The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-28
Family Trouble Causes Suicide
at EmpOria.
Grocer COnkling Shoots Wife and
MOther-in-LaW.
THEN KILLS HIMSELF.
Fired Two Shots Into His Body
in Quick Succession.
Had Been Divorced and Was
DespOndent and Jealous.

fnhpOf1a, March Z0.-Stepnen III.
Conkling of the firm of Emery & Conk-
ling, grocers. late Thursday afternoon
shot his divorced wife three times, then
his mother-in-law, Mrs. Silvers, and
next discharged the two remaining bull
lets in the pistol into his heart. dying
instantly. The tragedy occurred at the
home of Mr.. and Mrs. Silyers, Mrs.
/ Conkling's parents, on Sixth and Arun-
del avenues. 1t is the outgrowth of
matrin onial troubles which terminated
in a divorce suit the last term of court.
Since that time Conkling had threaten
ed to kill his wife and carried a revolt
yer.
Thursday he was in a respondent
mood and in the afternoon rode to the
Silvers home on his bicycle. He went
into the house and again threatened to
kill his wife. He was in earnest and
before she could escape he drew re-
volver from his pocket and began nring.
She ran out of the house. Her mother.
who was also in the house. rushed out
into the yard followed by Conkllng,
who fired two more shots. One struck
his wife in the back, making slight
wound. The other struck Mrs. SllVers,
With only two more bullets left in the
revolver ConkIing placed the muzzle TO
his heart and fired twice. When the
neighbors arrived he was dead.
Mrs. Conkling was taken into the
found that the wound in the rlgnt
breast was the most serious, the pail
having travelled almost half around the
right side. of the body. The wound III
the left breast was also quite serious,
but it was impossible to tell its extent
The other wound is not serious Conk-
ling'S wounds We're both through Ine
heart and scarce an inch apart. HIS
clothing was scorched almost to the
skin, but little blood shed. Conkllng
parents live at Americas.
Later in the evening DR.. G. NJ. CAT
ford located with his X-ray machine
bullet in Mrs Conkling. 1t struck and
shattered the collar bone, then pene-
trated through the body, lodging un-
der the shoulder blade. 1t is thought
this wound will cause death. as the in
dications are that the sub-clavin artery
was cut. The other bullet that struck
the breast rebounded out of the wound.
The wound in the back is not severe,
as it glanced Off
In commenting on the affair the Ga
Zette says:
On February 4, 1902, Cora Conkling
filed a petition for divorce on the
grounds of extreme cruelty, claiming
that the defendant, Steve Conkling, had
an uncomfortable temper and that on
several occasions he had threatened her
life. On February II a divorce was
granted the plaintiff Until a week ago
Steve Conl1ling had tried persistently
to get his wife to come back and live
with him. He had DIR. Madison and W.
~.
suade her to make up with him But
she positively refused each time.
About a week ago Conkling got posses
sion of information regarding his wife,s
conduct toward three young men. He
found that his wife and the three men
had been too intimate previous to the
time she was granted a divorce.
AS soon as Conkling discovered this
he bought a revolver at the Peters
Hardware company. and told w. N.
Smelser he intended TO kill the men,
Smelser was afraid at the time that
Conkling's mind was becoming unbal-
anced and tried to get the gun away
from him and persuade him to drop the
matter, but Conkling said he wanted
to keep the gun in case should he ever
have a quarrel with either of the men
for elf-defenSe.
Last Monday night Conkling got his
divorced wife to come to his room and
at the point of a revolver made her tell
all about her relations with the three
men. He then got a signed statement
from each of the men, in which they
corroborated her story and begged his
pardon for what they had done Smelser
saw Conkling several times this week and
each time Conkling talked of killing
someone and clearly showed that his
mind was unbalanced Tuesday Smelser
warned Cora Silvers that Conkling was