The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-17
THEIR TROUBLES OVER.
Wealthy Chapman Farmer Kills
His Wife and Himself.

Chapman. Kan, March 17.-Crazed
with anger because she had brought
suit for divorce, Robert Kenney, IL
wealthy young farmer, shot his wife,
Alice, through the heart about o'clock
Wednesday afternoon, and then killed
himself The tragedy was the culnina
llon OF bitter matrimonial experience.
Kenney, who was about 35 years old,
lived with his widowed mother on
5O0-acre farm south of town, inherited
from his father, one of the early set
tiers in the Smoky Hill bottoms. The
soil is rich bottom land and has on it
some of the finest orchards in the state.
Alice Biery, the pretty daughter of a
Chapman family, worked for his moth
er as a domestic Is months ago. She
brought suit against Kenney for breach
of promise, asking $4,000 damages. He
fought it bitterly. About the same time
another young woman of the county
brought a similar case against him, but
this was dismissed.
Miss Biery secured judgment for &c.
900, but the verdict was set aside, be-
cause it was shown that the jurors
had averaged their individual opinions
in arriving at the amount, and a new
trial was granted. Before the case could
be retired, Miss Bfery, who had remov-
ed with her parents to Cloud county,
went with Kenney to Sharon Springs,
where they were secretly married,
thence returning to reside on his farm.
Last week Mrs. Kenney went to Abb
1ene with their baby daughter and en-
gaging a lawyer, brought suit for di-
vorce- The petition told a pathetic story
Of abuse and inhumanity. She alleged
that her husband of eight months had
frequently come home at night intoxi-
Gated and had treated her with cruelty;
that he had struck her and taught the
child to hate her; that he had ordered
her to return to her parents and she
had done so. but had come back, deter
mined to be happy, but had been re
ceived with curses. Although Kenney
was worth $4,000 he had refused to pro-
vide for her, she said, and forced her to
carry water from a neighbours house
and to split her own wood.
The night before the divorce suit was
filed Kenney had been particularly
cruel and she took the baby and fed.
He followed her to Abilene, and going
to the hotel where his wife was guest,
demanded the child, threatening to kill
her if she brought a divorce suit The
city marshal was sent for to protect her
and Kenney left town. This week the
district court ordered Kenney to pay
his wife $50 temporary alimony. This
Infatuated him still more.
Kenney went to Abilene Tuesday to see
his wife again. She had been warned by
little danger existed. She understood
that Kenney would be out OF town yes
terday. and, taking the child, she came
from Abilene on the noon train to get
home. Kenney had grown tired of the
farm and built a dwelling in this place.
Leaving the baby at the Deves hotel,
she went to the house. taking Lena N.Y.
ers. q. young girl. with her Had the
house been locked she intended to call an
officer and break in the door. The door
was open and she had no more than en-
tered than Kenney appeared. He abused
her for coming.
Miss Myers says Kenney drew a pistol
and ordered his wife to leave. Mrs. Ken
ney refused.
.fThen we will die together" he cried
The girl fed. her last view being of
who had fallen to her knees. Two shots
were heard and when the neighbors ran
into the dwelling the bodies of AKenney
and his wife were lying side by side on
the kitchen floor. One shot had gone
through the woman's heart and another
into the mans brain. The pistol a IS
caliber, was in Kenney's hand.
Kenrey'S wife was fifteen years his ju-
Nor Kenney was of q morOSe and vim
dictive disposition and spent all the in
come the farm produced for a reckless
sort of pleasure in which he INDUCED.
He quarreled with his neighborS frequent
ly and was known as a man to be let
alone.
1t is reported that Kenney had made a
will by which he left to the child 81 and
all the remainder of his estate to a cousin
in New York The will has not been
found An inquest held last evening
brought out no further material facts of
INN 1Yfa