Ed Mooney, about 55 and a resident of Joetta, was found about 8 o'clock this morning murdered in an upstairs room at his home.  He had come to his death by blows on his head with a heavy instrument.  When found he was heaped on the floor with one leg over the stair landing and a blanket over his head.

Full particulars of the murder cannot at present be learned.  As far as is now known the last time any signs of life or activity were seen about his home was Tuesday night when a light was seen in his upstairs room.  This is no doubt the evening he met his death.

He was not seen all day Wednesday so neighbors investigated this morning when he was found dead.  His house was securely locked and entrance this morning was made through a second story window.

There was blood in two or more of the rooms of his house and blood on the door knob of the back door.  The front door was securely pad-locked on the outside with a new padlock, and his old lock was found hanging nearby.

Two money pouches were found on the floor near the murdered man but another purse containing $7.50 was in his pocket.  His watch was hanging on his body and was blood stained.

Mr. Mooney conducted a saw mill, threshing machine, etc.  He lived alone.  He has repeatedly been known t[o] have large sums of money on his person and in his home.

Ed Mooney, 58, a sawmill operator living alone in Joetta, was found brutally beaten and murdered in his home early Thursday morning, robbery being established as the motive.  Mooney had been known to carry large sums of cash and it is believed that murderer or murderers went to his house and committed the acts that snuffed out his life.  This is Hancock county's third murder in six months.

Mooney operates a sawmill and thresher outfits and makes his home at the place in Joetta where he operates the mill.  He is said to own the place and also is known as the owner of some government bonds.  Glenn Smith, who has worked part time for several years for Mooney, went to his house Wednesday morning to see about some saw work.  He noticed the door was padlocked from the outside and believing Mooney was away, left.  He returned again Thursday morning and found the door in the same condition.

He went to a neighbor's house, the residence of Andy McGee, and with McGee came back to the Mooney house.  The two secured a ladder and climbed to the window on the south side at the second story.  They noticed what appeared to be a form huddled in the northwest corner of the room, almost covered with a blanket.  They immediately notified Sheriff Ray Mosley, who went immediately to the scene.

Sheriff Mosley pried off the padlock and the several who were present entered and went immediately upstairs.  They discovered Mooney, severely beaten, a large hole in his skull and several wounds about his fac [sic] and hands.  There were several blood spots on the bed, the wall and the floor and the surroundings gave evidence of a struggle.

They found Mooney's watch, which was stopped at ~~:25 o'clock, dangling on its chain ~~~~ his pockets.  Also in his pocket were his keys, a knife and a purse containing about eight dollars.  They did not find a billfold in his pocket in which he was known to carry his larger sums of money.  On his bed were his glasses, one of the bows being bent, as if they had been snatched from him and later dropped.

Sheriff Mosley called Deputy Coroner J. W. Fleming and they gathered up the principal articles of evidence and the body was brought to the Elms in Carthage, where an inquest was opened before a jury with John W. McConnell, foreman; Chas. R. Martin, R. D. Black, S. E. Stowe, R. M. White and W. C. Strong, members.  State's Attorney Louis Irwin conducted the examination.

Andy McGee, a farmer living in Joetta, for the past three years, was first called and testified that he knew Mooney, and had know him for thirty years.  He last saw him alive on Tuesday evening. Knew him to have possessed considerable sums of money at times and not accustomed to use banks to any extent.  Mooney had been in the habit of making regular trips to Colchester and Tennessee for supplies and McGee had never heard him mention any enemies, trouble or fear of being robbed.  He said Mooney had been in the habit of keeping irregular hours, and at time reading until late and at night locking the door from the inside with a key.  When he left in daytime McGee said he always locked the door from the outside with a padlock.  The lock found locking the door yesterday morning and the one noticed by Smith the day before was not the lock used by Mooney.  Mooney's own padlock was found hanging in its usual place inside the door.

Glenn W. Smith testified as to his associations with Mooney and his story corroborated that of McGee in the details of finding the body, etc., and [h]e identified the padlock found on the door Thursday morning, as well as the one usually used by Mooney.  The testimony by these two witnesses brings out the fact that Mooney was killed in a holdup by one or more persons who severely beat him and left, locking the door from the outside with a peculiar brand of lock and one upon which there is a tell-tale number[.]  Both witnesses thus far have mentioned Mooney having relatives, but neither knew but one, a brother, Hugh, said to be an inmate at the county farm since last fall.

Ray Mosley, sheriff, told practically the same story as to the finding of the body and described the wounds, etc., and the contents of Mooney's pockets.  The body was at the west wall with the back against the wall and leaning over to the north.  It was covered with a blanket, all but the right shoulder and the left foot.  The foot was hanging over the top step of the stairway.

Dr. D. F. Scott, who performed the post mortem examination, testified as to the wounds.  The blow that caused Mooney's death was struck with some sharp instrument, at a point about two inches above the right eye, and penetrated into the brain about three inches.  The instrument appeared to have been about three-fourths of an inch in diameter.  There were in all three wounds that punctur[e]d the head and the other wounds appeared to be from the same instrument.  The Doctor stated the blow had been struck direct and not through the blanket.  Mooney had been dead about 48 hours according to Dr. Scott.

Following the testimony the jury returned a verdi[c]t of "Death from a sharp instrument, about three-fourths inches across, in the hands of some unknown person."

Sheriff Mosley began immediately to check up on the various clues, and especial interest is being stressed in the search for the purchaser of a new padlock of the type found on the door.

Sheriff Ray Mosley and his staff of deputies and State's Attorney Louis L. Irwin are assembling evidence leading to the probable apprehension of the person or persons who brutally attacked Edwin Mooney in his home at Joetta last week and left the man dead and robbed of his wallet, believed to contain a large sum of money.

One of the principal clues is a new padlock with which the murderer or murderers locked the door from the outside and which is identified by neighbors as not the one usually used by Mooney. Officers have traced the purchase of the lock which bought of Brown, Lynch, Scott & Co., at Macomb on Monday of last week.  It's positive identification is made by numbers on the lock, but identification of its purchasor [sic] is not established.

These rumors are unfounded and it is believed none of the persons named are guilty of the crime. Further developments are expected to come up, possibly from any of several good leads.

Sheriff Mosley was in Chicago Monday on official business, which is his third long trip within a week.  Last Thursday he took Clarence Vernoy to Bartonville and on Friday went to Lewistown to bring back a prisoner to face a forgery charge.

On Saturday Kenneth Sympson, 35, of Hamilton, was placed in the county jail on a warrant charging non-support.

As might be expected, Ed Mooney's murder was a topic of conversation for a long time, with almost every male in the area considered and discussed as a suspect.  It was 1934 and dollars were hard to come by.  The above news items may have played down the appearance of the crime scene.  Two persons who lived in the area and who related almost identical memories of the event, said that Ed Mooney was a big man (his 1918 Selective Service registration described him as being of medium height, stocky build) and had evidently put up quite a fight - there was blood and gore everywhere. The rural sheriff's office wasn't equipped to mount a thorough investigation.  One or more arrests were made, but this crime was never solved.

See also: Colchester Resident Complains About The Macomb Journal

JOETTA, March 20 --The terrible tragedy -- that of the murder of Edward Mooney of Joetta which occurred Tuesday evening and was discovered [o]n Thursday, 7:30 a. m., was a great shock to this vicinity and for miles around.  We'll not describe this in detail as it has been gone over in this paper.

He was a single man of 54 years, the youngest son of John and Christiana Mooney, of near LaHarpe.  He had ten brothers, Charley, deceased; David of near LaHarpe; Frank of Dallas; George, living in the south; Andrew and Jefferson, twins, Andrew living in Canada, Jefferson of near LaHarpe; Emmet, LaHarpe; Hugh of Carthage; and John and Henry deceased.

His mother passed away when Edward was 14 month[s] old and his father in 1890, leaving him an orphan.  He lived in different homes.  He was taken into the Furchtbar home where he stayed for three years.  There he took a course in mechanics and at the age of 21 bought the home in Joetta where he was murdered and robbed.  He owned and successfully operated a number of saw mills and thresher outfits and was well known throughout the country.

Funeral services were held at the undertaking parlors at LaHarpe, 2:30 p. m. Sunday, burial at the LaHarpe cemetery.

Kimbrough, Edward W, head, white, male, Oct 1874, [26 crossed through] 25, married for 3 years, born IL, father born TN, mother born KY, farmer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, paying on a mortgage on his farm home, farm schedule 106

Florrence E, wife, white, female, Mar 1878, 22, married for 3 years; mother of 1 child, living; born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, could read, write and speak English

Delte M, daughter, white, female, Dec 1898, 1, single, born IL, both parents born IL, could not read, write or speak English

Mooney, Edward, boarder, white, male, Jan 1880, 20, single, born IL, father born PA, mother born IL, laborer, months not employed 3, could read, write and speak English

Mooney, Ed, head, male, white, 30, single, born IL, both parents born PA, spoke English, blacksmith, general blacksmith, employer, could read and write, owned his home

Hulan, brother, male, white, 33, single, born IL, both parents born PA, spoke English, odd jobs, working out, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write

Mooney, Ed, head, whether owned or rented - unknown, male, white, 38, single, could read and write, born IL; father born Germany, native tongue German; mother born IL; spoke English, contractor, thresh machine, sawmill, working on own account

Mooney, Edward, head, owner, home value 500, owned a radio, did not live on a farm, male, white, 49, single, could read and write, born IL, father born U.S., mother born Germany, spoke English, operator, sawmill, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no