The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-18
John Timm, With a Bloody Rec
ord, Released From Asylum.
The Protests of Supt. Biddle
Are Unheeded.
HE SHOT TWO MEN.
Served Seven Year Term in the
Penitentiary.
Twice Timm Was Adjudged In
sane in Court.

Thursday afternoon in the probate
court man who attempted to assassi-
nate two persons. who was twice ad-
judged insane, who has been in both
the insane asylums of the state and
who served one term in the penitentiary
on the charge of shooting with intent
to kill and who escaped another SEN
tence for the same offense, was re-
leased from the insane asylum In spite
of the protests of several witnesses who
know his record.
The man was John Timm, an unedu-
Gated farm laborer. He lost his money
in bank failure in Cowley county and
after brooding over the loss he shot the
banker, w. r. Warren in the back.
After he was released from the Osa-
watomie insane asylum he shot Sam
Butts with a shot gun while Butts was
sitting in his home near Mulvane, Kan
sas. Timm's record shows him to be a
dangerous man to be at large.
John Timm's trouble commenced with
the failure of a bank AS the result he
lost 81, OPS, which he bad saved from his
earnings as farm laborer; he was sent
to the Osawatomie insane asylum, then
to the penitentiary for seven years and
finally to the insane asylum at Topeka
He is broken in health and spirits now
and will end his days working for a
dairyman at Independence, Mo.
T1nln asked Dr. T. c. Biddle, super
1ntendent of the insane asylum, for his
release. 1t was refused. His brother
interceded, but to no use. The citizens
and officers of Emporia demanded that
his incarceration continue The sheriff,
the city marshal and others in Emporia
objected to Timm's receiving his liberty.
Then Timm's brother secured a lawyer
and brought habeas corpus proceedings
before Judge Pagan of the probate
court Then the. story of Timms mis-
fortunes came to light. He told his
story.
Timm, who is 80 years old, had work
ed as farm hand at $50 and less a
month since he was old enough to earn
a mans wages. He had saved S. 2O25.
This he had deposited in bank at Null
| vane, Cowley county. man by the
name of Sam Butts induced him to
withdraw the money from the bank
| where it was and deposited it in a bank
managed by w. r. Warren. Butts was
! a stakeholder in the Warren bank. He
| told Timm that the change would be to
| his interest. Timm thought that Butts
was advising him as a friend for his
| own good In few months Warren 8
| bank failed. Timm lost his savings of
I 20 years.
! Timm heard that some others who
| stood close to the officers of the bank
had drawn their money out before the
| crash came. Timm brooded over his
| loss and his misfortunes. At one time
he was paid six cents on the dollar and
! at another time seven cents on the dol
| lar He had talk with Warren, who
| promised to pay him If he could. A
! brother, S. b. Warren, who lived in
| Emporia, also promised to take up the
| Indebtedness of Warren's bank to Timm
/ if he could.
! Timm met w. r. Warren at yelling
| ton. He wanted to talk with him about
| his money. Warren brushed past him
| and gave no heed to his words he said.
so Timm drew revolver and shot
| Warren in the side. When asked WIZ
he did SO Timm said: He would not
| stop to talk with me, did not think
he treated me right.
| Timm was tried on the charge of
| shooting Warren. The jury acquitted
! him on the ground of insanity The
| same day Timm was taken before the
probate court of Cowley county and
| declared sane. Later he went to EN-
| poria to see S. B. Warren. the brother
| of the banker. He did not see him hut
| was arrested at the depot He was tried
| in the probate court and found insane
and sent to the Osawatomie insane asy-
| lum. He had no counsel at his hearing
He was at the Osawatomie asylum for
| ten months.
| When he was released in 1898 he went
| to COwley county. He was incenSed at
Butts. who had advised him to deposit
his money in the Warren bank. He
| thoughts Butts was working against his
interests. He brooded over his troubles
and one night borrowed a shotgun
| went to Butts house and shot him. He
was sent to the penitentiary for seven
years charged with shooting with intent
to kill. He was released for good be-
havior in five years and ten months.
| Then Timm went to Blackwell, Ok, tc
| pick cotton. There he met man who had
| helped to arrest him. The man forced him
| Emporia to see S. B. Warren again
| Again he was arrested and found to be in
| sane and was sent to the insane asylum
| at Topeka in October, 1900. In telling his
story Timm referred to some well known
| persons in league with Butts and others
| who conspired against him. Although II
was not brought out in the trial, 1t seemed
| that he has delusions about people per
scouting him.
DR.. Biddle superintendent of the asylum
| testified that Timm acted the same as
| when he was received at the asylum and
that he thought him insane. The jury
! was out few minutes and returned 9
verdict declaring Timm sane. He was
given his freedom and will go to Indepen
| dence to work dairy farm.
| MULyANES INIT.