The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-28
LUCAS ON TRAIL.
Startling Revelations in the
NIckum Case.
E. E. Sparr Makes Confession
to Officers.
WAS A PLOT TO ROB.
Asked to Help Loot Two or
Three Hotels.
Says That Man Named Patter-
son Did Killing.
NOW In KANSAS CITY.
Sheriff Goes There to Try to
Locate Him.
Officer Miller Is Now After Mat t
ConnOrs.
NOW In KANSAS CITY.
Sheriff Goes There to Try to
Locate Him.
Officer Miller Is Now After Mat t
COnnOrS.

The indications are that the horrible
murder of Mrs. Nickum is near solu-
tion.
The latest development in the Nickum
murder the story of a man who claims
to know the name of the murderer and
his accomplice, is being investigated
by Sheriff Lucas, Under Sheriff Belts
and Deputy Sheriff Miller today. If
the story is true. the murderer will
propabIy be in the hands of the sheriff
within a few hours.
Murray Patterson, the man charged
with the murder. is hotIy pursued by
Sheriff Lucas, and the accomplice, Matt
Connors, has been located within
short distance of Topeka, on the Santa
Fe, and if there are no slips in the
program, will arrive on the Santa Fe
plug tonight in charge of an officer.
For a week the officers have worked
on the case with no definite information
to follow, and now they will capture
the criminals, or, they have been duped
into long chase by the man who told
the story.
Mr.. Sparr's Story.
Z. E. Spar, a strike breaker employed
in the Santa Fe shops, has told a story,
which. if true, places the guilt of the
Nickum murder. He has implicated
two men, and declares that he knows
on the morning of November 20.
Spar told his story several times
when partially intoxicated, fell into the
hands Of county officers, and told it
again after he became sober, and
enough credence has been placed on his
story that Sheriff A. T. Lucas spent
last night searching Kansas City for
the alleged murderer. --s-=.
Early Saturday night Sparr came
into the Postoffice drug store and
asked for a drink. He said that he
rel nd in Of 4x-ri
as he had been on a drunk and was
suffering from the after effects.
Frank Keith, the druggist in charge,
gave the man a glass of liquor, and
engaged him in conversation. In a
few minutes he gave the man a sec
Ond drink, and then the conversation
turned to the Nickum murder case.
Then Spdrr $ conversation became in
teresdng- He cOnflded to Keith that
he knew the man who killed Mrs.
Nickum, and that it was the outcome
of an attempted robbery. Wishing to
have a witness hear Sparr's story,
Keith telephoned to the sheriffs office.
but neither Lucas nor Undersherif
Belts were to be found. About that
police officer, came into the store, and
together they induced the man to tell
his story a second time. As the sher-
If could not be located-he was in
Kansas City on another scent at the
Gme-kefth and Hopkins telephOned
County Attorney o. z. Hungate, who
and bring him to his house. They
We're unable to find a hack for the
purpose, and the man was sufficiently
intoxicated that he refused to walk any
distance. After some parley, he was
induced to go to the county jail office,
where the county attorney, two men,
bers of the sheriff's force and the
druggist who first discovered him,
heard Sparr's story a third time.
Sparr's story, in substance, was as
follows;
4srTrl-.-
approached by man named Murray
Patterson, a strike breaker. who
worked in the shop with me. He
showed me a fine kit of burglar tools
and said that he intended to rob a
couple of hotels. He wanted me to go
in with him on the deal. but I refused
He argued a while, and said, We'll, if
you won't, ] know who will; Connors
VIII do it Then I left Patterson, and
didn't see him until the next day. This
COnnOrs he spoke of was Matt Con-
Home hotel. The next time 1 saw
Patterson I went up to him and
touched his front pocket with my
finger. He shook his head and said:
No, we didn't get anything; but all
we ask of you is to keep your d
head closed
Patterson was around town until
Thursday afternoon when he got a
pass from the Santa Fe and went TO
kansas City. haven't se.n him
since
w nen questioned Spdff Sa1d tnat Pat
tersOn had mentioned the Nickum house
as one of the places to be robbed.
This startling story was told again
Sunday forenoon, after Lucas had re-
turned Sparr was perfectly sober at
the time, but did not vary from his
original story, which was told while he
was intoxicated. The officers kept
track of Spar until this morning, and
they say that he is at work in the
shops. 1t was advised by some of the
officers that he be locked up some
minor charge to keep him for further
DEVELOPMENTS, but the sheriff and coun-
ty attorney would not agree to this
measure
In giving his own history Sparr said
that he was at one time q deputy mar
shall and later deputy sheriff in Okla
homa, and had followed gambling for a
livelihood until about three weeks ago,
when he came from Wichita 20 To-
peka.
Sunday afternoon Sheriff Lucas went
to Kansas City to hunt for Patterson,
who is described as a small, smooth
shaven man. Sparr said that he would
be found around a saloon at Eighth
and Walnut. He was not found, how
ever, and Lucas had not returned at
noon today.
At the same time Deputy Sheriff
Bob Miller started on long and