The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-21
Is AJND|N GUILTY!
Evidence Tends to Show His
Guilt
AT G0RoNERS INQUEST
He DisclaimS Any Recollection
of Tragedy

u
Topeka, Kan, May 2o.-At the inquest.
held yesterday in Shellabarger's under
taking establishment in North Topeka,
TO inquire INFO the death of Mary
Mahanna, shot in drunken row Mon
day evening. all Of the men implicated
testified and their testimony fastened the
crime onsElmer Mundin. Since the shoot
Ing Mundin has developed marked signs
of epilepsy and has had 1 number of fits.
Henry Exedeir, a man who was sup
posed to have been a member of the party
which Went to the road house where the
tragedy occurred, has dropped out of the
minds Of the police and they now claim
that Claude Mundin, a second cousin of
the alleged murderer, made The fifth man
IN the party. Bfaudin denies that he was
there and says that he was not near the
place Monday and has never been there
He says he can prove an alibi. The state
ments of Claude Maudin, although iden-
titled positively by members of the party
as one Of their number stiu throw an ele-
ment of mystery about the affair and in
case he is able to fulfill his pledge and
prove an alibi it VIII be up to the police
to discover the missing Exendein. Mundin
has no cause TO falsely as there has been
Nothing TO show that he fired the shot
that killed the girl. He might, it is true,
be held as an accessory after the fact,
but prosecution of him could go no fur
ther and even in this he would have
good grounds for defense.
At the inquest yesterday Elmer Mundin
told the story which he told the police
when first arrested. According TO this
he could not remember anything about
the shooting. He was asked if he knew
Of any shooting. He replied:
I did not
Did YOU see or hear any?" he was
asked by the assistant county attorney
who concluded the inquiries
NO; I did not and have no knowledge
of there being any
During the inquest Nundin seemed in
a state of nervous collapse and looked
as If he would have a Mt during the pro-
gress of the inquiry This did not occur
there, but did afterward when he was
being taken back TO jail.
Z. d. Thompson. one of the men in the
party, testified that it was Elmer Mundin
who die the shooting. He said:
THAT fellow pointing to Elmer Mum
ain) came running UP. after the people in
the house had closed the door on us. He
rushed up 10 the door and struck it with
the butt of his gun, saying at the same
time, Open the door. you, or
I'll shoot you Before any of US could
do anything he reversed the gun and shot,
As soon as he did so, we all ran. He and
this other fellow indicating Claude Nun
DIM were ahead of us
Cornelius Callahan another member of
the party, testified to the same facts as
Thompson. only he heard the cry, You've
shot nay Mary" given by Mother Ma
hanna when Maudin shot through the
door. He testified that Thomas Devlin
was not present when the shooting was
done, but had driven off in a buggy.
Claude Mundin. the man who denies
his presence at the place where the shoot
ing was done although positively identi-
fed by the other members Of the party,
was then placed on the stand. He testi-
fed that the Winchester rife, with which
the shooting was done, was his, although
he declared that he did not go with the
party. He was asked to tell what he did
an gave a long string of incidents and
named various places where he was on
the fatal afternoon. Names were given
and If these persons can voUch for his
story ne viii have d chance 10 prove an
excellent aHbi The attitude of the man
on the witness stand, however, was
against him. He hung his head and
mumbled his words in such q manner
that he could not be understood by the
Jurors half the time.
An effort was made to draw from the
various witnesses testimony 10 counter
balance the insane and epileptic actions
Of Elmer Mundin. but il was unsuccesS-
ful. Claude Mundin, who has seen con-
siderable of him since he came to To-
peha last January. said that the boy had
had fits at various times and described
his condition at these times. He said he
thought there was something the matter
with his cousins spine. Callahan testi-
fed that Elmer Mundin did not look right
and he might have been insane for all he
knew.
Owing TO the necessity OF the prosecut-
ing attorney having to leave an adjourn
ment of the inquest was taken until 10
O. clock this morning.