The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-09
BEFORE THE JURY.
CONTINUED from Page one.)

and left locks of her hair fastened to
the door, upon the washing machine
and other places where he would find
them. She also moved things about
in the yard from their regular order
and he often had to replace them be-
fear she would discover the traces of
the girl.
The girls love, he said. finally SEEM
ed to turn to hate and she did every
thing possible to annoy him. He said
she told him often that IL he did not
go away with her she would kill her
self. She threatened to go to the
Whitlow home and cut her throat in
the presence of his wife, if Whitlow
ever attempted to run away from her
She carried a razor most of the time,
he said, and often brandished it
about her throat and threatened self
destruction if he did not accede to her
demands. Whitlow said he finally de-
termined to sell his business and leave
the city.
whitlow stated that he was making
these preparations when Miss Sapp
heard of them. 1t. was the Monday
2 that night and again threatened to
commit suicide. Whitlow's story of
the occurrences which came then fol-
lows: She went to his house Tuesday
night, threatened him and brandished
a razor toward her own throat He
told her to kill him, that death was
better than the life he was leading.
She kicked him and abused him and
slashed at him with the weapon. in
fficting a slight cut on his right hand.
They talked until they saw neigh
Dor, Frank Rees, watching them. He
saw her again Wednesday night and
again Thursday night. Friday. the day
of the tragedy. he asserts that he told
his wife the entire story of the girls
infatuation for him. He knew that
Mrs. Whitlow had been suspicious of
about their home to attract Whitlow's
attention and she had noticed his
nervousness. He said Mrs. Whitlow
heard his story and agreed that they
had better leave Moran.
That night he went to the Sapp
home for the last time. He said he
went to the alley; May told him to
come inside if he wanted to talk to
her. He stepped over the sagging
wire fence and stepped with her into
the deeper shade near a cross fence of
poultry wire. He said he told her that
he had told his wife the whole story
and that their relations must end.
She grew furious, he said, and cried:
and I will do it, too" Then followed
the suicide.
''I swear by everything that I never
gave May Sapp any cause for her at
county officers.
whitIow said that Miss >Sapp never
had made any improper advances to-
ward him except to want him to go
or hugging, he asserted, the girl SEEM
ing satisfied for a long time just to
see him for a short time occasionally.
Dr. A. H. Delong. a Moran physi
clan, said that he dressed a wound
upon Whitlow's right hand early the
Wednesday morning preceding the
tragedy.
"That cut bears out his statement
that Miss Sapp slashed him then with
a razor" the doctor said. ''Whitlow
told me that he cut the hand on
scythe."
After whitIow had told his general |
story a recess was taken. A few feet
behind the witness sat Ray Smock, Il
brother-in-law of the dead girl Whit !
low rose and ran over toward the man
crying 81 know that you don't be-
1ieve I did it" Smock turned his head
away.
After the recess. Whitlow told of
writing out a statement of all his con-
nections with the affair several days
after the trouble. II left it with nv |
wife and told her to keep it unless she |
thought it necessary to be mace public. |
i thought there might be enough known |
about my relations with Miss Sapp for |
the crime to be fastened upon me. Two |
or three days later the written state |
ment was missing. I thought the |
authorities had secured it and then 1 |
believed there was no use keeping ST. |
lent about what I knew of 1t. The |
girls family and my own family We're |
friends"
The coroner, the county attorney and
the jurors asked Whitlow many ques-
tions about the story. He explained |
everything calmly and stuck to his |
story as he had told it. He said he had |
omitted to tell about one thing-the |
letters which Miss Sapp left at his |