The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

the ground. This in itself was a pecu-
liar incident as there were no other
| shells in the pockets of the clothing.
| DIR. Keith concluded that death had
| been instantaneous and naturally
| thought that it had been caused by the
| wound in the temple. But still this
wound was so large that it did not
| seem possible it could have been
| caused by a 3S caliber bullet. As 1t
| turned out two bullets had been shot
| in the head and this taken in connec-
| tion with the fact that only one empty
| chamber was found in the revolver,
| proves cOnclusively that the man did
not commit suicide. Then there was
| another strong argument against the
| suicide theory even before the autopsy
/ had been made and the two bullets
| found in the head as we'll as the other
| severe fracture of the skull. This was
| that the mans hands were stretched
out at his side and the revolver was
| in a most peculiar position on his
| chest near the neck. 1t would have
been almost impossible for the man to
have stretched himself out in the posi-
ton the body was found, shot himself
and then just before death. placed the
revolver on his chest and extended MS
hands at his sides.
Identification of the Victim.
After DR.. Keith had MADE his in
Vestigation on the spot he called up
Conwelrs undertaking estabIis hment
and had Mr.. Conwen come out with mis-
wagon and bring the body back to the
undertaking rooms. Many people. in
the city and county, viewed the remains
yesterday afternoon but no one SEEM
cd able to identify the body, although
several persons We're sure that they
had seen the man about town. There
was nothing found on the body or
clothing that would lead to an iden-
tification. The clothing consisted of
coat and vest of brown mixed material,
black and white striped trousers, a
Hickory shirt. good underclothing and
shoes in good condition, as we'll as a
- nalr hot in hot ha0 nf w
were punched the initials IL. r. X"
which as it turned out, did not help |
in any way towards an Identification. |
There were plenty of men to |
identify the body this morning early |
and among them were Jake Hartmen, |
of First and Crane streets, William V. |
Donovan. of 200 North Quincy street !
and Frank MCGOWAN, of Fillmore |
son had been working.
Mr. Donovan, who is Familiarity |
known as Dad" as soon as he had |
seen the body, declared that he had |
seen MorkinsoD early yesterday morn
ing at the Union Pacific station on the |
seat of a carriage in charge of Will |
burn V. Van Horn. Joe Ross, the |
police sergeant who with a number |
of men from the local police force, |
had been working on the case most
of the night and started in again early
this morning, hunted up Van Horn
and brought him around to the un-
dertal1ing rooms.
Van Horn told Ross point blank at
first that he had not seen Morkinson
at all yesterday morning and that he
had not had him in or on the hack.
When told that persons had seen
Morkinson on the hack Van Horn
changed his mind and told Ross that
when-he came to think of it Mork-
inSon had Joined him just before six
o'clock on Wednesday morning and
had ridden with him to the Union
Pacific station where Van Horn was
going to make the early morning plug.
Van Horn said that MOrkinSOn had
ridden inside the carriage. When told
that a number of persons had seen
Morkinson riding on the box of the
carriage with him Van Horn changed
his story again and said that this was
Sheriff wilkerson and his deputies
were active on the case this morning
and were around when Van Horn was
brought to the undertaking rooms. To
Sheriff Wilkerson. Van Horn said that
Morkinson had hailed him at the cor
ner of Sixth street and Kansas avenue
nesday morning. Van Horn stopped
and Morkinson asked him for a lift
over to North Topeka. Van Horn was
willing and MorkinsOn climbed on the
box with him.
''Morkinson was pretty drunk at the
time" said Van Horn, land he had me
stop at Johnson's, near Fourth street,
where he got a pint of whisky. He
drank this on the way over to North
Topeka. He climbed off the hack at
the Union Pacific station and that was
the last I saw of him until looked at
his body this morning"
In view of the different stories told
by Van Horn the sheriff decided to take
him in custody pending an examination
court house where the sheriff and
County Attorney Schenck proceeded to
question him.
Van Horn stuck to his story as he
toId n Sheriff WilLprSOn hI1f no |
broke down during the examination /
and was crying when he came out of f
Mr.. Schenck asked Van Horn why it
was that he had told so many different /
tales about the trip with Morkinson !
from the south side to the Union Pacific {
sta ton and Van Horn replied that he {
did not want to get mixed up in the r
ease in any way so that his name Z
would get in the newspapers. This he :
said would cause his mother to worry. :
Mrs. Van Horn lives way out on East :
sixth street.
John Wagner Questioned
While Van Horn was being ques-
toned at the county court house the L
sheriff received word that John Wag-
1er another hackman by trade, had
been seen on or in the hack with
Morkinson and Van Horn and that he '
lad been seen with them on Quincy I
street north of the Union Pacific sta /
ion. The sheriff ordered Wagner y
brought over to the court house and =
his was done.
Wagner told straig ghtforward story
lbOut being with Van Horn and
Morkinson for a time yesterday morn
nG He said he had been hacking"
With a hackman called Peg Leg
Turing Tuesday night. L
Just before o'clock on Wednesday
morning he was standing on the cor
Ter of Fourth street and Kansas ave-
lue when Van Horn drove up with
dorkinson on the seat with him. He q
CIra a ride North Tnnnlxa
nd Van Horn told him to jump in
he carriaga as there was no room for y