The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-20
INVOLVED IN CRIME
Jaw NOW POINTS ITS FINGER AT
MARION WILLIAMSON.

He was Seen In Sequestered spot Sunday
with His Discarded Wife Reading the
Policy on the Life of the Murdered
Merchant-She Admits the Charge
Williamson Does Not Go on the stand
to DENY It-other CorroboratinG Cir
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the Prisoners at
the Inuuest-Tbe Verdict of Guilty
F. Marion Williamson became serious
Y involved in the murder OF Henry ii.
Leonard yesterday.
The law. like an accusing spirit,
pointed its finger at him at the opening
6 the inquest in the morning and all
nut said. "tF1ou art the man.
Previous TO that, public inclination
was n, hold him innocent and he did
sook innocent but as the Eagle said IN
It's bast issue. the ways of murder are
mysterious Like a clap Of thunder
from a clear sky. as sudden and unex-
oected, testimony was submitted which
inks him closely with the crime.
Mr. States, a well-know citizen, went
On the stand and told a thrilling story
nodestly. He told about how he and
MS wife and boy started for their farm
Sunday. How they passed pugsy
about a mile and haH south OF the
Wichita and Western tracks on Seneca
street; how he turned his head and saw
Marion Williamson setting in 1t with a
woman: how she held the horses lines
while her former husband was looking
over the life insurance policy of her
present husband, which policy had been
transferred to her, or in her faver three
weeks before. The horse and buggy
were drawn in from the road and States
and his wife and son passed within four
feet of them. States knew Williamson
we'll He did not know his wife and
neither did he know what the contents
of the document in Willamson's hands
We're He read of the murder yesterday
morning in the Eagle and of the insur-
ance policy. He saw at a glance the
purport of THE secret trip of Williamson
and his wife out in the lonely country,
where nothing but the interest chance
c0uld throw them ON the path of one
who knew them. Yesterday morning
he went to the county jail and recog-
nized Irena, the accused murderess of
Henry Leonard, as the woman who was
In the buggy with her former husband
Marion Williamson. They talked about
the matter and after denial once or
twice she admitted the facts and also
admitted that the paper Williamson
was reading was the insurance policy
on Leonard's life.
This story was told plainly in the
presence of Williamson's attorney.
Williamson did not come on the stand
TO deny it. The American people al
ways like to see an innocent man come
into court and go on the stand to de-
fend himself. In fact, the American
people s1eIieve a man who does not try
to disFJs owe charges, is guilty Of them.
They may be wrong in this or they may
be right. At any rate, Marion Will
hanson did not go on the stand. Two
more witnesses were present and ready
to go on the stand to prove that they
saw Marion Williamson buggy-riding
on Sunday with his former wife.
Captain Foster saw Leonard buggy
riding with his reputed wife, Irena, on
Sunday at ] 80 p. m Nearly an hour
afterwards Leonard told Foster that he
had given the buggy to the woman 10
use. Did Irena take the buggy and get
her former husband? Did they ride
west over the bridge and down Seneca
street and turn their horse off the roE,d
10 allow Williamson TO feast his eyes
ON the insurance policy his former wife
held on her present husbands life for
$4,000? The time was about the same
and the only discrepancy was that
States said the vehicle was a piano box
buggy while Foster said the vehicle he
saw Leonard and Irena driving in, was
a phaeton.
The fact that Irena was driving with
her former husband in a sequestered
place. away from the city, on the very
day of the murder of her more recent
husband, looks suspicious. Then it is
said murder must have a motive. What
motive could Williamson have? This
Is reached only by speculation and the
people are supeculating.
isn't it probable" one asked, that
the conspiracy to murder Leonard was
Matched beforethe separation of Marion
and Irena Williamson Isn't it posi-
bic that Irena and Marion Williamson
cOnspired to an agreement to disagree,
then agreed ITO divorce. It is certain
that Leonard was infatuated with the
woman long before the separa ton. In
This infatuStion the scheme of divorce
may Zoe based. Isn't it possible that
they may have it planned that after the
divorce was obtained Mrs. Williamson
and Mr.. Leonard may get married, then
the murder could easily be executed, she
would have S., 600. herself and Marion
Williamson may get married again and
live in luxury and ease from that on in
perhaps some other state or in some
other town. This is merely speculation.
but is the only thing that furnishes a
motive for Marion Williamson TO kill
Henry Leonard.
The current idea heretofore has been
that Marion Williamson was estranged
from his wife and boy. Both sides let
on that they did not have any use for
TIE other side. This apparent efmity
may be a part Of their plans if a con-
spiracy really did exist between them.
Despite this enmity his boy was
seen frequently with the old man and
less than two weeks ago they had Il
private conversation of some length
Last Saturday Mrs. McTaggert saw
Williamson near his former wife's
house. looking towards Ii and probably
ne went there at the time. Sunday he
was seen riding with her, and in all
probability in Leonard's buggy. To say
the least there is ground for suspicion,
whether just or unjust
AS facts develope the horror of the
crime Increase. The police are on sew
eral important clues and they are
working them with a great deal of sat
tsfactlon. People are now beginning TO
talk and every day Will add to the in
terest Of the murder. They keep Nor
VILE Williamson under their eye in a
tell in the city jail apart from the other
prisoners He sees ghosts" every
hight and then he sends word 20 the
police that ne wants 10 see them. They
think he is about 10 confess and they
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