The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-14
Brutal Verdict in Dahlgreen
Murder Case Brings Protest.
Officers Await the Return Of
County Attorney.
7 MAY BE REOPENED.
10 Doubt That the Victim Was
Murdered.
Doctors Who Examined the
Body Talk of the Case.

DUUJ 48AA Vi bMC OdSGs
1--WE, the coroner's jury, - find
that John Dalhgreen came to his
death by falling through the doors
against boiler front at northwest cor
ner of Fifth and Quincy streets.
''Signed-H. ". Ward. W. s. Mar
pie. Fred H. Miller, H. c. Bowen, w.
H. Glenn, H. A. Wolf"
The above verdict in the case of a
man who was brutally murdered has
a strange sound written as it was in
the enlightened surroundings of the
twentieth century. It has the ring of
lawless frontier days when law-break-
ers were protected and murder was
little more than pastime.
In this instance the victim was
poor, miserable, irresponsible drunk
ard, but that is no reason his murderer
should be protected and his act have
what amounts to legal sanction.
Naturally this verdict has proven
unsatisfactory to Sheriff A. T. Lucas.
Coroner H. H. Keith. Chief of Police
A G. Goodwin and Sergeant of Police
E. G. VOiles, and an effort Will be
made, upon the return of County At
tOrney Hungate, who is now out OF
town, to have the case taken away
from the eoroner's jury, and investl-
gated further.
These county and city officers say
that the inquest verdict was a farce,
and that some one should be punished
for the murder of John Dahlgreen,
harmless inebriate, who, while abso-
lutely worthless as a citizen, was hu-
man being. and as such should be con-
sidered a subject of justice. His MUIR
der was treated with about as much
consideration by the officers as the
death of rat.
DR.. H. H. Keith, county coroner,
4 believe the man was murdered,
and that the jury just thought, oh,
well, "DOlley' didn't amount to any
thing, and We ought to save the coun-
ty the expense of trial. also De
Ieve that when County Attorney Hun
gate returns to the city and hears
what occurred he will take that case
away from the inquest verdict, ana DO
something with it"
DR.. r. O. Rhodes, who conducted
the autopsy on the body of Dahgreen.
saws: "The man was certainly killed
and not by falling, as the jury saw
fit to find. There was absolutely no
evidence to show that he had fallen
and killed himself, and the evidence
given before the jury was all against
the two quasi defendants held. AS
surgeon, I believe that the man could
not have possibly fallen IN such
manner as to have crushed the top Of
his skull and knocked out an eye at
assaulted and killed,
Sheriff Lucas saws: 'fThe man was
murdered, and while he was of no use
to the world I think that the man who
killed him should be apprehended. I
declare can't find any excuse for the
verdict given by the coroner's jury.
Why couldn't they say he came to his
death from reasons unknown and
leave it open2 There was no evidence
given to show that the man had fallen
1t 10
juries a skull crushed on top and
over the eye, with the eye knocked in
and destroyed it is not reasonable
Besides the prisoners, Charles Linden
schmidt and Walter McI4ain, the negro
fireman, told three separate and con
f1ieting stories to me while / was
sweating them. At the coroner's in
quest I told of this, and it seemed to
me that my evidence of these lies and
retractions alone should have at least
held the two men. Instead, the jury
goes out and brings in verdict
which was not substantiated in the
first item.
81 think when Hungate gets back
from Fort Scott he viii start some
thing Here is my verdict: The man
was killed about $50 at night The
two suspects reverted to this hour on
several occasions. They contradicted
each other, but they agreed in naming
this time as the hour when they en-
tered the basement and found Dolly
lying on the floor. They didn't agree
in anything else. There is absolutely
nothing to be gained by the officers
in the case. but I think that it should
be followed through, just the same as
though some Kansas avenue merchant
had been murdered. It may cost the
county something. but the law does
not sanction the saving of a few dol
lars when the escape of a criminal IS
at stake
Chief of Police Goodwin says: 'Of
course the poor fellow was murdered.
I don't see how any person has the
nerve to say otherwise, after the find
ing made BIZ the Doctors
Sergeant VOiles, who conducted the
investigation, says: "Just because
Dolly was poor, worthless unfor-
tunate is no reason that the killing of
him should be rated so lightly. He
was human. ] and the men with me,
and Sheriff Lucas ana his men.
worked on the case with the same zeal
we would have shown had there been
a thousand dollar reward in sight. We
did all we could-secured damaging
confessions from the suspects, and
told what we knew about the case.
can't see any excuse for the verdict
given in by that jury.
John Dahlgreen. a harmless drunk
ard, was found dead in the boiler room
under the Office block Friday morn
| ing. Walter McLain, the negro fire.
/ man of the building, called an under
taker instead of the coroner. and tried
to get away when the police appre-
/ hended him. He afterwards con