9. GEORGE ELLIS
is very remarkable. Over in Kansas a cold-blooded murder had been
committed. It seemed impossible for the authorities to discover any
trace of the murderer. Shortly after this murder had been committed,
Ellis was arrested and tried in Missouri on a charge of horse-stealing,
and got a two years' sentence. He heard of this murder having been
committed in Kansas, and, for some reason best known to himself, he went
to Deputy Warden Bradbury and confidentially told him that he had
committed the offense, and asked him to notify the authorities of
Kansas. This was done and a pardon was granted Ellis that he might be
taken to Kansas and tried for murder. No doubt, Ellis' motive in stating
that he was guilty of this offense was to get out of the penitentiary.
He supposed that after getting pardoned out of the Missouri
prison, he would have no trouble in proving an alibi in the Kansas
murder case, and in this way go free. He was taken to Kansas, tried, and
failed to establish his alibi, and was found guilty of murder and
sentenced to the penitentiary for life. If Ellis was guilty of murder,
he surely would not have told on himself and exchanged a two years'
sentence in the Missouri prison for a life sentence in the Kansas
penitentiary. He is, no doubt, innocent of this crime, but should serve
a few years in the Kansas institution because of his smartness.
