The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-10
HIS LIPS SEALED.
Romaine, the Confessed Dynami-
ter, Is Secluded.
No One Allowed to Speak to
Him.
LIVED NEAR TOPEKA A.
Born and Reared at Nakarusa,
This County.
Sent to Prison for R0bbing
Topeka Restaurant.
LIVED NEAR TOPEKA.

fuses to allow anyone to see and talk
to B. F. Slagel, alias Robert B. Ro-
maine, who made the startling confess
sion about the blowing up of the Vim
dicator mine and the Florence & Grip
pie Creek depot at independence, Col.
Romaine is very willing to talk and
the officers fear that ne will injure the
value of his confession by other stories.
Romaine is not adverse to notoriety
and to keep his name before the public
the officers think that he might con-
coct other confessions.
Whether RorAaine's confession is the
truth or not is in doubt among the To-
cal officers, who know little of the situ-
alton in Colorado. The only indication
the officers here have that the confess
sion is geneuine is that Romaine told it
without being questioned, giving all the
minor details.
The confession was made in the pres
ence of Sheriff A. t. Lucas and County
Attorney Hungate and was taken YER
batim by a stenographer. County At
torney Hungate had copy of the Den
yer Post giving accounts OF the blow.
ing up of the depot and the Vindicatof
mine. From that he asked two or three
preliminary questions and they asked
Romaine to give a detailed confession,
which Romaine did in his own words
and without further suggestions froN
the officers.
Romaine was arrested July for
grand larceny committed a few days
before. The capture of Romaine and
his actions would indicate that he is
not cunning criminal. Romaine lived
on Monroe street, between Tenth and
Eleventh streets and robbed the home
of Monte Campbell within two blocks
of where he lived. Other houses in the
same neighbOrhood were burglar1zed IN
similar manner and Romaine is sup
posed to have committed at least two
other robberieS.
At the Campbell home he took two re-
VolVers and a watch. The next day
ne went to the Western Jjnion telegraph
office with a. message TO. send to his
wife in Colorado. He told the clerk at
the telegraph office that he had no
money and that he wished to deposit a
revolver as security for payment for
the message. The revolver was taken.
Domaine gave his residence and occu-
patton to the telegraph office clerk. The
incident was reported to Sheriff Lucas.
The revolver was easily identified and
ROmaine was arrested.
At the time he committed the theft
and when arrested he was employed In
the Santa Fe shops as nonunion
handy man. After his arrest he was
taken to the Santa Fe offices by Dep
uty Sheriff Belts and there received the
pay due him. Romaine was earning $40
a month. After his arrest he was asked
said he didn't know.
Romaine was born and reared at Wa
karusa, Is miles south of Topeka. Eight
years ago Romaine was arrested for
robbing the till of Stills restaurant, in
Topeka and he was sent to the pen1-
tentiary at Lansing.
Romaine's sentence for the Campbell
robbery is an indeterminate term in the
penitentiary of from one to five years,
depending upon his conduct there
When taken before the district court to
plead guilty he first asked wnat the SEN
tence would be before entering his plea.
The first suspicion that Romaine
might know something about the Grip
pie Creek district outrages was when
he told Sheriff Lucas that he was de-
ported from the district He made that
statement soon after his arrest. A
month ago Deputy Sheriff Sneafor, from
Cripple Creek, was visiting relative
in Topeka. Sheriff Lucas told him that
Romaine was a deported miner. Lucas
and Sheafor talked with Romaine and
he voluntarily admitted part of what
was contained in his confession. Sheafor
to Cripple Creek and reported
to Sheriff Bell. Sheriff Bell then wrote
to County Attorney Hungate asking
that a detailed confession be secured.
Last Sunday County Attorney Hun
gate visited the county Jail to ask pr1s-
onerS whether they wished to plead
guilty or have lawyers appointed to
defend them. Romaine said he wished
to plead guilty and Hungate told him
he wished to talk with him. A few
days later Romaine sent a note to
Hungate telling him that if he would
call on him in his cell he would talk
with him. The confession was Sc
cured Thursday afternoon The same
afternoon ROmaine appeared IN the
court room and pleaded guilty to rob-
berry. After pleading guilty he was
manacled and shackled to another
prisoner and was taken to the county
attorneys Office where he signed and
swore to the confession.
In asking Ron1aine to make the con-
feSsion County Attorney Hungate told
him he would hold out no promise
to him that he would get off easily
on the crimes he had committed in
Topeka but he did tell him that if he
made a straightforward confession
that he, County Attorney Hungate,
would object to the governor par
doning him from the Kansas peniten-
tiary to be taken back to Colorado
unless the Colorado authorities would
assure him of protection.
AS there are two other burglary
cases under which Romaine can be
in Topeka he will probably
not be turned over to the Colorado au-
thorities until the rewards for his cap
ture or for the evidence against those
are paid to the local officers as they |
will rearrest MIN when he leaves the |
penitentiary, which he can do in a, year
if his behavior is good.
From his appearance and the bung-
ing and wholesale manner in which he
has committed thefts in Topeka it
would appear that Romaine is a de-
generate. He evidences no fear on ac-
count of the confession he has made to
mis- part in the dynamiting of the mine
and the depot. He is six feet tall, of
heavy build, slow in his movements,
stolid in appearance and not an intel