The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-21
Theodore. Pullen, Jealous Lover,
Does the Deed.
Says He Was Going to Shoot 6
Chicken For Dinner.
Weapon Accidentally Discharg'
ed With Fatal Effect.
Young Man Faints at the Grave
and at the Church.

Leavenworth, Kan, July 21.-Theo-
dore Pullen, jealous lover, shot ana
killed Miss Lelah Madron, his sweet
heart, at her home in the west part OF
Leavenworth Saturday afternoon. The
shooting was deliberate, although Pullen
at first insisted that the girl shot herself
accidentally.
Pullen called at the house of Miss
Madron when she was engaged with her
mother in getting dinner. He played on
harp for the mother and daughter.
The mother left the house to take her
husband, a carpenter, his dinner. She
was gone about an hour and, returning
heard a pistol shot. Pullen ran from
the house and shouted that the girl hao
accidentally shot herself. She was lying
in the middle of the kitchen in a dying
condition. She had been shot in the
back, the bullet entering to the left
of, the backbone, close to the shoulder
blade. The bullet lodged against the
found behind the kitchen door.
Miss -Madron was only IA years old.
Pullen, who is Is had been keeping
company" with the girl two months. A
few days ago he wanted to marry her,
but the parents of the girl objected be-
cause of her youth. Pullen is said to
have made threats that if he could not
get her no one else should have her
Pullen was once arrested for carrying
q pistol but has good reputation aside
from this.
Leavenworth, July 21.-Theodore Pull
len, the young man who shot and in
stantly killed 14-year-old Lelah Madron
Saturday afternoon. tainted at the bier
of his victim Sunday and afterward
begged someone to kill him.
Lelah Madron was laid to rest Sunday
afternoon, and shortly before noon the
mother of the girl sent message to
the police station, saying that she want
ed her daughters lover, the boy who
had killed her, to be brought to her
home to see the corpse. The request
was granted, and the young man, weak
and barely able to walk without sup
port, was led to the Madron home by
Mike Mcdonald, a detective. Upon
reaching the house he was Immediately
taken before the body Of the little girl
| whom he wished to marry. He glanced
at the pallid features and then tainted
| away, falling across the coffin. He was
| soon resuscitated and then the officer
started to return to Jail with him.
| When he reached the yard he fell upon
the ground, and for several minutes he
| lay there, begging the officer to kill him
On the way back to prison he had to
pass by church where the choir was
singing the closing hymn This was toe
! much for him, and he tainted again.
| Pulien sticks to his story that he shot
Lelah Madron accidentally. He says
that Lelah asked him to shoot a chick
| en-, which could be seen in the yard
| through an open window, and that
while he was fixing a cartridge in the
! revolver the weapon was discharged
| and the ball struck the girl in the back
| He says that he was so frightened THAI
| he did not know what he was doing
and after kissing his dying sweetheart
| on the cheek he fled from the house
Pullens story is generally believed nov
while Saturday everybody condemned
| him as a cold-blooded murderer. The
parents of the dead girl now believt
that Pullen killed her In the manner IL
| which he described the shooting, and/i
is doubtful if the young man will b.
prosecuted.