Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-20
EMMA RIPKE VIEWS BODY
Stands Strain All RIGHT Until After Her
Return to ths Jail.
BECOMES VIOLENTLY HISTORICAL IN CELL
FRIEND Of the Family Comes and
THkes Body of Frank Potts
Back TO the Old Home
sor Burial

II never yet have been able to re-
alize that Frank is dead" was the plea
made by Emma Rlpke when she asked to
nc permitted TO see the corpse of Frank
Keith Potts, the man she stands charged
win having shot, when yesterday morn
ing she was Informed that a relative Of
the dead man had arrived and would
take the body east for burial She pleaded
so earnestly that finally Sheriff Canning.
with the consent of Assistant County
Attorney Ross, had the young woman
taken to the undertaking rooms in charge
OF Deputy Sheriff Woolman.
While in the room where the body lay
the young woman succeeded in controlling
her feelings. and beyond weeping bitterly
made no demonstration on the way
back to the county jail however, she
commenced to break down and sobbed as
If her heart would break. Once inside
the Jail she threw herself down on her
cot and gave vent to shrek after shrek.
which could be heard for several blocks.
oh, Frank, why did you shoot your
self?' she cried. "Oh. Frank, ! want to
go where you are"
With these and other less coherent ex-
CARNATIONS she kept up a constant wall
ing for more than half an hour before
she could be quieted
The body of the dead man was taken
to Germantown, Pa, where the mother
lives, last evening by Joseph y. Cox OF
Philadelphia, relative of the deceased,
who arrived here yesterday morning.
From Mr.. Cox It was learned that Frank
Potts was his mothers only child, and
she had been kept in ignorance of the
true facts of his death. The message re-
ceived by the mother stated that her
son had died suddenly and Mr.. Cox said
as far as possible he would endeavor to
keep her ignorant of the real facts. The
father died about six years ago.
MIR. Cox in company with A W. Ask
| with. one of the young womans attor-
neys, visited the county Jail and had a
! talk with Emma Ripke. Mr. Cox's visit
was merely for the purpose of ascertain
ing what disposition had been made of
Potts effects, and no mention was made
/ by either of the tragedy.
Asked il he had formed any opinion
/ as to the manner of Potts death, Mr.
, Cox said he had not and would not care
] to express any. Il have just learned the
: facts as far as they have been ascer
| tanned and have not had time to form
an opinion. In my position it would be
very easy to become prejudiced. Wha'
/ | want TO do is to take the body bacf
for burial and not have his mother learr
the facts. 1 believe it would kill her. as
she simply idolized Frank, her only child
Two years ago Mrs. Potts visited he1
son and returned home bringing glowlns
| accounts of how well he was getting
| along"
| Frank Potts, Mr. Cox said, was grad
uate of the University of Pennsylvania
where he was one OF the leading athletes
Miss Ripke is member of the Ger
man Lutheran church and yesterday Rev
j. H. Lindemuyer, pastor of st. Paul.
German Evangelical Lutheran church. Wis
tied her. The young woman appeared t
be much comforted by the visit of til
minister and was much more compose
after it,