The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-06


white patch indicates where the bull
let entered.
The body of the unknown man is in
the morgue at the undertaking estab-
lishment Of Willets & Conwen in North
Topeka, where it was taken by County
Coroner H. 3. Hogeboom and F. r.
Conwell who went to Pauline at the re-
quest of the authorities at Wakarusa.
When his clothes were searched at the
morgue this morning nothing was found
to indicate his identity or where he
lived. The list of articles found in his
pockets included only three handker-
chiefs, a jack knife and a copper cent.
There were no laundry marks on the
handkerchief that would give a clue
TO his name although they were nicely
washed and folded.
When his body was found his right
hand held cheap 32-caliber revolver.
Whether that was the revolver which
sent the bullet on its deadly mission
not is a question that is puzzling the
local authorities
The fact thar the revolver was found
in the mans hand would indicate that
he had himself committed the deed.
The bullet entered his head just behind
and a little above the right ear. A per-
son could easily hold the revolver SO
that it would cause such q wound, but
( the case is com pGCated by the fact that
the hair and skin are not powder burn
ed 1t is but reasonable to suppose that
a revolver held close to the head would
burn the hair.
The body was found close to the brink
of a rayine less than 100 feet from the
Santa Fe railway tracks. The raVine
IS partly filled at this season of the yedl
with running water The location is II.
an isolated spot, a long distance from
"a r,c
have been discovered so soon had it not
been for the fact that the railroad
tracks overlooked the place.
Every Saturday the train crew that
does the switching work at Usage city
comes to topeka to have the engine
cleaned out. Saturday morning the men
on the engine noticed the form of {.
man on the brink of the raVine. and on
| the return trip Sunday afternoon dis
covered that the form had not changed
its position. They thought 1t extraordI- -
nary, and stopped at Wakarusa to tell
the authorities at that place.
L. B. Johnson. the justice of the
peace pr. Atehison, Dave Atkinson.
Alvin Burke and L. S. Arlington i'm
and found the body of the unknown
dead as reported by the train crew The
tact was reported to the authorities at
Topeka and County Coroner Hogeboom
ToueI-a
The body was in a good state of pres
erVatlon and the indications would point
| 10 the fact that he had been dead at
least twenty-four hours before it was
found. The body was embalmed this
morning. It viii be kept several DAYS
and County Coroner Hogeboom will
make every effort to discover the iden-
tity of the unknown man.
a post mortem was held this morning
at the lnorgue. The skull was opened
and the bullet taken out 1t was so
fIaffQOpd that if was 5r17r,cccfl,fo All
whether it was of the same size as the
others in the revolver
A fact that is hard to be reconciled
to the suicide theory was brought out
at the post mortem. It was found that
the course of the bullet as it ploughtsd
through the brain was in direction
toward the front OF the head The
revolver must have been held in an I'M
natural position if it was used in self
destruction.
The man was probably IS years of
age He was Of muscular build and
apparently of an athletic nature He
had strong, regular features, a good
nose, and teeth in fine condition. He
had dark hair and brown eyes His
face and hands were tanned. He was
fully six feet tall
He wore comparatively good clothes
\ blue serge coat and vest and dark
striped trousers He had q black me
chanic's shirt and soft black hat with
narrow BEiIll- his SHOES were OF good
quality but all the clothing gave evil
dence of being in an unkempt condi-
ton.
Coroner Eogeboom declares that the
fact that the man was found in such a
lonely spot without money on his
clothes and with no papers or letters on
his person to indicate his identity looks
, suspicious.
It was impossible to trace foot tracks
for clue of a possible person who
= might know more of the deed when the
Topeka officials reached the spot for
the reason that the space round about
the body was covered with tracks made
by the people who went out from Wa
, karusa
The man may have been tramp,
Z though his personal appearance contra
diets the theory that he was a tramp.
r was. however. apparently in a good
state Of health and no clue could be
found to sHbstantiate a suicide theory.
An inquest will be held at Willets &
! ConwelI's Inorgue at nine O'Clock to-
morrow