The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-25

statement from the wife and an in
vestigation of Buckmeister's actions
during the past forty-eight hours
Sheriff Wilkerson decided that he was
in no way connected with the crime
and released him. Buckmeister went
on his way rejoicing.
Tie Police SUSPECTS.
Frank Carney and Henry O'Neill.
the 'vags" who were picked up this
morning by Josiah Ross, the police
sergeant. as suspects. are a little bet
ter dressed than the usual run of
tramps Carney is a big fellow with
a ruddy complexion, red hair and a
red mustache.- while his partner is
snort and slim and of dark com
pleXion- Ross heard of these two
strange ''vags" being in town and To-
Gated them this morning at Johnson's
restaurant. When they were ques-
toned first they said that they had
come from Leavenworth on Sunday
night but then they changed this
story and said that they. had ridden in
from Kansas City on Sunday night on
the blind baggage Of. the train that
arrived here at midnight. They made
strenuous denials of having had any
thing to do with the murder, in fact
of having done anything out of the
way since they had arrived in town.
When asked where their partner was, |
they at first denied that they had a
partner with them, but then admitted
that they had one but he had ridden
further ahead on the same train and |
they had not seen him since their ar
rival in the city. 1t was thought best |
by the police to keep these men in |
custody until they could be looked up |
a bit and they were held on vagrancy |
charges.
looks Folks Heard From.
As soon as the identification of looks
body had been made by Mr.. Myers, |
Sheriff Wilkerson wired the chief of |
police of Omaha to notify his parents
and this morning the sheriff received
telegram from p. Mostyn, acting chief
of police of Omaha, to the effect that he
had notified Mrs. William Mealio. a sis
ter of Zook, who lives at No. 1715 Clark
street, Omaha, of the death of her bro
ther and had also notified ook's par
entS, who are in Sioux Falls, s. D. at |
the present time. Shortly after this tel
egram from Chief Mostyn a message
came from Mrs. NJ. L. Zook from Sioux
Falls asking the sheriff to wire her
some particulars of William Zook's
death. This was done and the sheriff
that some of the family will
come on here shortly to look at the
body and make the Identification GER
tain.
Theories Being Worked On.
Both the sheriff and his forces the
county attorney and the police have a
couple or more theories about the muir
der that they are working on. Since
the Identification of the body by Mr.
myers ana MS story InaI OOk was with
some hobo companions, and that they
were bound for Kansas City, considera-
bic credence is placed in the story told
by Mr.. Foley, the passenger on the Ur-
Ion Pacific train, who saw, from the
passing train some men fighting in the
near the place where the
Granville road crosses the Union Pacif-
lc right of way and near where the body
was found. They think perhaps Cooks
had a fight with his friends and that
him mis- q | {
body on the track.
A farmer living down below the CAL
houn Bluffs telephoned to the sheriff
that very early on Sunday morning,
before it was daylight, two men had
stopped at his place and asked for
water. They called his attention to a {
light in the vicinity of the Bluffs and 1
asked him what it was. He told them I
proffered the information that they
had been in some trouble near where !
the light was an hour or so before
hat time. The farmer was not able I
10 give a good description of the men. !
Another theory is that Zook and
lis pals got on a freight train and had
fight with one of the train crew dur
ng which Zook was shot up and kill
I'd and then dropped off the train by
he man who had done the shooting.
The Union Pacific and Rock Island Of
icials have been asked by the sheriff
o look in the empty freight cars that
we're hauled over the line to Kansas I
city during Sunday night to see if ]
here is blood in any of them.
The railroad people have promised to {
10 this. So far neither the Union Pa s
ific or the Rock Island officials have
eceived any report of any trouble on +
ny of their trains on Sunday night or !
arly Monday morning. Neither has 6
my report been received by them from :
ny engineer of his having hit a body :
It anything else near where looks :
,ody was found.
COroner's Jury Called.
A coroner's jury to investigate looks
murder was empaneled by Sheriff
Vilkerson this morning. It consists of
/. c. Lindsey, James Coddington, Os-
ar Perkins, Josiah Wilcox, William =
Alston and w. F. Schafer. The jury I
ras sworn in and view the remains of
he murdered man at Shellabarger's
rooms. An adjournment
,as taken until Monday morning next
rhen the inquest will be held at the U
ounty court house and by which time II
he sheriff expects to have the murder \
lystery solved and the guilty one in :
ustOdy. |: