Transcribed from the Wednesday, August 19, 1908 Adair County (Ky.) News, page one.

[West Point, Ky., is located in Hardin County, just south of the Ohio River and just west of the convergence of the Hardin, Bullitt and Jefferson county lines. Elizabethtown is the county seat of Hardin. Mattie Maderis / Medaris' father was Melford R., of the Moses-Charles-Rice Medaris line. The February 27, 1901 edition of the Adair County News related that "Mr. M.R. Medaris and family, of Fairplay, this county, left for West Point, Ky., Tuesday, where they will make their home."]

AN AWFUL TRAGEDY

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Miss Mattie Maderis of West Point Believed To Have Been Drugged.

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A Native of Adair County

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The following is from the last issue of the Elizabethtown News: The parties mentioned are all former Adair county people.

West Point, Ky., Aug. 10--(Special to the News.)--Miss Mattie Maderis, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mell Maderis, died very suddenly Friday morning at ten o'clock of heart failure. She was enjoying her usual health and as was her custom had gone to the spring house to churn. When she failed to return at the usual time, her father went to the spring house and as he neared the place heard some one moaning as if in great pain. He went in the spring house and not finding her there he traced the sounds he heard and found her on top of the spring house in an unconscious condition. The ground around where she was found looked as though there had been a struggle, but no foot prints were found only those made by Miss Maderis.

Her father carried her home and summoned Dr. Roberts of West Point and the family physician, Dr. J.H. Reesor, of Stithton, but she died in a short time without gaining consciousness. Her uncle, Mr. Henry Burbridge has asserted positively that it was the work of a ruffian, but no marks of violence could be found by the physicians.

She was about twenty-five years of age and when very young was married to Frank Gadberry of Adair county. The marriage proved unhappy and she obtained a divorce six years ago and has since then made her home with her parents here.

She was a member of the Christian church here and Rev. H.H. Webb, the Evangelist, officiated at the funeral at the residence and at the grave. The young lady's mother has been in failing health for sometime and is prostrated with grief over her daughter's sad fate. The funeral was held Saturday afternoon at three o'clock and the burial was in the family lot on the farm. 

LATER. It is now believed that Miss Maderis was drugged to death by someone who came to the spring house with the intention of stealing. For the past month butter and milk has been stolen from the house. The house was always locked but when the stealing was done the locks were broken each time and the articles were missing. Miss Maderis made a habit of going to the spring house to churn.

Mr. Rollin Hurt, of this place, brought and obtained a divorce for Gadberry in the Hardin circuit court several years ago. Some time after the divorce proceeding Gadberry re-married and now lives in Adair county. The grounds for divorce was abandonment and there was no intimation of wrong doing by either party. [This last paragraph apparently was added by Adair County News.]

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The Gadberry newletter in the August 19, 1908 edition of the News stated thus: "We are in receipt of a very sad letter from Mr. and Mrs. M.R. Madaris of West Point, Ky., telling of the sudden death of their only child Miss Mattie, which occurred Aug. 7. Her death being due to heart failure. We extend to them our deepest sympathy in this sad hour of their bereavement."