The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-23
REVOLVING STORY
John Croft Tells How w. f..
Kuntz Was Robbed.
Five Times They Tried to Way
lay the Druggist.
THERE rs NO 'HALTING.
Gives a Straight Account of the
Outrage.
Victim Appears in Court, Weak
and Emaciated.
THERE is NO 'HALTING.

In the preliminary hearing which
was given Calvin Heck today in the
city court of Topeka, for the assault
and highway robbery of w. F. Kuntz
on January of this year at Sixth
and Van Buren, street, John Croft. his
self confessed accOmplice, said on the
stand that the two had on five diff
ferent occasions laid in wait for
Kuntz for the purpose of robbing him.
but had been denied of their prey by
various hindering circumstances. This
makes the case especially unique, for
seldom is a footpad holdup attended
with such generalization.
Four times unsuccessful-and the
| last time a dendish. brutal and muir
not to be paralleled in Topeka police
{ annals. Twice they missed Kuntz al
together as he was on his way to his
home from his North Topeka drug
| Croft himself says, Eve were too
slow" The latter two instances were
at intervals of a week. before the
murderous robbery was finally made.
The first time the two waited on Kan
Sas avenue watching the owl car.
Kuntz was in the car, but they edid
not see him until after he had
/ alighted at Sixth street. and was walk
ing almost a block ahead of them to-
wards Van Buren, going west. Inc
other time Croft lay in wait in the
/ barn of the Thomas Lumber company,
l to pull Kuntz into a horse stall, after
Heck had assaulted him. But Heck,
according to Croft, was too slow. in
catching UP with kuntz and they
gave up the quest for that night
The fifth attempt they decided to
| make certain. The two, according to
Groffs story, lay in wait in the alley
behind the lumber yard. They hao
gagged the distance that the SHADOW
Of a man would fail, with reference
i to the distance which he would. De
from the alley, whenxwalking south on
Van Buren, from Sixth street Groin.
/ as in his first confession, said that
Heck grabbed Kuntz, muffled him,
| carried him into the barn, and with
hammer beat him over the head sew.
/ eral times. a., -,-oz
the county attorney. s~No' was Gron g
answer, I'VE never intended to XIII MN, r
What started you and Heck to rob
bing?" .,..,.o,.
restaurant where we boarded was the
/ answer. that we ought to make some
! EASY money. H suggested cutting junk,
\ that is to cut good wire from telephone
poles and srr1ng up old or oeau sun
/ told him that l would prefer taxing
chances on sticking up somebody 50
we hunted around for victim ,sW e
thought Kuntz probably carried conslu-
! cradle money on his clothes, SO we PICK
ed him out p
AS before. Croft assiduously declared
that Heck did all of the dirty work All
1 did he replied insanswer to a ques-
tion, was to go through kuntz
pockets. 1 destroyed the paper and
1 watch which we took from him.
Croft told his story in an easy way, IN
a manner that indicated that 1t had
| left a very vivid impression on his
mind. The officers think that he was a
tool in Heck's hands.
Were YOU coerced, frightened, threat
ened or scared into confessirg? asked
for "a
PENDANT.
No was Groff's answer. 'They told
me that my girl, Title Tibbits, was
dying, and when I found that out, 1
didn't care any more about anything,
| so just told them that was gulity
/ and let loose or the whole story
But Tillie Tibbits," said Mr.. Nichols,
did not die. She is here in the court
room. Didn't they lie to you about her
No flashed back Croft quickly
| that was not a lie.r It was the truth.
She was in a dying condition. With
such resignation did Gron tell MS story
| from beginning to end.
w. F. Kuntz who was assaulted and
| murderously beaten, was in the court
| room. He was not expected to recover
and lay at the point of death at the
! hospital for two weeks His skull was
| fractured at Ave places, where he had
been dealt vicious blows with the ham
mer.
When he appeared IN the court IOOil
this morning his head was still ban
daged and he was very weak. from the
fearful attack He went on the stand
at the states motion. simply to testify
that he had been held up and to enunl-
crate the articles which had been taken
from him. These he declared to be SIS
in cash, watch worth So, chain
| worth SIS. and a charm worth 81.
While Kuntz was stin at the hospital
he identified both Heck and Croft as
his assailants when they were brought
before him. 1t is not probable that this
matter will be introduced into the pre-
liminary hearing, but will be saved for
use in the district court. The officers
j feel confident that Heck is guilty and
| viii be bound over
The witnesses called today by the
state are as follows; J. A. Detwiler,
| Harve Wheeler, Joe Wheeler, J. E.
| Lucas, J. Ross, Pearl Sheridan, Calvin
! Kuntz A. T. Lucas, J. J. Davis, Ethel
4 Cooper, Bob Bailey, albert Johnson,
Ray McGrew, Sam Bear, Fred Cooper,
Harry Jones, Al Dixon, James Love, T.
E. Watson, Mabel Henry, w F. Kuntz.
JAPAN CAN AFFORD TO EXHIBIT