The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-15
BREAKS DOWN.
Oscar Thompson, Bartholin
Murder Suspect, Weakens.
No Longer Denies Story Told by
Mrs. Tallerday.
WAS AT THE HOUSE
The Night That Minnie Mitchell
Met Death
But Has No Recollection of Any
thing That Happened.

Chicago, Aug. 15.-Oscar Thompson,
late last night admitted to a newspaper
man that he no longer denied the story
of Mrs. Tallerday, who makes the
charge that he and Daddy Claffey
and man supposed to be William
Barthol1n were quarreling under her
window at O'Clock in the morning af-
ter Minnie Mitchell disappeared: and
that with them was Thompsons laundry
wagon, in which it is supposed the
murdered girls body was carted to the
prairie at Seventy-fourth and State
streets.
Il turned in my laundry wagon at the
stables the night Minnie Mitchell was
killed about $50 o'clock he said. 81
stopped and had several drinks at
Clancy'S saloon and then 1 went to the
house in Calumet avenue. 1t must have
been about 10 o'clock when I reached
there. met Bartholin in the house.
do not know what happened there
went to my room and after that can
not say anything as to what transpired
in the house. l may have been drunk.
or l may have been drugged; L do not
know.
Whatever did I do not know I do
not deny now that l went out with him
but 1 cannot remember Whatever l
did he made me do. I may have gone
with him in the wagon, as this woman
says she saw me with the wagon in
lie Street Lie next I1oIulnS- IL L WAS
there it is all a blank to me-"
Confirmation of the story told by Mrs.
Tallerday came when D. A. Meyers.
motorman of a Wallace and Center av-
enue electric car, told the police that he
he'd seen the laundry wagon where Mrs.
Tallerday described it as being between
and o'clock on the morning follow
ing Minnie Mitchell's death. Meyers
Thompson's. This the police say salts
fled them that Minnie Mitchell was
murdered in the Bartholin home and
carted far out on State street.
Thompson has become almost a physi-
cal wreck under the sweat box ordeal
and appears to be breaking down.
What the police believe to be another
strong link in the chain of evidence
being forged around the men under
suspicion was developed, when Police
Lieutenant Backus, under instructions
from Inspector Hunt, took the horse
and laundry wagon which it is thought
may have been used to convey the body
of Minnie Mitchell to the spot where it
was found, and went over the same
ground again.
Two police officers who were unaware
of the locality where the body was
found were put in charge of the wagon
After proceeding leisurely to Sixty
eighth and State streets the horse was
turned into State street and given his
head. Slowly he ambled along to within
260 feet of the spot where Minnie
Mitchells body was found. There he
stopped and nibbled bunch of grass
growing along the side of the road
Then turning a half circle he crossed
the road and stopped at a point di-
rectly in front Of where the police had
found pair of bloody cuffs on the
prairie a few feet from the road, which
are believed to have belonged to Bar
tholin.
At this point the driver turned the
horse about and he crossed Seventy
fourth street and stopped at a point
oh cl1< ho1
previously picked up. From this point
the horse leisurely took his way south
until within a few feet of Seventy-fifth
street where he turned abruptly and
retraced his steps, stopping about 20
feet north of Seventy-fourth street and
about45 feet north of where the body
was found.
A second test was made by Lieuten-
ant Backus and upon this occasion the
horse stopped directly in front of the
spot where the body was found
Witnesses have been produced who
will testify that Oscar Thompson, John
Claffey and third man supposed TO
have been young Bartholin were in the
street with this horse and wagon at
daylight the morning of the disappear
ance of Minnie Mitchell.
SAW BARTHOLIN KISS A WOMAN.
Chicago, Aug. 15.-Milton L. Edwards.
one of the former roOmers of Mrs Anne
Bartholin and new witness who the
police think will prove valuable in
clearing up the mystery in the murders
of Mrs. Bartholin and Minnie Mitchell.
arrived in this city early today from
Denver and at once placed himself in
the hands of the police. Edwards was
frank in his statements and showed no
signs of nervousness.
To a representative of the Associated
Press he made the following state
ment:
II barely know Thompson and have
spoken to him only three or four times.
I never was doctor or a hyDnotist.
and could not possibly have put
Thompson under any influence, as he
said that I thought things were queer
at the Bartholin home, and that is the
reason left there. I have few things
n ore to tell the chief of police, but the
public must wait until the chief speaks
I saw Bartholin kissing woman in the
house, but what bearing that may have
on the case l do not know. / am will
ing to tell the police everything that
may soon be out of this disagreeable
business. 1 had hoped my name would
not be drawn into the affair."
Edwards was cross examined both by
Chief of Police O'Nen and Inspector
Hunt, but practically nothing new was
elected. Edwards told in a straightfor-
ward manner what he remembered of
suspicious actions about the Bartholin
house. of his fear that Mrs Bartholin
had been murdered and his fear for his
own safety if he stayed longer in the
house. The story was repeated of how
he had been awakened by the bowling
of a cat of how he had seen Thompson
leaning over his bed one night and how
Thompson had explained his presence in
Edwards room by saying he thought
VIM. Bartholin was sleeping there.
Edwards met Thompson today The
men nodded but said nothing
Weather Indications.