Volume 11 , Issue 14

March 6 1917 - Harrison Eller, Confession & Facts

This is the second article of the Alva newspaper, dated March 6, 1917, concerning the murder of Joe Files, in Alva, Oklahoma.

The sub-headlines read: "Those Familiar with the Habits of Jos. Files scout the idea that a game of craps lead to his murder."

"Those who saw the dead and mutilated body of Joseph Files, the young man found murdered at the Antlers Cafe in this city Monday morning are satisfied that the, facts do not tally with the story told to officer Brad Farris by Harrison Eller, the confessed murderer.

"Eller is now confined in the county jail and to Marshal Farris he made a confession of the crime and told a story purporting to the facts which lead, up to the killing. This story was by no means compatible with the circumstances in the case.

"Those who have known the murdered man most intimately, since he came here from Illinois last June to work in the harvest fields, say that he was an honest, sober, industrious young man with no bad habits and that they had never known of him engaging in a game of craps and to them it is inconceivable that he would do so.

"Mr. Welch, proprietor of the Antlers Cafe in which Mr. Files was employed, says that he had implicit confidence in the young man's integrity and morality and that he considered his cash as safe in the hands of the young man as in his own.

"The fact that the murdered man's shoes were found by, a table on which, a newspaper was still lying, leads to the believe that he removed his shoes and sat down to read for a short time and dropped to sleep and that while he was sleeping the assassin entered through a back door which was unlocked and slipped upon his victim and struck him while he slept.

"The blood stained floor and the tumbled condition of the furniture showed that the man had put up a brave fight for his life after he had been attacked. Those in a position to know best think that robbery was the motive of the crime. That the man was "horribly beaten, slashed and hacked after he was dead or helpless is self-evident. In all three implements were used in committing the murder: a cleaver, a hammer and a long bread knife.

"The mangled face of the dead man presented a most hideous sight. Both eyes and the bridge of his nose had literally been beaten into his brain. A large gash penetrating to the brain was just above his forehead. His throat was cut from ear to ear gapping fully two inches wide. His chin bone was split and most of his front teeth had been knocked out. His face was gashed in dozen places and there were cuts and bruises on his hands and arms.

"It seemed that only a maddened demon could have been guilty of such an atrocious act. His parents are expected to arrive from Burnt Prairie, Illinois, tonight to take the body there for burial. All day yesterday the body lay at the undertaking rooms of Frank Howerton where a morbidly curious crowd came and went all day to take a look at the hideous sight."
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