The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-21
UP TO VAN HORN.
COrOner's Jury Holds Hackman
for MOrkinsOn Murder.
Circumstances Look Bad for t he
Prisoner.
WEB is TIGHTENING.
Mrs. Robinson Saw Hack Near
Soldier Greek.
Blood Stains Found on His
Trousers Legs.
WEB is TIGHTENING.

eve. the jury empaneled to hold an
inquest into the death of William
Morkinson. etc. find that the deceased
met death from gun shot wounds in
the right temple and by a blow of
some blunt instrument in the hands of
Wilburn Van Horn"
This was the verdict reached by the
coroner's jury shortly after the noon
hour today after they had listened for
three hours to a great variety of testi-
mony from a great variety of persons
who had been called as witnesses for
the inquest which was presided over
by DR.. Keith. the coroner. and con-
Quoted by ]. ]. Schenck, the county
attorney. The inquest was held in the
district court room in the court house.
The men on the jury who returned this
verdict were John Howe, Hiram Davis,
y B. Evans. Samuel Steele. James
Campbell and r. B. MacMaster. Their
deliberation over the verdict did not
consume fifteen minutes time.
Van Horn, who was in the court
room when the verdict was returned.
met the specific charge of murder
which the jury made against him with
calmness and stolidity. As matter
of fact he did not act nearly as nervous
when the verdict was read to him as
he did during the hours of the inquest
when damaging testimony was given
against him.
=
completed its work ]. J. Schenck. the
county attorney. began the prepara-
ton of a formal complaint charging
Van Horn with murder in the first
degree. A warrant was issued during
the afternoon and formally served on
Van Horn. He was then regularly
committed to jail on the murder
charge and will not be released on
bail. even if he could furnish any
amount for the crime charged against
him is a capital one
Evidence Is Circumstanial.
There was no direct evidence pre-
tented at the inquest to prove that Van
Horn actually did commit the brutal
murder with which he is charged But
there was any. quantity OF the strongest
kind of circumstantia1 evidence pre-
scented to connect him with the crime.
In fact many man has been hanged
on evidence not half as strong, circum-
stantialIy. as that which was presented |
to the coroner's jury. And at that
there is a lot of evidence in the pos
session of ]. NJ. Wilkerson, the sher1n, |
and ]. J. Schenck, the county attorney, |
DR.. Keith, the coroner, end other peace
officers, which was not presented. Ih1S
is in the nature of admissions and con- |
tradicti0ns made by Van Horn during !
the several examinations he has been |
put through by the officers since his !
arrest on yesterday morning. So strong |
was the case against Van Horn that |
1t was not deemed necessary by the !
county authorities to put in all of the |
Perhaps the most damaging piece of
evidence against Van Horn was the !
certain proof that the revolver which |
was found on the breast of Morkinson, |
with but one empty chamber, was |
revolver that had belonged to Van |
Horn. In fact 1t was taken out of pawn |
by Van Horn al an early hour on the |
morning that the crime was committed. |
For a long time yesterday afternoon |
during an examination of Van Horn in |
the county jail, he strenuously insisted |
that he had never owned revolver. He |
finally admitted taking one belonging |
to his brother out of pawn and told |
several stories of how Morkinson got |
possession of it on the morning that
he was killed
H. A Dusenberry, a member of the
police force. who went with DIR. Keith
on "Wednesday afternoon to the place
where Morkinson's body was found.
finding the body and the revolver IN
its breast. There was one empty
chamber in it and the other cham
bers contained loaded cartridges. He
also told of finding another loaded
cartridge on Morkinson's coat which
had been placed under the dead mans
head for q pillow.
Mr.. Schenck produced an Iver-
Johnson thirty-eight caliber blue steel
barreled revolver and Dusenberry |
Identified it as the one that had been
found on MorIinson's breast.
Morris Lieberman. a clerk in Jacob
sons pawnShop at No. 500 Kansas
avenue was the next witness called.
"Do you know Wilburn Van Horn %
asked Mr.. Schenck.
Yes I've seen him several times"
answered Lieberman.
Ever do any business with him?"
yes. IL pawned a revolver in the
store on March 21."
when did he take it out of pawn?"
early on Wednesday morning.
about twenty minutes after seven
o'clock. 1t cost him S1.75 to get it
Nut of pawn"
What sort of a revolver was it ?'
IAN 1ver-Johnson's, thirty-eight cal
iber.''
rs that the revolver?' % asked Mr..
Schenck, as he handed Lieberman the
revolver which Dusenberry had pre-
viously identified as having found on
breast. Lieberman took
the gun, examined it carefully and
then stated very positively;
That's the very gum.
Did Van Horn buy anything else in
the store that morning." asked Mr..
Schenck.
him eight thirty-eight caliber cart
ridges for ten cents. He loaded the re-
volver with five of them before he left
the store. He put it in his hip pocket"
Lieberman then produced the book
used in the store in which the records
Of articles pawned are kept. He point
I'd to the entry showing the pawning
Of the revolver on MArCL 81. This en-
try was signed with Van Horns name |
personal signature of Van Horn. He
testified that Van Horn had pawned ,
the same revolver there on a previous
occasion.
given by Lieberman. Van
Horn acted most nervously. He glanced