The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-09

went out to the scene of the tragedy.
and picked up Coroner HOgeboom at
his home on the way. They found the
dead man lying on his back. and per
fectly straight one hand laid across his
breast, and the other tightly clenched.
His face was covered with blood from
the wound in his temple. His clothing
was searched by the coroner in an at
tempt to discover his identity. but not
a thing was to be found.
His pockets were completely empty.
except for a small piece of tobacco. and
a handkerchief marked ID. G. S" On the
opposite side of the track from the body
a string Of three fish were found, and
the officers and coroner at first thought
he was some citizen of Topeka who had
gone out to the river fishing. but there
was no mud on his Shoes and no fishing
tackle about his person. The body was
brought to Stoker'S undertaking estab-
lishment and an effort made to find out
his name, which was not done until late
in the afternoon, when he was identified
by T. G. Shillinglaw as David Sappen-
field Sappenfield's married sister, Mrs
John Hanford lives in North Topeka on
Kistler street and she was notified. She
and her husband called and identified
the dead man, and said he was working
for man named Lawrence COvell near
Silver Lake. He visited his sister fire.
quently, and they were expecting him
yesterday.
Mrs. Hanford went to Silver Lake
yesterday evening to investigate, after
she found that her brother was dead.
She found that he had left the Coveu
home in the evening saying that he was
coming to Topeka John Mattingly, a
farmer living on the river, rOwed Sap
penheld across to the south side about
$50 1t was his intention to walk 10
Valencia and come in on the train, but
while crossing the river he told Mr..
Mattingly that he would walk toward
town, as the three miles would be
wasted by going to Valencia, and he
could walk all the way and beat the
train. If Sappenheld walked straight
down the track it must have been near
1920 when he was struck by the train.
There is a suspicion of foul play on
account of the position of the body and
the fact that his pockets were empty,
and the theory that he had been mur-
dered and his body placed on the track
afterward was put forth, though the ma
ture of his injury would indicate that
he was standing up when struck
A man named Marsh, who lives on
the Drive in Potwin, told the police that
he heard cries about 10 o'clock from
the direction of the place where the dead d
man was discovered, and it is probable
that death was not instantaneous, but
that the victim suffered for some time
His hat was not found and was prob
ably carried away by the suction OF
the moving train. The sister, Mrs. Han
ford says her brother was very deaf,
which would account for him being
struck by train approaching from the
rear. Sn6 accounts Tor the SlllnE OF
fish found near his body by saying that
her brother said when he last visited her
that he would bring some fish when he
came again, and thinks that he was
carrying them when he met his death
The fact that he originally intended TO
come in from Valencia on a train would
indicate that he had some money when
he started, and his body may have been
found and robbed during the night by
tramps. The police have made efforts
to find out from the Rock Island authori-
ties about the trains. regular and spec
ial, which passed during the early part
of Saturday night, but have been given
no satisfaction. It is unusual for a train
to strike and kill a man without the
knowledge of the engineer, and it is the
opinion Of some of the officers that
the driver of the engine which struck
him knew that he had killed a man,
but failed to report it.
Sappenf1eIdss mother, who lives in Pal
mira, Ind. was notified this morning OF
her sons death