The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-04
LELAND J.WEBB'S MEMORY
A Melancholy History OF His Last
Days
RECITED IN THE DISTRICT COURT

Trial of a Suit Against the a. o. U. w.
For an Insurance of $4,000.
Much important evidence is being in
froduced in the trial in the district court
of the suit of Mrs. Leland j. Webb
against the A. .. .. w. for $4,000 on her
husbands life. 1t is claimed that the
dues were unpaid.
Some of the stories told of the last
days of Leland ]. Webb were given by
Harry J. Wells, who is married to Mr.
Webb's daughter Mabel
81 think it was in September, 1892, that
compartment with grated windows and
grated iron door was constructed in his
residence at 1916 Taylor street." said
Wells Yesterday "He was put in this
and kept for two weeks in the latter part
of September. There were two guards,
one during the day and one at night.
"One Sunday night l relieved one of
the guards VINO wanted to attend to some
thing. While l was away in another
part of the house he unscrewed the cap
on tho gas jet and turned on the gas.
Then he held his nostriis over 1t and IL
hailed the gas for moment and threw
himself on his face at the bottom OF the
iron door. crying tMy God, Mabel, don't
let me suffocate here
~ called TO her that I would run to
the cellar and turn off the gas for the
house, but Mabel couldn't Withstand his
appeal and let him out. We never got
him back in there again"
'sThe first time that ever noticed any
thing wrong with Mr. Webb was, l
think, in June. 49," said Mr.. Wells in
another part of his testimony. "Before
that he had always seemed perfectly
rational to me.
Il noticed, also, during the summer
that he would be sick for about three
a n rrol1 for q
same period. At least 1 supposed it was
sickness for did not then know that he
was addicted to using morphine. When
called in the evening he would come
down with an inch growth of his white
beard on his face and looking
sick afte= one of these three days i'll
nesess
Later in the fall he wanted me to
marry Mabel soon, though we had not
thoaght of being married that year. He
always said he wanted US to marry soon
because there was d great crisis coming.
Later still he told me what WAS the mat
ter with him.
dozens of times after that 1 came
down to his office with him in the even
ing to stay as late as o'clock in the
morning. He always said he had press
slug business to look after, but he never
did much of ANYTHING but send a dozen
or two bogus kilograms all over rhe
country"
Elk United States Marshal Richard L.
Walker was one of Leland J. Webb's most
intimate friends from 1871 to the time
of his death, Feb. 81, 1893 He married
Mr. Webb's sister, daughter of Judge
W. c. Webb.
II know that Leland did not drink a
drop after 1856 for three or four years"
said Mr. Walker in court
II was with him most of that time try
ing town site cases in western Kansas.
when 1 returned from Utah in go
heard that he had started to drinking
again at a convention in Milwaukee. L
was thunderstruck as Thought he would
never touch another drop.
II knew there was no use to fool'with
him about his habits and said we ought
to go at it right, When 1 made the COM
plant on December %. 1892, to have MIR.
Webb put in the asylum I knew it would
never do for the sheriff to try to arrest
him. He had gun, two revolvers and
two razors at the house and he was all
the time hunting through the house for
somebody TO shoot. l expected to hear
of his killing someone any time.
81 got him to come down to his law
Office in a hack and then went to the
sheriff for two deputies on the
pretenae of getting some papers for
him to examine. When we returned I
went into the Office alone. AS L had sus-
pected. he had big knife lying on the
table before him. while letters, en-
velopes. aud papers were stacked up
around him as though he were doing all
the business in town.
81 grabbed the knife from the desk,
for by thistime I was afraid of him, too,
and threw it into the corner. l also
took hold of him and gave the signal
and the two deputies ran in and took
him away"
do you remember of your fathers
shooting off any of his guns there in the
house?" was asked of Mrs. Mabel Webb
Wells.
mot of his shooting off any," she re-
Piled. "a revolver was discharged acci-
dentally in his room one Sunday, and the
bullet struck him in the leg. This was
the same day that Harry brought him
home from the Kelley institute, in North
Topeka. We were married on Oct. 10.
Father was put in the county Jail on
October 81 and kept there until Novem-
Der %, when he was released on habeas
corpus before Judge Hazen. He was re-
arrested on Decem Der % on com plaint of
Mr.. Walker and sent to the insane asy-
lum on December 90.
During the month that he was out,
November % to December %, he was
very bad" testified Mrs. Wells. "Re was
q raving maniac. With his guns he ran
from cellar to attic insisting that there
were men in the house after him. One
day he had my husband and I watch one