The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
James c. Kay Brutally MUIR
derS His Wife.
Pounded Her Over the Head
Until Dead.
THEN TRIED SUICIDE
Hung Himself From VineWOOd
Railroad Bridge.
Fellow WOrkmen Found Him
and Saved His Life.
WIFE AFTER DIVORCE
Left Note Saying That Is Why
He Killed Her.
Crime Committed in Presence of
the Two Children.
Left Note Saying That Is Why
He Killed Her.
Crime Committed in Presence of
the Two Children.
Mrs. Kay Had a Presentiment of
What Was to Come.

In a moment of violent passion, the
elimination of a. long season of domes-
tic quarreling, James c. Kay murdered
his wife with a f1atiron between IL and
IL o'clock Thursday night, at their
home at Tenth avenue and Chestnut
street and then attempted to commit
suicide by hanging himself to the Vine
wood Park railway bridge which crosses
the Shunganunga short distance from
his house. Mrs. Kay was dead when
found by neighbors about $50 this
morning. Kay still lives, and is con-
fined in the county Jail
When neighbors entered the Kay
house, after the body of Kay ha6 been
cut down from where it swung on the
bridge. little 4-year-old F'errin Kay, the
eldest daughter of the unhappy couple,
sat up in bed, and with tears in her
eyes said:
Right there was where papa killed
mamma"
After killing his wife, Kay wrote two
notes, which he left in the house. in
which he offered no explanation of his
conduct except that his wife went to
see a lawyer about a divorce.
The body of Mrs. Kay was found ly-
ing on the floor by F. NJ. Clark, Geo. L.
Willis and several other neighbors
who had been aroused by the employees
at Crosby's Mill for the purpose of tax
ing to Mrs. Kay the news that her hus-
band had attempted suicide. Mrs Kay
Her head was crushed by several blows
of the fiatiron, and her arms were bad
ly bruised where she had apparently
warded off blows.
KAY WAS CUT DOWN.
Kay. attempted to hang him self about
1:S0 in the morning. He was found by
George Nile and Dan Conard, employees
at Crosby's MILL who notified all the
night force. at the mill. Ed. Beard, an
employe at the mill, cut the body down.
and it fell about seven feet to the
ground. The only thing that saved Kay
from death was the fact that the rope
which he used was over an inch in di-
ameter. and the large knot under chin
failed to slip.
Kay was taken into the mill. and the
police notified. He was unconscious
moved to the city jail in the patrol wa
gon where he was revived by DR.. R. E.
Buckmaster.
Mrs. Kay has a sister in Oakland by
the name of Mrs. NJ. E. BalIew. She
also has several brothers living in North
Carolina She had arranged to sell all
the household goods for SIS and go to
her brothers to live. Wednesday morn
ing she went to Lawyer 7. H. Balm and
consulted him about commencing di-
vorce proceedings against her husband
Thursday mOrning-the day of the mur-
der-she told her husband that she was
going to get a divorce from him There
is no doubt that it was this declaration
which brought on the tragedy.
James Kay was an employe at Cros-
bys mill. He was on the shift which
works from u o'clock at night till 12
o'clock noon. His father and mother.
MIR. and Mrs. Henry T. Kay. live at $50
Lawrence street in this city He has
one sister living here and several broth
ers out of town.
MRS. KAY'S BODY REMOVED.
The dead body of Mrs. Kay was re-
moved to DeMoss & PenwelPs morgue.
where the autopsy was held this morn
ing and the inquest at 4-this afternoon.
Mrs. Kay has for some time been
afraid that her husband would do her
bodily harm Yesterday she was very