The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-16

w. b. Cunningham, Chauffeur, Latest
Suspect in NicIkum Murder Case.
Cunningham had been employed at
the garage and he was around there a
good deal and tried Woodward's auto
mobiles. Cunningham often called at the
Santa Fe watch inspection office on
East Fifth street, where Montgomery is
employed, a block from the Nickum
house.
Cunningham knew that Chester
Woodward usually went to his home in
Lawrence on Wednesdays and Satur-
days. Early in the week, before the
Nickum murder, Cunningham went to
the Standard Oil store yards at Seventh
street and the Santa F'e tracks and told
Frank T. Stevens, the man in charge of
the Standard Oil office, that a friend of
his (Cunningham's) who was driving an
automobile across the country expected
to reach Topeka Wednesday night and
wanted him Cunningham to engage
10 gallons of gasoline and two gallons
of engine oil for him.
Woodward did not go home to Law
renee on that Wednesday as usual and
Cunningham notified Stevens that his
friend had not come.
Changed His Name.
The Cunninghams left the Mont
gomery home Friday, November Is.
They told Montgomery that they were
going to drive their ponies through to
st. Louis and that they would drive by
Montgomery's office on East Fifth
street Saturday. They did not drive
past. Montgomery telephoned to
Pritchard & Kneisley's stable and
found that Cunningham had sold that
livery firm his buggy and had sold the
ponies to G. V. Stamey who keeps
livery stable on West Tenth street un-
der the name of Baumh off.
The Cunninghams then went to the
home of the Leslies at 1905 Garfield
street and stayed there Friday night.
Cunningham had left his trunks at
the harness store of J. NJ. French. He
went to F'rench's store and bought
laprobe Saturday, giving the name of
Foster, and had it sent to the Leslie
home.
Saturday, November 19, Woodward
went to his home in Lawrence. On
that day Cunningham went to Stevens
and told him that the man who was
driving the automobile through would
reach Topeka that night and he want
ed to know if the Standard Oil office
could be kept open later than usual
Stevens said it could not and Cunning
ham asked Stevens to have the gaso-
line and oil at his home, 619 Hancock
street. He paid for the oil and gaSo-
line.
Saturday night between s and g
o'clock Cunningham rushed onto the
porch of Stevens house Stevens was
there The two gallon cans of oil and
the ten gallons of gasoline were there
Cunningham was excited. He knock
ed over one of the smaller cans.
Stevens saw an automobile. and
woman sitting in the machine, on
Seventh street. Cunningham start
ed with the gallon can of oil and
the ten gallon can of gasoline toward
the automobile. Stevens offered to
help but Cunningham declined and
staggered toward the automobile with
the cans.
Earlier in the evening Mr.. and Mrs.
Cunningham left the Leslie home with
two valises and two telescopes and
took a street car for UP town.
Saturday afternoon. November 1s, j.
Cunningham had given an assumed
name and purchased lap robe.
Montgomery became suspicious, as
Cunningham had not driven past his
office and as he had sold the ponies
and buggy, he feared that Cunning
ham was crooked. Montgomery tele
phoned for Ned Osborn, at the Elks'
club rooms Osborn's automobile was
in the garage. Late Saturday night
Sam Lakin went to the garage. He
saw Osborn's machine there. He
didn't notice that Woodward's auto
mobile was gone at that time, if it was
missing.
Two boys named Billings, who live
in Highland Park and whose father |
owns an autom obile. say they saw a
Franklin automobile speeding through |
Highland Park early Sunday mcrning. |
At o'clock Sunday afternoon, No
vember 20, Cunningham drove the |
duIOIDODIle InTOuSn 1nO0pSnuence. a |
local &utomobilist saw him and start |
ed after him in his own automobile to |
get a better view of the strange ma
chine. Cunningham saw him coming |
and sped away at a terrific speed.
The Cunninghams reached Coffey- |
vile late Sunday afternoon and stop !
per for repairs and remained all /
night He bought supplies enough to |
run the machine 1 900 miles. On De
cember 1 Cunningham reached St |
Louis. He took the automobile to the |
firm from which it was purchased |
and bought supplies. On December /
he left St Louis for Lima, Ohio, his |
old home.
A. G. Goodwin saw an automobile |
in East Eighth street the evening be- |
fore the Nickum murder. A man and |
a woman were riding in the machine. |
Description Sent Out.
The description of Cunningham sent |
out by Sheriff Lucas to the eastern |
cities is as follows:
"$10O Reward-Stolen from Tope- |
lxa, Kas-, November 19, 1904, one red |
Franklin automobile. Seats for two