The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-31

was dressed in a storm skirt and dress
ing sacQue, her hair was neat and she
had some ornaments in it. He was in
MS shirt sleeves and wore a black nat
After we came out they began trying to
break in the window with their fists.
Then they went through my room tax
ing my feather bed with them and they
stood on the front porch. One of the
men who had been reused by the cry Of
fire came rushing UP to the burning
buildings and stumbled over them in
the darkness. Miss ODOnneu began
crying that her pet dog Pete which she
had put to bed earlier that night in the
store would be burned and she called
for it. Then she said, Charles, you cry
fire. and the crowd began gathering
From that time we were busy and
did not notice them closely.
II am sure their actions through it all
warrant me in asking for an investiga-
ton SO that we may be all satisfied. 1
feel that If such step had not been
taken we would have regretted more or
less that the thing had not been cleared
up"
Were you and the two young people
on good terms % was asked.
1.-THE very BEST we were not to say
intimate, but we were friendly and al
ways had been. They. were frequently
in my store. and last winter when I
was sick for three weeks Miss O'Don-
nell took charge Of my business and
ran it for me without my asking her to
10 So follE Is q very Allll-44GdL LGl gil
I must say Kneip has been in her com
pany frequently, though I don't know
that they were more than friends.
II had a stock worth about $500. and
besides losing all Of it my piano and
the clothing, furniture, carpets and
s.I7q4om 6uu puB suIu 9IeM qoIqM sSnL
burned. Practically everything we had
in the world was destroyed"
The only motive assigned for the al
legged crime is that the O'Donnells had
fl1-1rs rrr ooh ms rod
valuation am ounted to and wished to
take this means Of getting the most out
of it. This theory, however finds but
little support among the people of Car
bondale who generally sympathize with
the persons who are being prosecuted.
Business men say that the O'Donnell
stock was in good condition, the value
being $1,000 or more and the aggregate
insurance being somewhere near $4,OOO.
The insurance companies paid up all
the claims against them several days
ago without hesitation and since the
fire some of the lots on which the struc-
lures stood have been sold preparatory
to rebuilding.
Miss Apple O'Donnell, the accused
woman and Charles Kneip, her alleged
accOmplice, deny with strenuousneSS
the complaints made against them. For
some months they have lived IN the
house kept by Mrs. Lizzie AcClair less
than a block from where the fire Oe-
CURED, she assisting her brother Frank
O'DOnneu, jr., in the duties relating
to the carrying on of the long esaaD-
Ifshed mercantile business. Some time
ago the father moved to Leavenworth
where he has business interests. knelp
has lived in Carbonate most Of his life.
For q time he ran a butcher shop but
recently has held a clerkship in the gen
eral store of Loves and Long across the
street from where the O'DOnneH store
stood Inquiry reveals nothing that can
be said against the reputation of either
of the young people and while Miss
Lewis has a high standing in the COM
munity 1t is believed that her charges
have not the least foundation.
To a reporter Miss O'DennelI talked
with much freedom concerning the ale
cations which have been made, and
with an air of confidence that bespoke
no fear as to the outcome She insists
that she retired not later than eleven
o'clock the night of the fire, after she
had gone to church with Mr.. Kneip
She was startled soon after it broke
out by the alarm and went at once
hastily to the scene. Her brother had
gone south that day on a fishing trip