The Man with a Cauliflower Ear, Part II: The Expertise
PROLOGUE
Such was the extraordinary narrative that gave raise to my interest upon my late night studies, short after my dear friend implied to me a discussion thread emphasizing on unresolved cases. It was indeed promising from the start but it also appeared to be rather strange that this particular case, although peculiar one, was not explicated over the years since it occured, for as you will see for yourself, although it is of a discerning character, there is not much to it, for there are enough crucial points to form a conclusion.
For the sake of comprehensible narrative, I will state only critical points and eductions that are of interest, for the case is complex enough for the reader to easily loose continuity. It required two days of ruminating and a considerable amount of tobbacco, but I will strive to present my observations to you in a relative and self-explanatory order.
A MAN OF VARIOUS NAMES
There are at least several points of particular interest about Artemus Ogletree. From the systematic concealing of his identity under assumed names and his actions, especially changing his lodgings night-to-night, we can conclude that he was trying to mist his whereabouts and that he appeared to be misguiding the law. Given the time he spent between his home departure and his own end, it appears to be of some sort of ‘crime of opportunity’ character. This presumption is more probable, supported by a particular statement of ‘The New Yorker’ in 1938, which claimed that Ogletree was a waiter. Described as ‘neatly dressed’, paying for his nights in different hotels and seen in company of two women between manifold liquor places do not seem like a lifestyle of a waiter, with average income of $520.
His absent luggage indicates that he recently changed his lifestyle and the timeline shows that he also quit his job and was on his savings, corroborated by his remark about outrageous $5 for his rooms in the Muehlebach hotel. From this, it is evident that his delaying departure was caused by some sort of unresolved and rather personal concern. Furthermore, there is a significant question, and that is where exactly were his belongings during his last period?
What we know about Artemus Ogletree so far. 17 years old with distinctive head-scar, described as ’husky’ and tall, which means 170cm+ (6ft) according to US average height of males around 18 y.o. in 1920 . Originating from Birmingham, Alabama, high school student, who left home to hitch-hike to California in April, 1934. After eight months, however, to be found in Kansas City, Kansas, relatively settled, with a job and a side-job in crime involvement. On top of the given, with a wrestling dream, which we can infer from his meeting with Toni Bernardi and his singular left cauliflower ear, which is specific for boxers or wrestlers.
Over all, we know that Artemus Ogletree was an optimistic young man, more of a dreamer, confident, impulsive, but with some partially good and considerably strong character, although of an average intellect, for the name ‘Eugene Scott’, which he used as his own upon registration in Muehlebach hotel is the name of the afro-american baseball player, who debuted approx. in Ogletree’s birthyear.
SHADES SHUT TIGHT
We know, from the staff members testimonies, that Ogletree kept the shades in his room at Hotel President shut tight pretty much all the time of his stay. Nextly, he, according to these very testimonies, appeared to be “as if he was worried or afraid“. Considering the fact, that his rooms was on 10th floor and that he displayed no overreactive behavior over intruding staff members at all, we can disinclude the fear caused by a threat upon his life at that time.
Nevertheless, following the previous chain of reasoning, we can conclude that his mindset was possibly caused by his upcoming “personal matter” rather than his recent crime-involvement problem, although the two causes were certainly combined. This is visible mostly in his amplifying depressive, anxietic and apathetic behavior over his time spent in Hotel President.
Critical point in Ogletree’s evolving maneurs was the meeting with a man, whom he named, firstly on a note and later through a telephone, as “Don” (which could be a full name, but presumably, based on the character of his verbal interaction with this man, it is probable, that it is short form of a name such as Donald or Donovan. Also, in years around 1915, the name “Donald” was far more frequent than “Don”, or even “Donovan” in the U.S. historic naming charts, presuming that this man was not much older than Ogletree). According to Soptic’s testimony, Ogletree referred to him as his friend, also that he was waiting for him and later she even catched a glance over a note which said he will be back in 15 minutes. As to this, we can safely establish, that “Don” was truly a friend of Ogletree, based on the fact, that Ogletree used his name two times in two sentences in this very form of familiar character in their dialogue over the phone.
The point, when Ogletree left the note in his rooms and left the building for the said 15 minutes tells us about several facts, to be crucially important later. Primo, this very “Don”, from this point further, does knew the number of Ogletree’s rooms. Secundo, Ogletree was more than willing to meet this man, thus considering his situation, there was a certain trust between them. Tertio, Ogletree left the hotel for 15 minutes, wanting from Don to wait in his rooms. It is clear, that he was excepting of their meeting to be a longer one. The meeting lasted about 2 hours at tops though, so it is not much of a question about how the meeting ended. Clearly enough, the subject was not resolved, based on his apathetic behavior after the meeting, which indicates that the subject was possibly even worsened.
Next morning, 03.01.1935, Don attempted to regain connection with Ogletree, giving him a call over breakfast. From his responses, following the previous line of reasoning, we can tell that he was putting a distance between himself and Don, and that Don was possibly trying to reopen the matter of their previous day discussion with a new day’s start. Ogletree, in that case, must had had considered the matter unresolvable.
However, we know that 03.01.1935 at around 04:00 p.m. , another meeting had taken place in room no. 1046. Now, when we reflect on Ogletree’s situation, it is more than probable that a very few people knew about his whereabouts. The fact that this man, whoever it was with whom Ogletree met that afternoon, responded from behind the door to maid that “they do not need any towels“ implies, that he was trying to keep upper hand in their discussion, and wanted no interferences at all. This means that this man came with particular expectation of the outcome of the situation, and also that is ts just as possible, that he came unexpected due to Ogletree’s intention to isolate himself. Over all, from what we already know, including the fact of Don’s knowledge of Ogletree’s room number, it is supporting the presumption that it was indeed Don, who came to visit Ogletree that afternoon.
THE NIGHTLY ENCOUNTER
This very point is of an utmost interest. According to his testimony, Lane was stopped in his car by Ogletree, at around 13th street, a little before 11:00 p.m. . In his statement to the police he claimed, that Ogletree was running, shirtless, in undershirt and stopped him shouting and gesticulating, and after closing the distance apologizing, because he tought that Lane’s car was a cab. Lane stated, that when Ogletree got in his car, he noticed a deep wound on his left hand, and that his hands were cupped, as if he was catching the blood.
Absent shirt and overcloak tells us that he left in a hurry, in particular from a place indoors, where he got his overcloak off. His running could be due to a chilly night, in order to warm himself, but the damage on his hand and his prompt departure points to more of a shock and intention to gather distance between him and a place he was running from. Specific interest, however, rises over his mistake as to the Lane’s car. Deep wound and cupped hands clearly mean a considerable bloodflow, even amplified by the running, but the chance of probability is more for that some considerable damage was caused also to his head, which shook him enough to desorient him and get him into a shock and running. We know, that when Ogletree’s body was found, his skull was fractured by multiple blows. Projecting on the previous, it seems like there was some kind of quarell between Ogletree and the person, whom he came to meet. Quarell changed to hand-to-knife fight, critically changing Ogletree’s position to disadvantage, the damage on his left hand caused, shirt ruined and within the fight of posession of the weapon, multiple blows of knife’s handle laid upon Ogletree’s head, when he, at last, managed to run from the place.
What we know is, according to Ogletree’s statement that “he will kill the man tomorrow”, Ogletree clearly knew this man. Nextly, that they met indoors, problably the two alone, presumably at this man’s place. There was a quarell. And at last, the attemp on Ogletree’s life has occurred.
VISITING HOURS
Although the timeline after midnight of the day 03.01.1935 is rather chaotic, there are enough critical points to establish one which would be of use. Firstly, as to the “commercial woman” who has been sighted in the hotel at around 00:00 to 03:00, even been on the 10th floor, inquiring the elevator boy about room no. 1026. It is not much of a question whether or not she was somehow involved in that night’s events, based on a presumption that the police would seize her soon after that night to inquire her, as she was recognized as a woman, who frequents this very hotel. She, nevertheless, had most probably departed from the city after that night, never to be found.
From what we know, according to testimony of the elevator boy, this woman inquired him about room no. 1026, after a while to inquire him again, because as she said “he was not there and he was always prompt with his appointments” and at last, she continued in search for the correct room on her own, staying for 30-40 minutes. It is quite some time for waiting in the hallway instead of asking the receiptionist for a call. As this did not happend even when she was leaving the building, and considering the fact that she reffered to a known customer, the on point assumption is that she indeed, at last, found that, for what she was searching.
The particular problem of room’s number is of an special interest. By repeatedly questioning about the room’s number, she evidently raised a general curiosity. That points to possibility that she had no idea whatsoever about what will happen in the next few hours. Now, as to how could she get the number wrong, it is clear that she does not knew the number, thus although he was a known customer, it was their first appointment over the time of his stay in Hotel President. She most probably did not received a call from him, for there is a minimal possibility that she would get the number wrong through a verbal interpretation. More probably, she got the number in written form, where is a variety of chances of misinterpreting. It costs a wrong pen, bad handwriting, little clumsiness due to an use of secondary hand or unright pressure to write down a number in a way, that will make it difficult to reinterpret. From the “Nightly Encounter” we know that Ogltetree had a deep wound on his left arm, which was also his dominant-side hand, judging by his cauliflower left ear, caused often by a specific fight stance, where the fighter is backing his dominant side, yet creating an opening. Considering the previous chain of reasoning, it is more than probable that she indeed was after Ogletree, and in that case, the chances are that Ogletree wrote a note for this woman after 11:00 pm.
Furthermore, the woman left, only to return in about an hour. This time, however, in company of a man, described the very same as this woman, as to the approx. height and weight (5ft, 135 pounds). They went together onto 9th floor. From that, we can get that, for sure, she was not there after this man in her previous visit, for the number of any room on the 9th flor could hardly be mistaken for a one on the 10th.
The timeline of that night’s incident, based on hotel staff members testimonies, ends at around 04:15, when this “Commercial Woman” left the building and in 15 minute period after her, the man also. What is of critical importance is that one of the sources featuring the case at the time claimed, that this man was seen leaving with a gladstone bag, which is pretty inconsistent for someone who goes on a stroll because he “could not sleep”, especially at 4:30 a.m. .
ESTABLISHING THE TIMELINE
02/01/35, about 13:20
Ogletree’s registration in Hotel President
02/01/35, between 13:40 – 15:55
Actual meeting with Don, based on his note that he will be back in 15 minutes.
02/01/35, about 16:00
Ogletree’s meeting with Don ended
03/01/35, about 10:30
Don’s call over breakfast
03/01/35, about 16:00
Another meeting with Don
03/01/35, between 16:05 – 22:55
Ogletree left the hotel and went to meet an unknown man, based on his remark to Lane that “he will kill the man tommorow”.
03/01/35, about 23:00
Ogletree gets from Lane’s car to a cab
03/01/35, about 23:00 – 04/01/35, about 01:00
Ogletree left a note to a Commercial Woman, based on the analysis of her inquiries about room’s number.
04/01/35, about 01:00
The Commercial Woman is making inquiries about no. 1026
04/01/35, between 01:00 – 02:00
Woman’s meeting with Ogletree, lasted about 30 – 40 minutes, according to testimony of the elevator boy.
04/01/35, about 02:00
The Commercial Woman leaves the hotel
04/01/35, between 02:00 – 03:00
The Commercial Woman meets with uknown man.
04/01/35, about 03:00
The Commercial Woman returns in company of a man
04/01/35, about 04:15
The Commercial Woman leaves the hotel
04/01/35, about 04:30
The man leaves also
04/01/35, between about 04:30 – 05:30
Stab wounds inflicted, according to doctor’s expertise
04/01/35, about 07:15
First staff encounter with Ogletree after the night, still living
04/01/35, about 11:30
Ogletree went unconscious and later died in the hospital
WHAT THE CRIME SCENE TELLS
As to the crime scene, there is a little few, due to a problem of data being only reinterpreted by the various popular sources. However, the very character of it is elementary and unsusual enough for newspapers to get us enough crucial points. Let us now get to these very points, in relative order.
Presence of a Woman:
Among the evidence from the crime scene, there was a hairpin found, which indicates the presence of a woman, in particular, an intimate one. The safety pin, which was also found on the scene is of special interest. From the photographs, it seems like the safety pin was damaged, probably from forced opening. Safety pin alone tells us, as it is often used to adjust clothings, that this woman clearly does not spent a much on a tailor. So where she was putting her income of a commercial woman? For as to a call girl, certain class is needed. Due to an absent data about her, there are two possibilities, and that of the cause of her manager, or if she was independent, it is possible that she was a single mother. Nextly, the forced opening tells us again about two possibilities, and that it was caused by either passionate disclothing of the woman by a man or some kind of quarell.
A Bear in the Net:
There is a particular fact, that Ogletree was a 6ft+, husky type with some fighting experience, and a singular problem as to the very character of him getting restrained, for either the commercial woman, or the man who came with her that night, with their 5ft and 135 pounds, would not do a much in close quarter situation over Ogletree’s life. Even if we consider the previous lines of reasoning in “The Nightly Encounter”, due to an adrenaline burst there would still be a bearly resistance. Then there is not much as to the possibilities. The stout built man, or a brute, who could overcome Ogletree is way less probable, due to an overall character of the crime. Yet, the missing toxicology is making it hopeless for us to surely establish an assumption that he was probably drugged.
The Key Problem:
Although sources did not state whether or not the room’s key was missing, we could clearly conclude, that it indeed was, and that for a simple reason. If the key was not, considering the fact that the doors, with a “Do Not Disturb” sign over the doorknob, was locked from the outside, it would instantaneously lay the police’s suspicions on the hotel staff, and of course it would surely be stated everywhere, as it would be quite of a “mystery feature”, excellently fitting for the press.
The rest is simple. Following the previous chain of reasoning, the key must have had been retrieved from the room, later to be used for an unexpected entrance, and at last, to seal the room, with the addition of the very “Do Not Disturb” sign.
The Necktie:
A label from a necktie, which was also found at the crime scene, according to newspapers, shows that the necktie was originating from the Botany Worsted Mills Company, of Passaic, New Jersey. Which is completely irrelevant. Label itself tells us a very little, but of a critical importance as to how was the crime executed. For according to Owen’s testimony, that night, she heard a lot of noise on the same floor, consisted of multiple voices and short after, loud snoring-like sounds.
As to the execution itself, following the chain of reasoning, it seems like there indeed was an argument between multiple people at the scene, which was also a breaking point of that night’s events. In order to suppress Ogletree’s voice, a necktie was used to strangle him, supported by doctor’s statement of strangling, and a label ripped off by Ogletree himself, over the fight of relieving the pressure on his neck, which also caused the “loud snoring sounds”, as he was gasping for a breath.
The necktie itself clearly belonged to the intruder, for Ogletree had no luggage whatsoever and that actual night came to the hotel in an undershirt.
The Bottle:
A small, unused bottle of dilute sulphuric acid, aslo found at the crime scene, points again at the previously concluded breaking point. Acid itself is not much of an importance, althoug it tells us about the murderer himself, for he must have had a direct access to it. This narrows a variety of possible occupations to a probability of a plumber. The acid was meant to be used to damage Ogletree’s face in order to baffle with facial recognition of the victim. This also indicates a definite murder intention of the intruder.
However, the fact that it was not used means that the murderer left in a hurry, disturbed, short after the concluded breaking point of the events.
Jagged Glass, Blooded Walls:
There is not quite much left as to the crime scene. There is blood, on the bed, walls and in the bathroom. When the wounds upon Ogletree’s chest were inflicted, he probably passed out, in bed, later to regain consciousness, with wounds sealed with solified blood. He tried to get up, in the total darkness, got to the wall to support him and at last, got into bathroom, where he was about to rehydrate himself. With movement, sealing over the wounds cracked and he started to bleed again. In the bathroom he collapsed, and one of the glasses above sink fell into it. These trips around his rooms were two, at least, one around 07:00 and the other around 10:30 to 10:45, both times he knocked the telephone stand over.
The wounds themselves are of an interest, for they were not meant to be immediately lethal. Considering the restraint, locked door and sign over the doorknob, they were clearly meant to cause a slow bleedout, which points to a personal motive.
The Last Words:
There seems to dominate a general misconception as to Ogletree’s last words, for the majority tend to come to a completely erroneous conclusion that with his naive and plain lie, that “nobody did it” and that he “fell against the bathtub”, he tried to conceal the indentity of the wrongdoer. That only shows that people are not likely to consider one simple and obvious fact, and that the very people from whom he was hiding over his last period, stood at the time just before him, making inquiries. The cause is mostly visible in fact, that though he was indeed consciouss at the time of 07:00 and also 10:30, he, however, did not called for a help, as it is for sure that he naively believed he will walk it off. That makes his last words absolutely irrelevant to the case, although they tells us a little more about his background.
LETTERS FROM BEYOND A GRAVE
Next two chapters are of an utmost importance, for at this state, there are many loose ends and the investigation would be much more complicated, if not for the events that occured after that dreadful night at Hotel President.
A year after Ogletree’s death, when his mother, at last, positively indentified him, she told the police about a most interesting thing, and that she was recieving letters from her son, though the dates showed that they were sent after her son’s death. These letters she described as rather “slangy”, and were aslo typewritten, which was not her son’s style, as she remarked.
The letters themselves were clearly meant to deceive Ogletree’s mother about her son’s death. Clearly enough, when we consider that his identity was not known to public until mother’s identification, the individual who wrote the letters, typewritten, in order to obscure his identity, indeed knew about Ogletree’s death. Nextly, they tells us about a certain knowledge of Ogletree’s person, this individual must have known him. What is important is that he, or she, knew him well enough to have knowlege of his identity, his family and his origins, but not well enough to be able to replicate Ogletree’s style in written form. Apart from this, the letters tell us also about particular movements of the said individual.
ACT OF HONOR AND COMPASSION
At last, we are about to come to an end of the chain of events behind the death of Artemus Ogletree. There are only three critical events left, in particular, three calls which were made over Ogletree’s funeral.
First, from a woman that called to the papers about that “they got it wrong and he will not be buried in potter’s field” and “arrangements were made”. In answer to the question about what happened to Ogletree, she responded that “he got into a jam”. From this we know, that this woman knew Ogletree and that she also knew about the call to the funeral house. Her exclaim about that “he got into a jam” indicates an unwillingness to discuss the matter, with the possibility of not knowing complety about it. What is important, however, is the call itself, for it was clearly an act of honor, specifically an act to preserve one’s.
Second, from a man that called to the funeral house about that “he will send the money needed”. As answer upon inquiries made on him he stated several information. That “he is doing it for his sister”, that Ogletree “jilted a girl he promised to marry” and that he witnessed the jilting, for the three of them had meetup in Hotel President. Furthermore, he gave instructions to the house as to where he wish the body to be buried, because “then he will be near my sister”. And at last, there is his singular remark that “cheaters usually get what is coming to them”. Apart from the obvious, act of compassion is clear, although there is a significant coldness towards Ogletree’s person.
The last is the call to a florist, making an anonymous payment for bouquet of 13 roses for $5. The payment came twice, but the important part is a note which was meant to be attached to the bouquet, that stated “Love forever – Louise”. Floral tribute was meant to give the last honor to Ogletree, that is clear enough. Nevertheless, the police was able to find no Luise whatsoever, which is crucial, considering the fact that this kind of tribute is of a great personal character and paying such a tribute under assumed name is rather dishonorable.
What is clear is that this very Louise is the key to unravelling the events behind Ogletree’s death.
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