got no
response and returned to the lobby, where he told Della
Ferguson that the guy in the room was probably drunk,
and that she should wait about an hour and send
somebody else up them.
About half past eight, Della Ferguson noted that the

phone for 1046 was still off the hook, and she sent bellboy
Harold Pike up to ask Owen to replace the receiver. When
Pike got there, he found that the door was still locked, and
he used a passkey to let himself in—again indicating that
the door had been locked from the outside. With the light
from the hallway, Pike noted that Owen was lying on the
bed naked, surrounded by what appeared to be dark
shadows in the bedclothes, apparently drunk. He also
saw that the telephone stand had been knocked over, and
that the phone was on the floor. Pike straightened the
stand and put the phone on it, securing the receiver in its
place.
He locked the door behind him and returned to the lobby,

telling his supervisor that Owen was lying naked on the
bed, apparently drunk.
14
Around 10:30 to 10:45 that morning another operator

reported to Betty Cole, the head operator, that the phone
for 1046 was again off the hook. Around 11 o’clock
Randolph Propst headed back up to the room, noting that
the “Don’t Disturb” sign was still on the door. After
knocking loudly three times with no response, he
unlocked the door with his passkey and entered.
[W]hen I entered the room this man was within two feet
of the door on his knees and elbows – holding his head in
his hands – I noticed blood on his head – I then turned the
light on – placed the telephone receiver on the hook – I
looked around and saw blood on the walls on the bed and
in the bath room – this frightened me and I immediately
left the room and went downstairs …
Propst rushed to the assistant manager, M.S. Weaver, and

told him what he had found. Joined by Percy Tyrrell, they
hurried back to 1046, but could only open the door about
six inches—apparently Owen had collapsed on the other
side of the door.
Newspaper accounts, however, conflate the action,

having Propst discovering Owen sitting on the edge of the
bathtub, his head resting on the top of the sink, which
occurred a short while later.
15
The police arrived in short order—Detectives Ira Johnson

and William Eldredge, and Detective Sgt. Frank
Howland—and at some point in this time Dr. Harold F.
Flanders arrived from General Hospital. They were later
joined by Detective D.C. King.
Owen had been restrained with cord—around his neck,

his wrists, and his ankles—and looked like he had been
tortured. Knife wounds bled on his chest from over his
heart. One of these had punctured his lung. His skull was
fractured on the right side, where he had been struck
more than once. There was bruising around the neck,
suggesting strangling as part of the torture. Besides the
blood that was on the bed itself, more blood had spattered
onto the wall next to the bed, and a small amount of blood
could even be seen on the ceiling above the bed.
When Dr. Flanders arrived, he cut the cords around

Owen’s wrists. His hands freed, Owen turned on the
bathtub spigot, which Flanders shut off. Detective
Johnson asked Owen who had been in the room with him.
Owen, semiconscious and barely able to talk, said,
“Nobody.” How had he gotten hurt? “I fell against the
bathtub.” Had he tried to commit suicide? “No,” he
mumbled, and then started to slip fully into
unconsciousness.
Owen was rushed to the hospital.
16
Dr. Flanders later put the inflicting of the wounds at six

to seven hours earlier, since a lot of the blood on the body
had “dried to a hard mass,” and the blood on the walls
and furniture had “solidified.” This would place the
stabbing and cutting at well before Propst’s 7:00 trip to
1046.
As the detectives searched Room 1046 they began to

realize that what they did find might not be as telling as
what they didn’t. There were no clothes in the room,
anywhere—no black overcoat, no shirt, no undershirt, no
pants, no shoes or socks. The closest thing to clothing was
the label from a necktie. Also missing were things like the
usual hotel-supplied soap, shampoo, and towels. And
any sort of knife or other weapon that might have been
used in the stabbing and cutting.
This last, along with the cords that had bound Owen,
early caused the police to set aside the possibility of
suicide.
Beside the label (which showed the tie as originating from

the Botany Worsted Mills Company, of Passaic, New
Jersey), the only items found were a hairpin, a safety pin,
an unlighted cigarette—and a small, unused bottle of
dilute sulfuric acid.
17
There were also two water glasses. One remained on the

shelf above the sink, and the other lay in the sink, missing
a jagged piece. The glass top of the telephone stand
yielded four small fingerprints, possibly from a woman.
The Kansas City Star and the Kansas City Journal-Post, the
city’s evening papers, both carried the story on page one
that day. The Journal-Post quoted Detective Johnson as
saying that “There is no doubt that someone else is mixed
up in this.”
Jean Owen was held for questioning, and was finally

released when police were able to verify her account with
Joe Reinert.
Roland Owen slipped into a coma before they got him to
the hospital. He died a little after midnight that night,
Saturday, January 5.
During the night the police queried the Los Angeles

police, who found no record of any Roland T. Owen.
Before the night was over, via the wire photo process, the
photo lab at the Star sent Owen’s fingerprints to the
Justice Department’s Bureau of Investigation (the future
FBI).
Doubts were already being raised as to whether Roland

T. Owen was the actual name of the victim. A woman had
called the Hotel President during the night to ask for a
18
description, and said the victim was a man who lived in

Clinton, Missouri. By Sunday the Journal-Post reported
that “Police believe Owen registered under an assumed
name.”
This was just the start.
On Sunday people viewed the body at the Mellody-

McGilley funeral home. One report says 50—another says
over 300. One of the viewers was Robert Lane.
Lane identified the victim as the man who had stopped

him on 13th Street. He saw the deep scratch on the arm
that he had noted Thursday night. He was sure that this
was the man who had waved him down under such
unusual conditions.
Detective Johnson, though, dismissed the identification,

not believing that the passenger was “Owen,” though I
haven’t found anything that indicates he doubted that
Lane picked up somebody.
Police said they did not see how “Owen” could have
gotten out of the hotel without any of the staff or
passersby noticing him. (This, of course, presupposes that
“Owen” was dressed the way Lane describes when he left
the hotel.) Another account says “enter” the hotel.
19
The story had been picked up on the wire services, and

more and more people started contacting the Kansas City
police to see if the victim might be the relative or loved
one who had gone missing.
Most of these either included no description or picture of

the missing relative, or they sent a description or picture
that bore no resemblance to “Owen.” The police began
requesting that people send pictures to help speed the
identification. The KCPD also started sending letters and
telegrams to police departments in cities throughout the
country, trying to track down the large number of leads
they were amassing.
The police established that “Owen” had been “seen in

certain liquor places on 12th street in the company of two
women.”
As the detectives started to hear back from other police

departments around the country, they began to close out
the huge number of leads they had received. The rate of
new leads slowed.
Upon re-examining the room on Sunday, police briefly

thought they had come upon an important clue when
they found a discarded towel that was covered with
blood. They concluded, though, that the towel had been
left by a hotel employee who had been sent to clean after
20
the initial forensic examination by the police. I assume

that someone remembered Soptic’s statement that she
had picked up the soiled towels on Friday morning and
had not been allowed to deliver the fresh ones that
afternoon.
At some point the detectives followed up on the statement

that “Owen” had stayed at the Hotel Muehlebach the
night before he came to the President. They found that no
one named Roland T. Owen had registered at the
Muehlebach. But on the night in question, a man who
looked like the picture had stayed there, insisting on an
interior room—and he had given Los Angeles as his home
address.
His name in the register was Eugene K. Scott.
The police contacted the LAPD again, this time

concerning Eugene K. Scott, and received the same
response as they had gotten for their query about Owen.
The Los Angeles police found no record of anyone living

in Los Angeles named Eugene K. Scott.
The detectives tried to find out more information about

the other man, the one who was coming to be known as
“the mysterious ‘Don.’”
Was he the same man who was in Owen/Scott’s room
with the unnamed woman Thursday night and Friday
21
morning? Were they the couple who both stood about five
foot six—he all in brown, she all in black except for a light
fur collar on her sealskin coat? Could he be the rough
voiced man who told Mary Soptic through the locked
door that room 1046 didn’t need any towels when she
knocked on the door Thursday afternoon? Was “Don” the
man that the man Robert Lane identified as Owen told
Lane (Lane told police) he was going to kill?
We know that Owen/Scott told Soptic that he was

expecting a visitor, and to leave the door unlocked when
she finished cleaning the room. She later heard him
talking with “Don” on the phone.
The search for “Don” continued.
Others came forward and identified the body. Ernest

Johnson of Kansas City viewed the body and positively
indentified Owen/Scott as his cousin, Harvey Johnson,
formerly of Dallas. Ernest Johnson’s sister, Mrs.
Anderson, came to view the body later, and told police
that her cousin Harvey had died five years ago. Ernest
was surprised and indicated that Owen/Scott looked
exactly like Harvey.
On Friday night, January 12, Toni Bernardi of Little Rock,

Arkansas, viewed the body at Mellody-McGilley.
Bernardi was a wrestling promoter, and he identified
22
Owen/Scott as the same man who had approached him

several weeks earlier, wanting to sign for some wrestling
matches. Bernardi said the man had given his name as
Cecil Werner, and had said he had wrestled for Charles
Loch of Omaha.
On Saturday, Loch looked at pictures that had been sent

to Omaha, but did not recognize Owen/Scott as anyone
who had ever wrestled for him.
On Tuesday, January 15, Lester W. Kircher and Clarence

T. Ratliff, two city detectives were reassigned to the
homicide squad. The squad was investigating two other
murders beyond the one at the Hotel President.
On Monday morning Vincent J. Cibulski, manager of the

Mid-State Finance Company, was in his back yard when
he was shot in the abdomen and shoulder after getting out
of his car. Monday night carpenter John Logan was found
near Missouri Ave. and Harrison St. in an alley. Logan
appeared to have been killed with an ax.
As time went by, the detectives continued to follow up

leads, but the Owen/Scott case seemed to grow colder
and colder. On Sunday, March 3, the Journal-Post
published an announcement that Owen/Scott would be
buried the next day in the potter’s field. Detective Johnson
23
said he still hoped someday to identify the man who had

been so mysteriously murdered.
The burial did not take place as announced.
Mellody-McGilley received an anonymous phone call.

The caller asked that the body not be buried immediately,
and promised that he or she would soon send funds to
cover the costs of a funeral. On Saturday, March 23,
Mellody-McGilley received a special delivery envelope
containing cash wrapped in a newspaper. It was enough
to pay for the funeral and burial. The sender remained
unidentified.
The funeral home shared the information with the police,

and the funeral was held and Owen/Scott’s body was
buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Kansas City,
Kansas. On Wednesday, a woman called the Journal-Post,
refusing to identify herself, and told the paper that
“Roland Owen was not buried in the potter’s field. Call
the undertakers and the florists and you’ll learn that Mr.
Owen’s funeral expenses were paid and that a floral
tribute was placed on his grave.”
The flowers were secured from the Rock Flower

Company, in much the same way as the funeral and
burial were set up, although the anonymous money to
cover the bouquet of 13 roses had to be sent twice. With
24
the $5 payment for the flowers was a card to be placed

with the flowers on the grave. It read, “Love for ever—
Louise.”
The Rev. E.B. Shively of Roanoke Christian Church

conducted the funeral, and the only people who attended
were police detectives.
The police continued to try and track down the elusive
“Don,” looking into different possibilities, but with no
conclusive success.
In mid May, The American Weekly magazine, a Sunday

supplement published by the Hearst Corporation, carried
a sensationalistic account of the murder titled “The
Mystery of Room No. 1046.” This contained a
photograph of Owen/Scott’s profile, presumably taken as
he lay on the coroner’s table.
(In the police file on the case I have also found a letter
from Harry Keller, editor of Official Detective Stories to
Chief of Detectives Thomas Higgins, KCPD, indicating
that his magazine later had also published a review of the
case.)
And that’s where things stood, with little real progress

towards finding out Owen/Scott’s real identity or finding
his killer.
Nothing obvious happened for another year and a half.
25
In the fall of 1936, another woman thought she recognized

Owen/Scott’s picture when she came across the American
Weekly article, or the Official Detective Stories review. The
picture looked very much like the son of a friend of hers,
whom the family had not seen since he left Birmingham,
Alabama, in April of 1934.
For over a year Ruby Ogletree had not received anything

from her son, except three short, typed letters, the first of
which was mailed in the spring of 1935—after
Owen/Scott had died. Mrs. Ogletree had exchanged more
than one letter with J. Edgar Hoover, and she had written
to the U.S. consul in Cairo, Egypt, seeking help in finding
her son.
When she received the magazine from her friend, she

finally verified what she had long feared—her son was
dead.
Mrs. Ogletree exchanged letters with the KCPD, and on

November 2, 1936, twenty months to the day that he had
registered at the Hotel President, several newspapers
around the country carried the story that let us know that
Roland T. Owen’s real name was Artemus Ogletree. His
mother gave Ogletree’s age as 17. She also explained that
the scar in the scalp above his ear was the result of a
childhood accident when he was burned by some hot
grease.
26
Over time other facts came out. One of the most important
of these was that, during his time in Kansas City, Ogletree
had stayed at a third hotel, the St. Regis, sharing a room
with another man, who may have been the mysterious
“Don.”
But the main questions remained unanswered. Who

killed him? Why was he killed? What exactly happened
in room 1046 that night? Was “Don” the rough voiced
man? Who was Louise? Was she the woman whose voice
was heard?
The case remains unsolved. There are reports that are

dated into the 1950s in the case file that usually end with
the detective writing something along the lines of “I will
continue to pursue the investigation.”
And that’s where things stand today.
Except …
About eight or nine years ago, when the Main Branch of

the Library filled the northern half of the Board of
Education Building on 12th St., and the Missouri Valley
Room was located on the third floor, I took an out of state
phone call from someone who asked about the case.
This person and another had been helping itemize the

belongings of an elderly person who had recently died.
27
They found a box with several newspaper clippings about

the case. The caller said that, besides the newspaper
clippings, something mentioned in the newspaper stories
was also in the box.
The caller tantalizingly refrained from telling me what

that something was.
28
PROLOGUE
Such was the extraordinary narrative that gave

raise to my interest upon my late night studies, short after
my dear friend implied to me a discussion thread
emphasizing on unresolved cases. It was indeed
promising from the start but it also appeared to be rather
strange that this particular, although peculiar one was not
explicated over the years since it occured, for as you will
see for yourself, altough it is of an discerning character,
there is not much to it, for there are enough crucial points
to form a conclusion.
For the sake of comprehensible narrative, I will

state only critical points and eductions that are of interest,
for the case is complex enough for the reader to easily
loose continuity. It required two days of ruminating and
a considerable amount of tobbacco, but I will strive to
present my observings to you in a relative and self-
explanatory order.
Note:
There is an additional source, transcription from

papers featuring the case, in particular, that you can find
at the end of this document.
29
A MAN OF VARIOUS NAMES
There are at least several points of particular

interest about Artemus Ogletree. From the systematic
concealing of his identity under assumed names and his
actions, especially changing his lodgings night-to-night,
we can conclude that he was trying to mist his
whereabouts and that he appeared to be misguiding the
law. Given the time he spent between his home departure
and his own end, it appears to be of some sort of ‘crime of
opportunity’ character. This presumption is more
probable, supported by a particular statement of ‘The
New Yorker’ in 1938, which claimed that Ogletree was a
waiter. Described as ‘neatly dressed’, paying for his
nights in different hotels and seen in company of two
women between manifold liquor places do not seem like
a lifestyle of a waiter, with average income of $520.
His absent luggage indicates that he recently

changed his lifestyle and the timeline shows that he also
quit his job and was on his savings, corroborated by his
remark about outrageous $5 for his rooms in the
Muehlebach hotel. From this, it is evident that his
delaying departure was caused by some sort of
unresolved and rather personal concern. Furthermore,
there is a significant question, and that is where exactly
were his belongings during his last period?
What we know about Artemus Ogletree so far. 17

years old with distinctive head-scar, described as ’husky’
and tall, which means 170cm+ (6ft) according to US
30
average height of males around 18 y.o. in 1920 .

Originating from Birmingham, Alabama, high school
student, who left home to hitch-hike to California in
April, 1934. After eight months, however, to be found in
Kansas City, Kansas, relatively settled, with a job and a
side-job in crime involvement. On top of the given, with
a wrestling dream, which we can infer from his meeting
with Toni Bernardi and his singular left cauliflower ear,
which is specific for boxers or wrestlers.
Over all, we know that Artemus Ogletree was an

optimistic young man, more of a dreamer, confident,
impulsive, but with some partially good and considerably
strong character, although of an average intellect, for the
name ‘Eugene Scott’, which he used as his own upon
registration in Muehlebach hotel is the name of the afro-
american baseball player, who debuted approx. in
Ogletree’s birthyear.
31
SHADES SHUT TIGHT
We know, from the staff members testimonies,

that Ogletree kept the shades in his room at Hotel
President shut tight pretty much all the time of his stay.
Nextly, he, according to these very testimonies, appeared
to be “as if he was worried or afraid“. Considering the
fact, that his rooms was on 10th floor and that he
displayed no overreactive behavior over intruding staff
members at all, we can disinclude the fear caused by a
threat upon his life at that time.
Nevertheless, following the previous chain of

reasoning, we can conclude that his mindset was possibly
caused by his upcoming “personal matter” rather than his
recent crime-involvement problem, although the two
causes were certainly combined. This is visible mostly in
his amplifying depressive, anxietic and apathetic
behavior over his time spent in Hotel President.
Critical point in Ogletree’s evolving maneurs was

the meeting with a man, whom he named, firstly on
a note and later through a telephone, as “Don” (which
could be a full name, but presumably, based on the
character of his verbal interaction with this man, it is
probable, that it is short form of a name such as Donald
or Donovan. Also, in years around 1915, the name
“Donald” was far more frequent than “Don”, or even
“Donovan” in the U.S. historic naming charts, presuming
that this man was not much older than Ogletree).
According to Soptic’s testimony, Ogletree referred to him
32
as his friend, also that he was waiting for him and later
she even catched a glance over a note which said he will
be back in 15 minutes. As to this, we can safely establish,
that “Don” was truly a friend of Ogletree, based on the
fact, that Ogletree used his name two times in two
sentences in this very form of familiar character in their
dialogue over the phone.
The point, when Ogletree left the note in his rooms

and left the building for the said 15 minutes tells us about
several facts, to be crucially important later. Primo, this
very “Don”, from this point further, does knew the
number of Ogletree’s rooms. Secundo, Ogletree was more
than willing to meet this man, thus considering his
situation, there was a certain trust between them. Tertio,
Ogletree left the hotel for 15 minutes, wanting from Don
to wait in his rooms. It is clear, that he was excepting of
their meeting to be a longer one. The meeting lasted about
2 hours at tops though, so it is not much of a question
about how the meeting ended. Clearly enough, the subject
was not resolved, based on his apathetic behavior after
the meeting, which indicates that the subject was possibly
even worsened.
Next morning, 03.01.1935, Don attempted to

regain connection with Ogletree, giving him a call over
breakfast. From his responses, following the previous line
of reasoning, we can tell that he was putting a distance
between himself and Don, and that Don was possibly
trying to reopen the matter of their previous day
33
discussion with a new day’s start. Ogletree, in that case,

must had had considered the matter unresolvable.
However, we know that 03.01.1935 at around

04:00 p.m. , another meeting had taken place in room no.
1046. Now, when we reflect on Ogletree’s situation, it is
more than probable that a very few people knew about
his whereabouts. The fact that this man, whoever it was
with whom Ogletree met that afternoon, responded from
behind the door to maid that “they do not need any
towels“ implies, that he was trying to keep upper hand in
their discussion, and wanted no interferences at all. This
means that this man came with particular expectation of
the outcome of the situation, and also that is ts just as
possible, that he came unexpected due to Ogletree’s
intention to isolate himself. Over all, from what we
already know, including the fact of Don’s knowledge of
Ogletree’s room number, it is supporting the
presumption that it was indeed Don, who came to visit
Ogletree that afternoon.
34
THE NIGHTLY ENCOUNTER
This very point is of an utmost interest. According

to his testimony, Lane was stopped in his car by Ogletree,
at around 13th block, a little before 11:00 p.m. . In his
statement to the police he claimed, that Ogletree was
running, shirtless, in undershirt and stopped him
shouting and gesticulating, and after closing the distance
apologizing, because he tought that Lane’s car was a cab.
Lane stated, that when Ogletree got in his car, he noticed
a deep wound on his left hand, and that his hands were
cupped, as if he was catching the blood.
Absent shirt and overcloak tells us that he left in

a hurry, in particular from a place indoors, where he got
his overcloak off. His running could be due to a chilly
night, in order to warm himself, but the damage on his
hand and his prompt departure points to more of a shock
and intention to gather distance between him and a place
he was running from. Specific interest, however, rises
over his mistake as to the Lane’s car. Deep wound and
cupped hands clearly mean a considerable bloodflow,
even amplified by the running, but the chance of
probability is more for that some considerable damage
was caused also to his head, which shook him enough to
desorient him and get him into a shock and running. We
know, that when Ogletree’s body was found, his skull
was fractured by multiple blows. Projecting on the
previous, it seems like there was some kind of quarell
between Ogletree and the person, whom he came to meet.
Quarell changed to hand-to-knife fight, critically
35
changing Ogletree’s position to disadvantage, the

damage on his left hand caused, shirt ruined and within
the fight of posession of the weapon, multiple blows of
knife’s handle laid upon Ogletree’s head, when he, at last,
managed to run from the place.
What we know is, according to Ogletree’s

statement that “he will kill the man tomorrow”, Ogletree
clearly knew this man. Nextly, that they met indoors,
problably the two alone, presumably at this man’s place.
There was a quarell. And at last, the attemp on Ogletree’s
life has occurred.
36
VISITING HOURS
Although the timeline after midnight of the day

03.01.1935 is rather chaotic, there are enough critical
points to establish one which would be of use. Firstly, as
to the “commercial woman” who has been sighted in the
hotel at around 00:00 to 03:00, even been on the 10th floor,
inquiring the elevator boy about room no. 1026. It is not
much of a question whether or not she was somehow
involved in that night’s events, based on a presumption
that the police would seize her soon after that night to
inquire her, as she was recognized as a woman, who
frequents this very hotel. She, nevertheless, had most
probably departed from the city after that night, never to
be found.
From what we know, according to testimony of

the elevator boy, this woman inquired him about room
no. 1026, after a while to inquire him again, because as she
said “he was not there and he was always prompt with
his appointments” and at last, she continued in search for
the correct room on her own, staying for 30-40 minutes. It
is quite some time for waiting in the hallway instead of
asking the receiptionist for a call. As this did not happend
even when she was leaving the building, and considering
the fact that she reffered to a known customer, the on
point assumption is that she indeed, at last, found that,
for what she was searching.
The particular problem of room’s number is of an

special interest. By repeatedly questioning about the
37
room’s number, she evidently raised a general curiosity.

That points to possibility that she had no idea whatsoever
about what will happen in the next few hours. Now, as to
how could she get the number wrong, it is clear that she
does not knew the number, thus although he was
a known customer, it was their first appointment over the
time of his stay in Hotel President. She most probably did
not received a call from him, for there is a minimal
possibility that she would get the number wrong through
a verbal interpretation. More probably, she got the
number in written form, where is a variety of chances of
misinterpreting. It costs a wrong pen, bad handwriting,
little clumsiness due to an use of secondary hand or
unright pressure to write down a number in a way, that
will make it difficult to reinterpret. From the “Nightly
Encounter” we know that Ogltetree had a deep wound on
his left arm, which was also his dominant-side hand,
judging by his cauliflower left ear, caused often by
a specific fight stance, where the fighter is backing his
dominant side, yet creating an opening. Considering the
previous chain of reasoning, it is more than probable that
she indeed was after Ogletree, and in that case, the
chances are that Ogletree wrote a note for this woman
after 11:00 pm.
Furthermore, the woman left, only to return in

about an hour. This time, however, in company of a man,
described the very same as this woman, as to the approx.
height and weight (5ft, 135 pounds). They went together
onto 9th floor. From that, we can get that, for sure, she
38
was not there after this man in her previous visit, for the
number of any room on the 9th flor could hardly be
mistaken for a one on the 10th.
The timeline of that night’s incident, based on

hotel staff members testimonies, ends at around 04:15,
when this “Commercial Woman” left the building and in
15 minute period after her, the man also. What is of critical
importance is that one of the sources featuring the case at
the time claimed, that this man was seen leaving with
a gladstone bag, which is pretty inconsistent for someone
who goes on a stroll because he “could not sleep”,
especially at 4:30 a.m. .
39
ESTABLISHING THE TIMELINE
02/01/35, ABOUT 13:20
Ogletree’s registration in Hotel President
02/01/35, BETWEEN 13:40 – 15:55
Actual meeting with Don, based on

his note that he will be back in 15
minutes.
02/01/35, ABOUT 16:00
Ogletree’s meeting with Don ended
03/01/35, ABOUT 10:30
Don’s call over breakfast
03/01/35, ABOUT 16:00
Another meeting with Don
03/01/35, BETWEEN 16:05 – 22:55
Ogletree left the hotel and went to

meet an unknown man, based on
his remark to Lane that “he will kill
the man tommorow”.
03/01/35, ABOUT 23:00
Ogletree gets from Lane’s car to a cab
40
03/01/35, ABOUT 23:00 – 04/01/35,

ABOUT 01:00
Ogletree left a note to

a Commercial Woman, based on
the analysis of her inquiries about
room’s number.
04/01/35, ABOUT 01:00
The Commercial Woman is making

inquiries about no. 1026
04/01/35, BETWEEN 01:00 – 02:00
Woman’s meeting with Ogletree,

lasted about 30 – 40 minutes,
according to testimony of the
elevator boy.
04/01/35, ABOUT 02:00
The Commercial Woman leaves the hotel
04/01/35, BETWEEN 02:00 – 03:00
The Commercial Woman meets

with uknown man.
41
04/01/35, ABOUT 03:00
The Commercial Woman returns in

company of a man
04/01/35, ABOUT 04:15
The Commercial Woman leaves the hotel
04/01/35, ABOUT 04:30
The man leaves also
04/01/35, BETWEEN ABOUT 04:30 –

05:30
Stab wounds inflicted, according to

doctor’s expertise
04/01/35, ABOUT 07:15
First staff encounter with Ogletree after the

night, still living
04/01/35, ABOUT 11:30
Ogletree went unconscious and later died

in the hospital
42
WHAT THE CRIME SCENE TELLS
As to the crime scene, there is a little few, due to

a problem of data being only reinterpreted by the various
popular sources. However, the very character of it is
elementary and unsusual enough for newspapers to get
us enough crucial points. Let us now get to these very
points, in relative order.
Presence of a Woman:
Among the evidence from the crime scene, there

was a hairpin found, which indicates the presence of
a woman, in particular, an intimate one. The safety pin,
which was also found on the scene is of special interest.
From the photographs, it seems like the safety pin was
damaged, probably from forced opening. Safety pin alone
tells us, as it is often used to adjust clothings, that this
woman clearly does not spent a much on a tailor. So
where she was putting her income of a commercial
woman? For as to a call girl, certain class is needed. Due
to an absent data about her, there are two possibilities,
and that of the cause of her manager, or if she was
independent, it is possible that she was a single mother.
Nextly, the forced opening tells us again about two
possibilities, and that it was caused by either passionate
disclothing of the woman by a man or some kind of
quarell.
43
A Bear in the Net:
There is a particular fact, that Ogletree was a 6ft+,

husky type with some fighting experience, and a singular
problem as to the very character of him getting restrained,
for either the commercial woman, or the man who came
with her that night, with their 5ft and 135 pounds, would
not do a much in close quarter situation over Ogletree’s
life. Even if we consider the previous lines of reasoning in
“The Nightly Encounter”, due to an adrenaline burst
there would still be a bearly resistance. Then there is
not much as to the possibilities. The stout built man, or
a brute, who could overcome Ogletree is way less
probable, due to an overall character of the crime. Yet, the
missing toxicology is making it hopeless for us to surely
establish an assumption that he was probably drugged.
The Key Problem:
Altgough sources did not state whether or not the

room’s key was missing, we could clearly conclude, that
it indeed was, and that for a simple reason. If the key was
not, considering the fact that the doors, with a “Do Not
Disturb” sign over the doorknob, was locked from the
outside, it would instantaneously lay the police’s
suspicions on the hotel staff, and of course it would surely
be stated everywhere, as it would be quite of a “mystery
feature”, excellently fitting for the press.
The rest is simple. Following the previous chain of

reasoning, the key must have had been retrieved from the
room, later to be used for an unexpected entrance, and at
44
last, to seal the room, with the addition of the very “Do
Not Disturb” sign.
The Necktie:
A label from a necktie, which was also found at

the crime scene, according to newspapers, shows that the
necktie was originating from the Botany Worsted Mills
Company, of Passaic, New Jersey. Which is completely
irrelevant. Label itself tells us a very little, but of a critical
importance as to how was the crime executed. For
according to Owen’s testimony, that night, she heard a lot
of noise on the same floor, consisted of multiple voices
and short after, loud snoring-like sounds.
As to the execution itself, following the chain of

reasoning, it seems like there indeed was an argument
between multiple people at the scene, which was also
a breaking point of that night’s events. In order to
suppress Ogletree’s voice, a necktie was used to strangle
him, supported by doctor’s statement of strangling, and
a label ripped off by Ogletree himself, over the fight of
relieving the pressure on his neck, which also caused the
“loud snoring sounds”, as he was gasping for a breath.
The necktie itself clearly belonged to the intruder,

for Ogletree had no luggage whatsoever and that actual
night came to the hotel in an undershirt.
45
The Bottle:
A small, unused bottle of dilute sulphuric acid,

aslo found at the crime scene, points again at the
previously concluded breaking point. Acid itself is not
much of an importance, althoug it tells us about the
murderer himself, for he must have had a direct access to
it. This narrows a variety of possible occupations to
a probability of a plumber. The acid was meant to be used
to damage Ogletree’s face in order to baffle with facial
recognition of the victim. This also indicates a definite
murder intention of the intruder.
However, the fact that it was not used means that

the murderer left in a hurry, disturbed, short after the
concluded breaking point of the events.
Jagged Glass, Blooded Walls:
There is not quite much left as to the crime scene.

There is blood, on the bed, walls and in the bathroom.
When the wounds upon Ogletree’s chest were inflicted,
he probably passed out, in bed, later to regain
consciousness, with wounds sealed with solified blood.
He tried to get up, in the total darkness, got to the wall to
support him and at last, got into bathroom, where he was
about to rehydrate himself. With movement, sealing over
the wounds cracked and he started to bleed again. In the
bathroom he collapsed, and one of the glasses above sink
fell into it. These trips around his rooms were two, at least,
one around 07:00 and the other around 10:30 to 10:45, both
times he knocked the telephone stand over.
46
The wounds themselves are of an interest, for they

were not meant to be immediately lethal. Considering the
restraint, locked door and sign over the doorknob, they
were clearly meant to cause a slow bleedout, which points
to a personal motive.
The Last Words:
There seems to dominate a general misconception

as to Ogletree’s last words, for the majority tend to come
to a completely erroneous conclusion that with his naive
and plain lie, that “nobody did it” and that he “fell against
the bathtub”, he tried to conceal the indentity of the
wrongdoer. That only shows that people are not likely to
consider one simple and obvious fact, and that the very
people from whom he was hiding over his last period,
stood at the time just before him, making inquiries. The
cause is mostly visible in fact, that though he was indeed
consciouss at the time of 07:00 and also 10:30, he,
however, did not called for a help, as it is for sure that he
naively believed he will walk it off. That makes his last
words absolutely irrelevant to the case, although they
tells us a little more about his background.
47
LETTERS FROM BEYOND A GRAVE
Next two chapters are of an utmost importance,

for at this state, there are many loose ends and the
investigation would be much more complicated, if not for
the events that occured after that dreadful night at Hotel
President.
A year after Ogletree’s death, when his mother, at

last, positively indentified him, she told the police about
a most interesting thing, and that she was recieving letters
from her son, though the dates showed that they were
sent after her son’s death. These letters she described as
rather “slangy”, and were aslo typewritten, which was
not her son’s style, as she remarked.
The letters themselves were clearly meant to

deceive Ogletree’s mother about her son’s death. Clearly
enough, when we consider that his identity was not
known to public until mother’s identification, the
individual who wrote the letters, typewritten, in order to
obscure his identity, indeed knew about Ogletree’s death.
Nextly, they tells us about a certain knowledge of
Ogletree’s person, this individual must have known him.
What is important is that he, or she, knew him well
enough to have knowlege of his identity, his family and
his origins, but not well enough to be able to replicate
Ogletree’s style in written form. Apart from this, the
letters tell us also about particular movements of the said
individual.
48
ACT OF HONOR AND COMPASSION
At last, we are about to come to an end of the chain

of events behind the death of Artemus Ogletree. There are
only three critical events left, in particular, three calls
which were made over Ogletree’s funeral.
First, from a woman that called to the papers

about that “they got it wrong and he will not be buried in
potter’s field” and “arrangements were made”. In answer
to the question about what happened to Ogletree, she
responded that “he got into a jam”. From this we know,
that this woman knew Ogletree and that she also knew
about the call to the funeral house. Her exclaim about that
“he got into a jam” indicates an unwillingness to discuss
the matter, with the possibility of not knowing complety
about it. What is important, however, is the call itself, for
it was clearly an act of honor, specifically an act to
preserve one’s.
Second, from a man that called to the funeral

house about that “he will send the money needed”. As
answer upon inquiries made on him he stated several
information. That “he is doing it for his sister”, that
Ogletree “jilted a girl he promised to marry” and that he
witnessed the jilting, for the three of them had meetup in
Hotel President. Furthermore, he gave instructions to the
house as to where he wish the body to be buried, because
“then he will be near my sister”. And at last, there is his
singular remark that “cheaters usually get what is coming
to them”. Apart from the obvious, act of compassion is
49
clear, although there is a significant coldness towards

Ogletree’s person.
The last is the call to a florist, making an

anonymous payment for bouquet of 13 roses for $5. The
payment came twice, but the important part is a note
which was meant to be attached to the bouquet, that
stated “Love forever – Louise”. Floral tribute was meant
to give the last honor to Ogletree, that is clear enough.
Nevertheless, the police was able to find no Luise
whatsoever, which is crucial, considering the fact that this
kind of tribute is of a great personal character and paying
such a tribute under assumed name is rather
dishonorable.
What is clear is that this very Louise is the key to

unravelling the events behind Ogletree’s death.
50
THE CONCLUSION
Let us now recollect the events as they occurred. A

young man, with a wrestling dream, named Artemus
Ogletree, left home to pursue his dreams in California.
Short after, he found himself in Kansas City, Kansas, in a
romantic affair with a girl from a good class, Jane Doe,
which came to a twist not long after, when she found out
that she is pregnant. With her family insisting, Artemus
promised to marry her, found himself a job and for a time,
moved in with her.
A little before end of the year 1934, however,

something happened. There is some uncertainty as to the
cause, but to my guess, he wanted to move to California
with his newly family and is just as possible, that he also
wanted an engagement ring to be not reflecting a class of
a waiter. For the money needed, he got into disputable
company and short after business done, found himself on
the run and hiding from the law.
The situation at this point was quite uneasy for

him, he was simply too young, naïve and overwhelmed.
He got himself loose, as he was clearly guilting Jane Doe
for his misfortune. He isolated himself and was shortly
quite fond of the company of a particular prostitute.
Jane Doe’s brother, Don, took an iniciative in the

problem, as he was there from the start. He tried to
confront Ogletree in hopes of resolving his strange
behavior and a suspicion of cheating, on the afternoon
02.01.1935. He, however, apparently does not succeeded
51
in neither. Next morning, he tried to handle it with a fresh

start, but Ogletree turned him down. Don then came for
an unexpected visit, on the afternoon 03.01.1935, and it is
very much possible that it was also in a company of his
sister, Jane. Mary Soptic came that afternoon to bring
some fresh towels, when this occured, and was turned
from behind the door by Don, who wanted to resolve the
matter at once and for all.
Ogletree, cornered, took an absolutistic solution

and backed off from the marriage, for he more and more
guilted Jane, and now also Don, and as he was still on the
run, could not take a chance of getting caught, neither
a chance, that Jane’s or his own family will find out about
his recent dishonour.
But there was someone else, from the start, who

observed the events. John Doe, a close friend of Jane’s,
who never revealed his love to her, for her family would
never bless their marriage, as he was from a common
laborer’s family.
He found out immediately over that dreadful

evening, what has happended on Don’s and Jane’s visit at
Hotel President. He knew well about Jane’s feelings
towards Ogletree and was also very well aware of
Ogletree’s just affairing with his loved one, later to only
bring a dishonour on her and her family, as single mother,
needless to say, with a stranger.
On that same evening, he lured Ogletree out to

confront him, but a quarell between them outbursted,
52
when John picked up a knife against the raging bear as

Ogletree, wounding him, fractured his skull and got him
running. Nevertheless, he knew that this was hardly an
end and that there will be consequences, as to Ogletree,
that to Jane also. He decided to resolve it for once and for
all, and ultimately, to finish what he started.
Ogletree, in the meantime, raging, contacted the

Commercial Woman and left her a note with his room’s
number and went to the hotel to get himself together.
John Doe presumed such and promptly went after the
woman, manipulating her to indeed go to Ogletree, but
also to retrieve the room’s key, and, to get a certain drug
in his drink.
She then did so, as she was asked. In the

meantime, John made up his plan, prepared himself and
when the woman returned, he got her to come with him
as his backup. Probably also to suppress a suspicion she
raised when she got the room’s number wrong.
They came to the hotel, together, and went after

Ogletree. The woman was not absolutely aware of the
seriousness of situation, but her womanly instinct was
clearly telling her that she got into a serious problem.
John made her to uncloth Ogletree and he restrained him
and woke him up. The woman was from second to second
more uneasy, making inquiries, but John was confronting
Ogletree. There started an intense argument between
these three, and John, loosing his nerves in such
a suspense, suppressed Ogletree’s voice with his necktie,
53
strangling him and at last, bringing out the knife and

stabbing him. The woman, terrified, ran from the room,
got a level under, in order of not rising any suspicion that
could link her to a murder, and left the hotel.
John found himself in a situation, where he was

not sure if the woman would not turn him immediately,
and also struck with acute guilt and doubt, so he acted
promptly, collecting all of Ogletree’s belongings, locking
the room and setting up the “Do Not Disturb” sign over
the doorknob, leaving Ogletree to bleed out. He got
a level under, called an elevator and left the hotel,
although unaware, that he left there a bottle of dilute
sulphuric acid, which he would have used to burn
Ogletree’s face to make it impossible to recognize him.
Also, he left there a phone, which could Ogletree simply
use for calling some help.
Soon after, probably both left the country.
When Don and Jane found out about Ogletree’s death,

they concluded that that has certainly something to do
with his strange behavior in his last period and out of
a fear of getting involved in this kind of bussiness and
linked to such an individual, they decided to not go to the
police. For Jane, it would make the father of her child
a potential criminal, for Don, with his own family
considering, it would make him a suspect in a murder
case.
However, when the time came, Jane got her

brother to anonymously pay for Ogletree’s funeral and
54
also for a floral tribute. Neither of them attended the

funeral, for it was clear there would be the police also.
As to the Louise, whose name was on the note

attached to a bouquet, the police was not able to track no
Louise whatsover, dead or alive, which is absolutely
crucial. They were not able to find her for the simplest of
reasons. For Louise was only yet to be born.
John Doe, slowly consumed by guilt and doubt,

anxiously following the case, came to Chicago, from
where he sent first letter to Ogletree’s mother, in order to
make her distant to the case, for his own sake, but also for
the sake of Jane, for he knew that his mother would have
the body moved and would hold a wage over the child.
Then he came across New York and sent a second letter.
Then, on 12.08.1935 he called her from Memphis,
Tennessee, giving his name as Jordan, and tried to
ultimately close the matter with the story of Cairo.
As to the call, that Dr. John Arthur Horner

received, about a box with several newspaper clippings of
the case, which was found among the items of a recently
passed elderly person and that something, that was in the
box besides the clippings. This elderly person was indeed
no other than John Doe and the said item, the door key of
Room No. 1046.
55
EPILOGUE
Principal problem, as to the unravelling the

events, was that there was too much evidence. There is
also a problem of the sources reinterpreting the facts in
such a fashion, that they are making it ultimately
impractical for analysis, for they often tend to either
distort the facts, to not state some at all, or paraphrasing
statements, all for the sake of dramatic. But thanks to Dr.
John Arthur Horner and his complex research, we were
able to learn almost everything there was on the case. But
the problem with this amount of facts is that the irrelevant
ones are shading the critical ones. Then we had to pick up
only these, which were of importance, to be able to form
a conclusion.
56
BRIEF PROFILES
ARTEMUS OGLETREE, THE VICTIM:
6ft+, husky, dark hair, head scar on the left side, left
cauliflower ear
Recent crime involvement, possibly drug related
Probably living with Jane Doe’s family for some time

before New Year
Multiple appointments with the Commercial Woman
Sportsman with a wrestling dream and knowledge of

sports
JANE DOE, THE FIANCÉ:
Ogletree’s lover
Pregnant at the time (with Ogletree)
Living in Kansas City, Kansas at the time, probably with

parents
From upper class family
Possible German/Irish ancestry
Actual name possibly of Germanic origin
57
DON, THE BROTHER:
Brother to Jane Doe, older
Man of action, practical
Probably living with his own family at the time
Well paid job, not a common laborer
Possibly German/Irish ancestry
Actual name most probably Donald
LOUISE:
Child of Ogletree’s and Jane Doe‘s
Born in between February and August, 1935
Name could be Louise, if female, or Louis/Louie if male
THE COMMERCIAL WOMAN:
5ft, 135 pounds, dark hair
Possibly independent, single mother
Multiple appointments with Artemus Ogletree
58
JOHN DOE, THE WRONGDOER:
5ft, 135 pounds
Considerable strength in hands
Intelligent
Man of principle
Dedicated
Jealousy and hatred fueled
From a common laborer’s family
Considerable knowledge of forensics
By occupation, possibly plumber
Close relationship with Jane Doe, possibly with Don also
59
ADDITIONAL SOURCE
Transcript of 1943 article
Too many clues spoil the broth!
So the police of Kansas City. Mo., might have parodied

the old adage on that morning, some eight years ago,
when the curtain rose on one of the strangest murder
mysteries in the annals of American crime.
At 7 a.m. on January 4, 1935, the switchboard operator of

the Hotel President prepared to call Room 1046 in
accordance with instructions left by the occupant, who
had registered on New Year's Day as Roland T. Owen, L0s
Angeles, Cal. As she picked up the plug, the red light over
1046 blinked on, indicating that Mr. Owen had re moved
the receiver from the hook, presumably to inform her he
was already awake. But no response to her repeated 'good
mornings' came from the other end of the line. Perhaps
Mr. Owen had inadvertently knocked the receiver from
its cradle in his sleep, she thought, and dispatched a
bellboy. In answer to his knock a gruff voice responded,
and the boy returned downstairs.
60
At 8.30 the phone in 1046 was again off the hook.

Discovering the door locked—from the out side—the
bellhop entered with a passkey. The blinds were drawn,
the room dark; and he was surprised to see the shadowy,
nude form of Owen sprawled on the bed, face to the wall.
The bell boy, believing Owen intoxicated, replaced the
phone which had fallen from its stand, and tiptoed out.
At 11.15 the same thing was repeated. This time the bed
was empty. The bellboy raised a blind— and froze. A
chair was overturned. The telephone sprawled on the
floor. The bedclothes were in a rumpus, and
everywhere— on sheets, pillows, wail— were crimson
stains. Blood! The bathroom door was ajar. Seated on the
edge of the tub. a stalwart figure, stripped, clung with
scarlet hands to the wash stand. Shoulders, chest,
abdomen were slashed and bleeding. The back of his head
was crushed; his throat was gashed: blood pumped from
a stab wound above his heart.
House doctor and detective, summoned by the bellboy's

wails, found Owen still conscious. The detective knelt
over him. 'Who did this. Mr. Owen?' 'Nobody,' he
whispered. 'What happened?' 'I fell against the bathtub,'
he mumbled, and collapsed.
61
He died 18 hours later without regaining consciousness.

Meantime a police squad, rushed to the hotel: discovered
that not a single article of Owen's remained in the room.
His clothing, travelling kit. toothbrush, everything was
gone. The door key, too, was missing. The telephone and
a broken tumbler yielded smudged finger prints.
Apparently a woman's. They could not be traced.
Guests in an adjoining room reported hearing visitors in

1046 around midnight. The voices indicated two couples,
they thought, and about 2 a.m. a quarrel developed. Then
at 4 there was a sound like drunken snoring. The night
elevator man recalled taking up to the tenth floor a
woman who inquired for 1046. A half-hour later she'd
descended to the lobby. An hour after that she returned
with a man and went up to the ninth floor. This couple
departed the hotel around 4. So did a gentleman carrying
a Gladstone bag.
The inquest established that Owen had been attacked

about 4 a.m., but the identity or involvement of the
nocturnal visitors could not be determined. His slayers
had tortured Owen cruelly. Why? And why had he
refused to name them? And who was Owen?
Los Angeles authorities, advised of the murder, were

unable to find any records of such an individual. A maid
62
in the hotel said that on the afternoon of the 2nd

(Wednesday) she had entered 1046 and found Owen
sitting with the shades drawn, in semidarkness. 'Leave
the door unlocked. I'm expecting a friend.' he told her,
and walked out looking worried. Returning later with
fresh linen, she found him lying on the bed in the still-
darkened r00m. The following morning she found the
door locked from the outside and let herself in with a pass
key to make up the bed. To her surprise there sat Owen,
fully dressed, in the dark. He told her to go ahead with
her work. Presently the phone rang and she heard Owen
say. 'No, Don. I've had my breakfast. I don't care to go
out.'
Obviously, then, Owen was being held a prisoner. And in

a situation in which he did not dare attempt escape or
appeal for help.
On March 3. 1935. the local papers carried an

announcement that Owen's body was to be buried in
potter's field.
Hardly was this story on the street when the phone rang
in one of the city's editorial rooms. 'You have a story in
your paper that is wrong,' a woman's voice said. 'Roland
Owen will not be buried in a pauper's grave.
Arrangements have been made for his funeral.' 'Who are
63
you?' queried the startled editor. 'Who's calling?' 'Never

mind. I know what I'm talking about.' 'What happened to
Owen at the hotel?'' 'He got into a jam,' was the laconic
answer, punctuated by the receiver's click. Meantime:
'Don't bury Owen in a pauper's grave,' a man's voice
instructed McGilley's undertaking parlors. 'I want you to
bury him in the Memorial Park Cemetery. Then he will be
near my sister. I'll send funds to cover the funeral.'
'Who is this? I'll have to report this to the police.' 'That's

all right, Mr. McGilley,' the undertaker was assured. In
answer to another question the voice explained that
Owen had jilted a girl he'd promised to marry— the
speaker had witnessed the jilting— the three had held a
little meeting at the President Hotel. 'Cheaters usually get
what's coming to them!' he exclaimed, and hung up.
A little while later the telephone rang in the office of the

Rock Floral Company. 'I want 13 American Beauty roses
sent to Roland Owen's funeral,' the anonymous caller
said. 'I'm doing this for my sister. I'll send you a five-
dollar bill, special delivery.'
None of these phone-booth calls could be traced. Neither

could the subsequent letter to McGilley's mortuary— its
address carefully printed by pen and ruler. Enclosed was
25 dollars. A similar missive with money reached the
64
florist. Inside was a card, its handwriting obviously

disguised, to go with the flowers: 'Love for ever —
Louise.'
These melodramatic developments, tauntingly brazen,

drove the Kansas City authorities to new furies of
endeavor. A love vendetta seemed evident. Louise was
the jilted. Owen, supposedly faithless, had been decoyed
into a trap and vengefully slain. Detectives serving as
pallbearers guarded the funeral. Others. disguised as
grave diggers, watched the cemetery for days. But
nothing happened.
Two years went by— then In November. 1936. Mrs. L. E.

Ogletree, of Birmingham, Ala., saw a resume of the case
published in 'The American Weekly,' with 'Owen's'
photograph. Mrs. Ogletree was shocked to recognise the
portrait. The scar — result of a childhood burn. The
features — stalwart build. No doubt about it. 'Ronald
Owen.' was Artemus Ogeltree— her son!
Early in 1934, Artemus, then a 17-year-old high-school

student, had started to hitch-hike to California. she said.
Ample funds were sent him while he was apparently
enjoying his holiday. Then, early in 1935, Mrs. Ogle tree
had received a typewritten letter, signed 'Artemus,'
queerly slangy and unfamiliar, postmarked Chicago. In
65
May, from New York, came a second note, telling her

Artemus was going to Europe, followed immediately by
a special delivery saying he was sailing that day. The
letters seemed spurious— Artemus had never before used
a typewriter— and Mrs. Ogletree was suspicious, and
worried. Then, on August 12, 1935, she received a long-
distance call from Memphis, Tenn. A man, who gave his
name as Jordan and explained that her son had once
saved his life, said that Artemus was in Cairo, Egypt, and
well. He called later to tell her Artemus had married a
wealthy woman in Cairo and was unable to write because
he'd lost a thumb in a bar-room brawl. The speaker
sounded irrational.
Mrs. Ogletree sent her son's photograph to the Kansas

City police. Sergeant Howland identified the youth at
once. And the grim fact was immediately evident — Mrs.
Ogletree had received mysterious phone calls and
typewritten letters after Artemus was dead. Was the
purpose of this cruel deception to further cloak the slain
youth's identity? Perpetrator of letters and calls has never
been found. The mystery of Room 1046 is still unsolved.
66

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THE CASE STUDY OF:

THE MAN WITH CAULIFLOWER EAR

Mystery of Room No. 1046

CHARLES BELL-CROFTON HEARD

PART 1: THE FACTS

Transcription of the Case Research………………4

A Man of Various Names………………………...30

Shades Shut Tight…………………………………32

The Nightly Encounter…………………………...35

Establishing the Timeline………………………...40

What the Crime Scene Tells……………………...43

A Bear in the Net………………………..…44

The Key Problem……………………...……44

Jagged Glass, Blooded Walls…………….…46

The Last Words…………………...………..47

Letters from Beyond a Grave…………………….48

Act of Honor and Compassion…………………..49

TRANSCIPTION OF THE CASE RESEARCH,

By Dr. John Arthur Horner

A little before 11 p.m. on Thursday, January 3, 1935,

He waved and shouted to Lane to stop. He approached

Lane nodded, and replied, “You look as if you’ve been in

The man grumbled, “I’ll kill that—” (here the Times

As the car approached the desired intersection, the man

Lane drove off.

On Wednesday, the second day of the New Year, a lone

It was about 1:20 in the afternoon.

Owen had a cauliflower left ear, which made it easy for

Propst and Owen chatted on the way up to the tenth floor.

Owen walked through a short entryway—closet to his

Propst watched as Owen took a black hair brush from his

In her signed statement to the police, she said that, from

While Soptic continued cleaning, Owen put on his

Mary Soptic didn’t see Owen again until about four

“Don, I will be back in fifteen minutes. Wait.”

The next morning, Thursday, January 3, Soptic headed to

Owen was sitting in the dark.

Soptic realized that someone else had locked the door

The telephone rang.

Owen answered, and after a moment said, “No, Don, I

Soptic finished cleaning, gathered up the soiled towels,

Around four o’clock that afternoon, after the clean towels

A rough voice asked, “Who is it?”

The maid identified herself and said that she wanted to

“We don’t need any,” replied the rough voice loudly,

That afternoon, Jean Owen (no relation to Roland T.), a

In her statement to the police, she said that during the

heard a lot of noise which sounded like it (was) on the

Charles Blocher was the elevator operator for the

I took a woman that I recognized as being a woman who

wondered why he wasn’t in his room because he had

The woman’s searching for 1026 rather than 1046 raises

Blocher described the man as being about five foot six,

The woman was also noted by James Hadden, hotel’s

The next known encounter between Owen and the hotel

The bellboy was Randolph Propst, who had taken Owen

loudly and finally heard a deep voice say, “Come in.” He

About half past eight, Della Ferguson noted that the

He locked the door behind him and returned to the lobby,

Around 10:30 to 10:45 that morning another operator

Propst rushed to the assistant manager, M.S. Weaver, and

Newspaper accounts, however, conflate the action,

The police arrived in short order—Detectives Ira Johnson