MRS. JANETTE JONESE HUMPHREYS. EMPORIA, LYON COUNTY, KANSAS.
STILL MISSING
A False Report Taken Out a Party of Searchers Last Night.Last night a report was circulated that the body of Mrs. Humphrey had been found in a hay stack about eight miles northeast of town, but the story proved to be untrue. Steve Howard and John Lafferty, who were searching the country in the direction she is supposed to have taken, stopped at the home of Mrs. Hawkins to inquire if anything had been seen of the old lady. Mrs. Hawkins told them on Tuesday, about 4 o'clock, while her little children were playing in the yard, that they had seen an old woman coming towards the house through the field and they had run to the house to tell her that "company is coming."
Mrs. Hawkins glanced through the window and continued her work thinking that the old lady would come to the door. In a short time she went to the door thinking that the caller had stopped there to talk to the children. She could see nothing of the old lady and in a short time forgot the incident, but searchers stopping at the house recalled the whole event. From Mrs. Hawkins's description the supposed neighbor was Mrs. Humphrey.
Some men were stacking hay on the farm of John Hall near the Hawkins place and during the afternoon were driven from their work by the rain. The next morning they returned and completed the stack.
During the evening the story of Mrs. Humphrey had reached their ears but nothing was thought about her being in the stack until yesterday when some one thought they detected a bad odor near the stack. This gave rise to the story that she had crawled into the stack, when it was left by the men, to take shelter from the storm and had died there. Word was at once sent to town and two wagonettes filled with men immediately went out to make search on the stack. When they arrived they found that the men in the neighborhood were already at work, and in a short time the work was completed and nothing found.
A thorough search of the entire surrounding country is being made today. There is hardly any hope that she will be found alive, as her strength would not be sufficient to stand such a long exposure.
Emporia Daily Gazette, Saturday, August 22, 1896.
MRS. JANETTE JONESE HUMPHREYS. EMPORIA, LYON COUNTY, KANSAS.
THE BODY FOUND
Mrs. Humphrey Died in a Corn Field - The Funeral Yesterday Afternoon.The searching party found the body of Mrs. Jeannette Humphrey in a corn field abut six miles northeast of town late Saturday evening. It is believed she had been dead at least thirty-six hours. The body was brought to Samuel's undertaking establishment where it was prepared for burial.
Mrs. Humphrey disappeared from the home of her son, Mr. J. C. Jones last Monday evening, and a diligent search was prosecuted from that time until the body was found Saturday evening. The peculiar circumstances of the death made it one of unusual sadness, and the sympathies of the community were never more profoundly stirred.
The funeral took place from the home of Mr. J. C. Jones yesterday afternoon and was one of the largest ever seen in the city. The procession following the remains to Maplewood was a mile in length. The services were conducted by Rev. Hughes, assisted by Rev's Coker and Jones. The pall-bearers were: D. W. Eastman, W. S. Jay, Wm. Clarke, Roland Lakin and R. J. Edwards.
Mrs. Humphreys was born in Wales and was 75 years old at the time of her death. She had lived in Emporia twenty years and was highly esteemed by all who knew her. She had been married three times and leaves three sons - Messrs. J. C. and G. P. Jones and Humphrey Roberts.
The remains were laid to rest in Maplewood cemetery.