The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-11-12
VOICE OF THE PRESS
On the waIkup Trial.

The jurors who believed Mrs. Walkup
guilty got tired out first, and Mrs. w ak
up goee free. We do not believe that as
many people uow believe her innocent
as did at the beginning of the trial.
There Is considerable Bumbsr OF per-
sons who say that dis. " Slkup Was
guilty, bit that Walkup fought 10 have
been killed" This talk would con.
denim quite q numbsr of middle-aged
gentlemen to death at the hands OF their
wives, and fill the land with interesting
widows. The frighuul character the
defense announced would be given
Walkup, was not proven on the trial by
anyone who knew him. None of his
telIow.toWnsmen testified sgainst him.
1t was shown that he had, until his last
marriage, retained the affections f his
daughters; and Mrs. WaIkup herself tes.
tIfled that he had been TO her aH tffsc-
LioHate husband. We suppose that the
Walkup tragedy will go into the list OF
mysterious cases." aud that people in
after years will say that "Waikup died
suddenly, and nobody ever knew who
killed HIM" The record will show thai
the man died of pIOson, and that but one
person took poison into his house, and
tina, his death following, as the night
the day, the conveyance of thst poison
to his bedside by that one person.-Atch.
ison Champion.
The Walkup trial IhICh has just
closed at EmpoFia will go upon record
as one of the most sensational and inter.
estIug ia the annals OF criminal juris.
prudence In Kansas. The evidence re-
lied upon TO convict Mrs. WaIkup oil
the crime of numbering her husband
was at best circumstanual and elusive
but it must be admitted that. il was
handled with such consummate skill a.
60 make 3 very strong case. Indeed, the
legal battle on both sides was fought
with an ability which, to say the least
reflects great credit on the bar of EN-
porIa and the ftaie ct large. The cass
Was made 30 prominent, the evidences
30 clearly brought out and the points Of
| Law 30 we'll interpreted and admirably
applied, thst it will be for years TO come
referred to and cited as authority in al
trials Of 9 similar nature.
While people may be divided on the
question Of Mrs. Wslkup's guilt there Il
no division on the point that she mar
ried Walkup from purely mercenarJ
motive. The alliance of bounding youth
with discreplt old age il not of Itself
from the most favorable and charitable
standpoint, Abhorrent and monstrous
but when to youth is added beauty anc
to old age the superstition Of wealth, lheI
the moral nature of the first is as justly
questioned as the senlIe passion Of the
other il denounced and held up To Ia
dignaut ridicule- II Mrs. Walkup die
not administer the poison which prOYsc
fatal to her husband, she bias given cyl
dence OF possessing qualities aitogethel
foreign to Q sweet, virtuoue and woman
~ nature. The verdict of the jury doel
not acquit her in the minds of . large
number of people. After the first flush
OF her triumph Is over q suspicion viii
attach 20 her which viii be the bane oi
her life until il IL removed by years Of
patient. inconsistent and true Womanly
endeaYor The terrible experiences oil
the trial through which she passed have
no doubt matured her judgment and
knowledge OF the world far beyond heI
years. II win be gratifying IL she makes
use OF the lessons 30 early and so dearly
learned In maner which viii be nlti.
mateiy reinsfate her IN the regard and
condolences Of those who know her OF
kpoW Of her-Ksnsas City Times