The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-17
LUCAS HAS FACTS
Secures Evidence Connecting
Cunningham With Murder.
Has Located the POcketbook or
Mrs. Nickum.
GUARD WITH SECRECY.
Only a Few Friends Let Into the
Secret.
Hopes to Secure Information
From the Prisoners.
MIR. PATTISON TALKS.
Tells of Employment of Man
Under Suspicion.
Discharged the Chauffeur After
Leaving Topeka.
Hopes to Secure Information
From the Prisoners.
MIR. PATTISON TALKS.
Tells of Employment of Man
Under Suspicion.
Discharged the Chauffeur After
Leaving Topeka.

That Sheriff Lucas has evidence,
which he has not divulged, which he
expects will lead to the conviction of
w. B. Cunningham for the murder OF
Mrs Mary Nickum is known to sew
eraI persons in whom Lucas has con-
fded. Lucas has admitted that he has
evidence which points to Cunningham
as the guilty party and he hopes that
the arrest of Cunningham will be the
means of bringing to light other clues
to strengthen the chain of evidence
against him.
That Sheriff Lucas has been work
ing on the Cunningham case to con-
meet him with the Nickum murder is
known to several officers.
Sheriff Lucas has evidence that the
stolen automobile carrying a man and
a woman passed through Highland
Park at o'clock Sunday morning. If
the automobile were any other than
the stolen machine that fact could be
easily proven by the Topeka automo-
bile owners.
Sheriff Lucas knows the where
abouts of Mrs. Nickum's missing
pocketbook but he has not divulged
his knowledge about the pocketbook.
Sheriff Lucas had a large number
of letters which passed between Mr..
and Mrs. Cunningham and some of
these letters have helped Lucas in
working up the case against Cunning
ham. for in some of the letters Cum
ningham instructed his wife what peo-
pie to work" as he expressed it, for
everything she. could get.
The first reward offered in the au-
tomobile case, offered by Chester
3 Woodward, was $25. The reward Of
fered by Sheriff Lucas, after County
Attorney Hungate had engaged John
800 and it was offered for the arrest
of Cunningham and not for the re-
turn of the automobile. Sheriff Lucas
wants Cunningham. After he gets him
the finding of the automobile Will be
secondary consideration.
One hope of the officers in arresting
Cunningham OF Lima and Mrs. Cum
ningham at Geneva is to keep them
apart, not letting them know that the
other has been arrested, and put them
both through the "sweat box for in
formation on the Nickum murder. The
officers need no confession nor further
evidence on the automobile stealing
case They have more than enough to
convict
Lucas Examined Trunks
November % ]. NJ. French attached
the two trunks at the Leslie home,
1905 Garfield avenue owned by the
Cunninghams to insure him against
losing the price of a laDrobe bought
from him, but not paid for, by Cum
ningham on November 19. Sheriff
Lucas opened these two trunks and
carefully searched them for clues. He
found letters and photographs and
some valuable clues in the way of
clothing.
Lucas did not cease his efforts to
secure evidence against Cunningham
after the automobile case against him
had been worked up beyond question,
but has continued in his efforts to find
out everything possible about Cum
ningham-
Lucas throws out the hint that as
Cunningham left Topeka Saturday
wards automobile at 9 o'clock that
Cunningham could not have commit
ted the murder Lucas has no evil
dence that Cunningham left Topeka in
the automobile at o'clock. but he has
the evidence of ]. F. Billings two
young sons that they saw a Franklin
automobile carrying man and a wo-
man pass through Highland Park Sun
day morning, November 20, at s
o'clock Billings owns an automobile
and his boys are well versed in auto
mobile facts and while the Oldest boy
Donald, is about Il years old, the
autOmObilists who know the two boys
say that they believe the boys story to
be correct
1t is known that after Cunningham
took the automobile from the garage
that he had some trouble with one
of the cylinders. Three of the cylinders
We're working but the fourth did not
work There was something wrong with
the sparlxer. Mr.. Woodward had driven
Saturday and when he returned it to
the garage the machine was in such
condition that it would require consid-
cradle adjusting and attention before it
would be ready for long trip.
Did Cunningham have trouble with
the cylinders and did he have to work
on the machine during the night and
was he unable to leave town with it un-
til the next morning when the Billings
boys saw him?
Reached Independence at 4:3O.
The first report was that Cunningham
reached Independence at 3 o'clock Sun
day afternoon. The city marshal of In
dependence says he saw Cunningham
go through Independence at 80 o'clock
Sunday afternoon. From o'clock when
the Billings boys saw the automobile
going through Highland Park until A:3O
O'Clock is eight and one-half hours. The
distance to Independence is $50 miles.
The average speed at which Cunning
ham would have to drive the machine
would have been about Is miles an
hour Cunningham was a daring driver
and an expert automobilist and he could
have driven the machine through, with
out accident. in eight and half hours
as the roads were in excellent condi-
ton.
Wyman Talks of the Run.
L. B. Wyman, an automobile expert,