The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-16
THE GRAVE
ROBBERIES.
Trial of the Cases Begins Today
at Alma.
Hearing of the johnson Case
Comes First
HEWAS AN ATTENDANT
In Charge of Dissecting Room
at Medical College.
Large Number of Witnesses
From Topeka at Alma.

Alma, Kan, Feb. 16.-The Topeka
grave robbery cases after many delays
came up in the district court here today.
The trial of Samuel A. Johnson, charg-
ed with receiving the stolen body OF
Mrs. I. o. Van Fleet, was the first to be
called. It was after noon before the
empaneling of the jury was begun and
the progress of the case was slow.
The attorneys that appeared for the
defendant were T. f. Doran and NJ. T.
Campbell. Johnson had charge of the
dissecting room at the medical college
and the state hopes to prove that he
was the one that received the body at
the time that it was brought to the col
lege building and that he knew at the
time that it was received that it had
been stolen. If the state is successful
in establishing his charge the maxi
mum penalty for the offense is $500 fine
or one years Imprisonment, or both,
a the discretion of the court
Those that have come here from To-
peka to attend court in connection with
the case are: Tim Donovan, Hall Will
lams, I. o. Van Fleet, A. N Dake, Dr.
D. B. Colcord, DR.. J. Z. Minney, Dr. w
e. McVey, r. NJ. Fulton, DR.. J. L. Fur
Der. H. T. Van Fleet, Clarence Scott.
Mary Raymond, Clarence Willis, John
Haisch, L. G. Duncan, H l. Akin, F.
H. Martin, Charles F. MenOrd, l.. E
Maxwell, Peter Hid, ST., George Ander-
son, James H Forbes and Frank Neis-
Wender.
Some of the parties who came up yes
terday went back home last night to
return here when they are summoned
by telegraph to give their testimony
Nothing has yet developed to show
what line the defense will adopt. but it
is thought that the plea that is most
likely to be presented viii be simple
denial OF the fact that Johnson had
anything to do with the receiving OF
the corpse and that the only connection
that he had with the matter was thar
he was the keeper in charge of the
rooms in which the demonstrations
We're carried on and that he knew moth
ing more concerning Mrs. Van Fleets
body than that there was a body in the
dissecting room
Dr. c. S McClintocf1 who. was the
demonStra tor in anatomy at the college
in the college building and who il was
last week rumOred the state would not
be able to put on the stand owing to his
absence from the state is here, having
come up from Topeka on the afternoon
Rock Island train yesterday. Dr. Nc
Clintock missed the morning train on
Monday morning and immediat ely
wired County Attorney Jetmore that he
would be up on the afternoon train
GET STARTED LATE
Alma, Feb 16-3:20 p. NIT was
few minutes after O'Clock this after
noon when Judge Thompson finished
the case ahead of the grave robbery
cases and called the case against John
son. Attorney Doran announced that
the defendant was ready for trial Call
the jury Mr.. Clerk said the judge
w. S. Thompson. called the clerk Mr.
Thompson took his seat in the jury box
and the trial was begun. County At
torney JetmOre is being assisted by H
B. Jones, county attorney of WabaunSee
county, while the defendants attorneys
have c. E. Carroll to assist them in
empanelling the jury.