I will be posting several articles that may or may not pertain to Kendall Gones. I may have to post them over several days as my Carpal Tunnel is acting up! For those that would like to follow along, I posted an article several weeks ago about a Charles Wiseman of Hannibal who inquired about Kendall Gomes who resided in Moberly (March 1930) under the name of Lester Wilson. It was hinted that Kendall Gones AKA Lester Wilson might also be an individual known as Red Kelly, who was shot to death Feb. 16, 1930. The "meat & potatoes" of these articles really do not mention Gones or Wilson, much.........unless you believe that Red Kelly may have been Kendall Gones. Of interest to me is Charles Wiseman. He came to Moberly claiming that Kendall Gones had worked for him at a popcorn stand some time ago leading one to believe they had an extremely casual relationship. However, if you look at the 1910 census; Kendalll is 7 yrs old and listed as a boarder in the home of Charley Wiseman along with a Joseph J. Gones, age 55. The 1920 census shows Kendall, age 20 as the s/o Charley Wiseman. So, this obviously was not a casual relationship. No one will ever know why Mr. Wiseman didn't tell the truth when he came to Moberly looking for Kendall. Maybe the Gones family knows more about this relationship. Anyway, my hands are working pretty good today, so I'm gonna give it a go.
If anyone is interested in reading all articles and has a subscription to Ancestry; you can also find them in the Moberly Monitor Index newspapers which goes from 1922-1977.
The first article had an typo date of 1920 and s/b 1930. The original article said:
Moberly Monitor Index
March 7, 1932
HANNIBAL MAN MAY HAVE BEEN ONE KILLED HERE
Chief of Police Sam Sparkman today received an inquiry from Charles Wiseman at Hannibal concerning "a young man who was taken into an automobile here about a year ago and given a one-way ride."
According to Wiseman's letter, he had a young man named Kendall Gones working for him in a popcorn stand at Hannibal some time ago. The man was married and had three small children. He left his family and was last seen in Moberly, where he was living under the name of Lester Wilson.
A short time ago some woman told Mrs. Gones that her husband was the man who was killed here.
The reference, according to Chief Sparkman, was to the "Red" Kelly slaying which took place here in February of 1930. Wiseman will be notified of the pictures and an attempt made to determine whether or not Kelly was really Gones.
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Moberly Monitor Index
February 17, 1930
February 16, 1930--------------P. Red Kelly, 23, Moberly, found dead on lonely Sturgeon-Harrisburg road, with bullet wound in left breast and three in left side of head. Four empty shells but no weapon near body.
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February 17, 1930
WEST REED HEARS A CRY FOR HELP
Local Resident Tells of Hearing a Voice, "They're Going to Murder Me."
A quickly stifled cry for help, reported in the 800 block of West Reed street at 11:30 o'clock Saturday night, may head to the determination of a probable time for the murder of P. (Red) Kelly.
One of the persons hearing the cry refusing to let his name be used for fear of a possible reprisal, said he was standing on his back porch when he heard a sudden commotion in front ofhis house, and a cry, "Help! They're going to murder me." rang out from the street in front.
"I was scared," the witness said, and rushed into the house, turned off the nights, and looked out the front window. By that time, nothing was in sight and all was quiet again. When I heard of Kelly being murdered, I was glad I wasn't closer. The car was going east and might have come from Forest Park.
"I finally decided it was just some kids playing, and thought nothing more about it until I heard of the Sturgeon murder."
Other residents of the vicinity claimed they heard a commotion about 11:30 o'clock, but also stated they thought it was only children playing.
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February 17, 1930
4 YOUTHS HELD AFTER SLAYING
Last Seen With "Red" Kelly Before Fatal Ride
No Motive For Killing of Local Cafe Dishwasher Definitely Established
WHEREABOUTS TRACED UNTIL MIDNIGHT
Victim Was Known By Police as One Who Kept Company With a Rough Group
Columbia, MO Feb. 17, 1930 (AP)
A few slight bits of evidence and a multitude of vague theories today were in possession of authorities of Boone and Randolph counties attempting to solve the murder of Robert Kelly, about 25, Moberly, Mo. restaurant employee, who was found shot to death near Sturgeon in northern Boone County, early yesterday.
Apparently he had been "taken for a ride", choked and probably beaten, then tossed from an automobile on a lonely side road a few hundred yards from the line which separates the two counties. He had been shot three times through the head and once through the chest. Four discharged shells were found near the body.
What evidene might have been left at the scene was virtually destroyed by curious residents of the vicinity who discovered the body.
Tracing the movements of the slain man Saturday night, officials learned he had been in Moberly until midnight. Four men, said to have either been seen with him or to have known of his actions were in jail at Moberly, held there for questioning. Officials would not disclose their names nor permit them to be interviewed.
Boone county investigators were inclined to believe the crime had it's origin in Moberly. They discredited any belief in "rural gangsters" holding to the theory the spot for the murder was selected because of reports several weeks ago attributing five violent deaths in the region recently to operations of a gang.
Dr. M.P. Neal, of the University of Missouri, completed a post mortem examination today, finding nothing in Kelly's body to indicate any other cause for death except the bullet wounds. The complete report will be announced at a coroner's inquest to convent later in the week.
Efforts to locate Kelly's relatives in Cape Girardeau or St. Louis have been futile. His life in Moberly, police said, had not been savory but he was not known to have any connections with a criminal element.
Chief of Police Sam Sparkman, the entire Moberly police force, Sheriff Will Irons, Deputy Sheriff Albert Fleming and Constable Charles McCall are investigating the death of P. ("Red") Kelly on the theory that one of more Moberly men are implicated in the murder of the young man on a country road near Sturgeon sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Several youths, known to have been with Kelly Saturday night are being held for questioning.