The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-11
A DEGRADED LOT.
Testimony in the Nevels MUIR
der Trial
Shows the Man NevelS and His
Associates
AS A CRIMINAL GANG.
The Smiths and Nevelses Had a
Bad Record.
How COlOred Criminals Drift in
Here From Kansas City.

The most striking fact brought out in
the Nevels murder trial is the degraded
character of the accused and his relatives
and associates. They belong distinctly
to the criminal class. Nevels, Nevels'
wife, and his friends" are of the dis
tinct criminal type, to whom murder and
other crime does not appear either ter
rible or impossible. They are stepped in
vice, and all of them have served Jail
sentences. Nevels ia not a Topeka Ne
gro, nor are the Tony Smith family.
They are wandering thieves and house
breakers, belonging properly in Kansas
City, whence they fed probably for some
crime as yet unferreted. The advent of
this class of colored criminals from other
cities is something the police should
note; and as soon as they arrive they
should be driven out
Jailer Al Hopkins was put on the
stand in the NeviI's trial at 1. 80 yesterday
afternoon. He went to the house with
the coroner's jury.
Hopkins said he saw "Doc' Ward
handling over the coverings of the body.
He himself picked up a bloody dress
which was stuck to the floor with clotted
blood While he was doing this he
heard something drop from the articles
Ward was moving. When he was
shown the slung shot when Ward, De
Wilkerson and he were driving away
from the place he remember having
seen the rope in the pile of bedding, etc.
The next witness was Tony Smith.
He is short, rather heavy negro with
black moustache.
Odd Nevels and his wife come to
live with you?
A-Yes. He came in August, 1894.
Q-How did he come to do it?
Ale came and wanted to know if he
could bring his wife there; that he was
out of work, / went to Coffeoville in
September and left them in my house.
Odd you ever see this slungshot
before?
Al haYe. I found the iron at the
Mo. Pac. depot and took it home. 1 used
it TO crack nuts and drive tacks with.
Odd you ever see Neveis have this?
Al did. l saw him putting this rope
into it one day. He said Prof Hayden
and he had some work to do at the opera
house and might need it.
Q-So you know what month this was
Al think it was in August 1 was
arrested for wife beating and got 10 days
in the city prison, and this was before
that.
Q-Do you recognize the cloth on this
rope?
At is a piece of my wife's apron
and the rope was piece of my clothes
line.
On cross examination:
Q-How many times have you been in
prison?
A-Oh, lots of times.
Q-How many in the penitentiary.
A-Once. l was in the Missouri state
penitentiary for five years.
Mrs. Tony Smith succeeded her hus-
band upon the stand. She is white, while
her husband is black. She corroborated
Smiths story about Nevels making the
slung shot
Q-Do you recog gnizs the cloth on this
rope?
Al do; it is piece of one of my
aprons. Mrs. Nevels wore the two
aprons of this cloth, and never saw any
thing of them after left Topeka.
Q-How many times have you been in
Jail? was the first question on eross-ex-
animation.
Q-How many times in Topeka3
A-Ouce.
Q-In Kansas City?
A-Nary time; well, yes, my husband
and l were jailed before we were mar
ried.
Tony Smith and wife and Novels and
just before they were married and ef-
forts made to prevent the marriage in
that way.
Q-What were you arrested for in
TOpekaf asked Mr.. Stafford.
A-For stealing flowers.
Another of the never ending list of
white wives of black men in this trial
was next to testify. This was Mrs Sary
Milton. She was a most positive and
accurate witness.
Odd Nevels move to your house?
Ale did, and brought Tony Smiths
furniture. Then he moved into one of
Mrs. Matson's houses. He gave no rea-
son for going away.
Q-When was one of the las. times
you saw Frank Nevels before his arrest?
A-On Wednesday. December g.
met him in the ravine near the house.
He had this slung shot in his hand, with
the rope around his wrist. 1t had Anna
Smiths apron on it. l asked him if Mrs
NeveIs had come back from Hayden's
yet and he said no; he didn't care if she
never came back; if she did he was GO
ing to kill her.
Q-When did you last see NevelsF
A-On December 12, when 1 went over
to the Nevels house to make the last
payment on dress had bought from
Mrs. Hayden.
The next witness was Mary Cabbell, a
celored girl from Winfield.
ODD you see Frank Novels in Ds-
cember 1894?
Ayes. on Thursday evening, Decem-
Der IS. l was going over to old Mr..
Nevels' in ths evening when saw Frank
Nevels coming through the school yard
up from the railroad track. He had no