The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-10
SAFE BLOWERS IN COURT
Story of the Crime Is Told by the
Officers.

The preliminary hearing of Will
liam Henderson, J. c. Cameron, Fred
Kohl and James Coleman, charged
with blowing the safe of the Ander
son-Armstrong Commission company
on February 8, was commenced in the
city court of Topeka this morning at
$3.50 o'clock. By noon but two wit
nesses had been examined. out of a
total of IA called by the state.
County Attorney Hungate, assisted
by Deputy County Attorney McNary.
is conducting the prosecution. Assist
ant City Attorney Reitz of Kansas
City, Mo, is defending the safe blow
ers. Nichols and Magaw of this city,
Who at first appeared for them, have
dropped out of the case.
It looked again this morning as if
the hearing would have to be post
poned once more, as has been .ione
twice. The case was set for O'clock.
The attorney for the defendants was
not present, so Judge McCabe ordered
Il recess for half an hour. Just as lie
had resumed his place on the bench
and asked for some disposition of the
matter, Mr.. Reitz appeared.
County Attorney Hungate stated
the case, recOunting the blowing of
the safe on the night of February 6,
the following of tracks from the cont
mission house where the robbery had
occurred, to the boarding house of r..
A. Randlett at the corner of Seventh
and Jefferson streets, and the finding
of Henderson, Cameron, Kohl and
Coleman asleep at that place. The
men were brought to the station and
about $40 in silver taken from their
clothes. A further search revealed
$40 more in silver which Kohl had
concealed in his underwear.
w. o. Anderson, of the firm which
was robbed. took the stand first. He
related at length the details concerning
! no Of fa
age which had been done. He said that
( a total of $266 had been taken. The
larger part of the money was in the
inner steel drawer which was covered
over with a little steel door
Did you notice any tracks leading
from the door?" was asked of him
No.. was his answer.
Have you any idea as to who blew
your safe?''
No was his answer again. His tes-
timony revealed nothing in the shape
of evidence against the defendants.
Did you ever have a safe blown open
or broken into before2'' asked Mr. Reitz.
Yes. about ten years ago. was the
answer
Patrolman Duncan was then called
upon the stand. His beat was a. that
time from Fourth street to the Kaw
river. He said that at about 2:30 o'clock
in the morning he heard an explosion
farther down the street 1t took him
about ten minutes to find the place
where the ROBBERY naQ Deen committed.
After calling up the police station, he
went outside, where he noticed tracks
leading away from the store. These,
according to his testimony, he followed
to Quincy street and then south but
returned again to the commission house.
to meet the officers from the station.
THE search was again taken up
said Patrolman Duncan. I'VE tracked
the foot prints in the freshly fallen
snow to RUDE Randlett's boarding
house at the corner of Seventh and
Jefferson streets. We went up stairs
and found the four defendants in bed.
We arrested them and told theTR to put
on their clothes. There was fresh snow
on the carpet in the rooms in which
they were sleeping. Their hats and
shoes were wet. We took two revolvers
from them. and then took them to the
station
The fourteen witnesses called by the
state are as follows: w. o. Anderson,
T. z. Armstrong. Mike Simmons. F. NJ.
Stahl z. NJ. Duncan, J. r. McElroy,
John Lucas. Josiah Ross. r. A. Rand
lett. Lola Abbott, Pearl Hayden, Emma
Lennon, Mary Atchison, Mrs. r. A.
Randlett