So far as given, the report of the murder of the young girl in the northeast part of this (Butler) county last Sunday as published, was correct, with several exceptions, the principal of which was the girl's name, Ader Kesterson, and "not" Ada Vaughn as stated. Sunday morning about 8 o'clock Mr.Joseph Whitson, a well-to-do farmer, living on what is known as Blue Springs slough, some twelve miles northeast of this city left home with his family to attend church, some ten miles distant, leaving Ader Kesterson to take care of the house, a common practice, it seems as she had been a member of the family for three years or longer and all possible confidence was reposed in her. As previously stated, she was an orphan, 13 or 14 years old, but had not attained woman's estate, was looked upon and treated as a child by the family and near neighbors, being liked and respected by all, and her tragic death has cast a gloom over the entire neighborhood. What occurred at the house during the day is not known and only conjectured.

After service Mr. Whitson and family accepted an invitation to take dinner with a neighbor. While returning home in the afternoon they met a neighbor, one Lon Pierce, some seven miles distant from their house, who informed them that he had learned from others that Ader Kestersons dead body had been found in the yard. Early Monday morning a jury was impanelled and now comes the peculiar part of the proceedings. None of the jurymen were sworn and but one witness was examined and his testimony was not given under oath. If the physicians made an examination of the body of the child they evidently don't understand their business as the following facts will show. The verdict of this jury of Squire Readings was, Ader Kesterson came to her death by accident or at her own hands, and the body of the girl was put in a plain box in the absence of a coffin, and buried, leaving nearly everybody in doubt as to whether the case was a homicide, suicide or from accident. These facts coming to the knowledge of Prosecuting Attorney Davidson, of this city, who on Tuesday evening ordered Coroner D.C. Jones of this city, to proceed to that neighborhood at once, summon a jury, hold an inquest and make a post-mortem examination of the body. This Dr. Jones did Tuesday, returning home at a late hour last night. His report to the prosecuting attorney thorws much light on the subject and differs in many particulars from that of Squire Readings. His investigation of the surroundings showed that when found in the yard the body was in an entirely nude condition, that the girl had been unmistakably ravished and then shot. She had probably been shot while lying on a trundle bed in one of the bedrooms, as a bullet wsa found on that bed and her underclothing, blood-stained and torn, was found beside it. A pan of bloody water in this room showed where her ravisher and murderer had washed his hands.

A trail of blood leading from the bed to the fireplace showed where she had attempted to escape the murderous assault in that way. This trail of blood then led through a door into the yard, around the smoke house, some distance from the main building, into the poultry-house in the rear of the smoke-house. She must have remained concealed in this house for some length of time, as several pools of blood were found in it. It is supposed that she, thinking her murderer had left the premises, started to return to the house, was met back of the smoke-house and shot down, for it was there her body was found. On exhuming the remains the coroner found the body in a bad state of decomposition, but this did not interfere with his making a thorough and satisfactory post-mortem of the remains. The girl had been ravished and shot twice. One shot, supposed to have been the first, was through the fleshy part of the left thigh, entering from the front and ranging downward. The bullet was probably the one found ont he trundle bed. The other shot, supposed to have been the one she received in the yard, struck her in the abdomen, ranging downward, also showing that her murderer was much taller than she. In addition to these gunshot wounds her lower limbs and head were bruised, going to prove that the child struggled hard for her virtue. Still, with all these unmistakable signs of a most foul double crime, the blackest that ever disgraced this country, Squire Readings jury returned a verdict of accidental death. The circuit court is in session, and Prosecuting Attorney Davidson's time is wholy taken up with his duties connected therewith. As soon as court is over he will give immediate attention to this case.

From the The Kansas City Star 13 May 1887 (Poplar Bluffs MO May 13)