The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-24
SHE breakdown
Mrs. j. N. Sapp Sheds Tears on
the Witness Stand.
Memory of That Awful Night
Utterly OvercOmes Her.
SPEAKS OF MURDER.
Mother of Dead Girl Is Severely
Questioned.
Preliminary Hearing Of Samuel
WhitlOw Begins.

lola, Kan, Oct. 24-The prelimi-
| nary hearing of Samuel Whitlow, the
merchant and man of family, charged
| with the murder of Miss May Sapp at
Moran, September 81, by cutting her
throat with a razor, was held here to-
day. Whitlow has declared Miss
| Sapp committed suicide because he
! refused to elope with her, but the
girls father disbelieved the story and
signed a warrant for his arrest. There
is general belief that Whitlow is
shielding the real murderer. He bore
a good reputation
Mrs. ]. N. Sapp, the mother of the
dead girl, was the first witness placed
on the stand by the state. Little new
information was developed. She was
given rigid cross examination by the
attorneys for the defense and broke
down completely, being unable to con-
t1nue her testimony for some time.
In the main Mrs. Sapps testimony
was as follows in regard to the occur
rences the night of the murder:
Il was still at the table and May was
at the window when Mr.. Sapp left the
house." she said. "a few seconds later
May went into the kitchen and out the
back door. In minute or two heard
her scream. 1t sounded as if she said
Mother but May has always called me
Ma. 1 ran out and stumbled over her
body lying on the ground. 1 put my
hands on her head and asked her if she
her hair to her face and my hands
touched warm blood. They were COW
cred with it. 1 started to lift her up;
1 couldn't. I screamed and a man
came in a little while"
Mrs. Sapp was asked about Mays
razor. She said she had owned only one
which her father had given her a couple
of years ago, for corn razor. This
razor, she said, was found after the
tragedy in Mays room. She was shown
the razor found in the yard and de-
clared her daughter had never owned
it. She said she had never heard her
daughter mention Whitlows name but
that he did come to the house occas-
ionally to deliver express packages, but
never stopped to talk, leaving them on
the porch and ringing the bell
Pm certain my daughter never met |
anyone at the fence regularly and talk |
ed in the evening"" she said. Il would |
have seen her. 1 think 1 would have |
heard her if she left the house at night, |
for I'm light sleeper. 1 know she |
didn't and she couldn't have climbed |
up over that back porch The door that |
open on the front porch upstairs has |
been stuffed with paper about the edges |
all summer. May put it there to keep |
the flies out. 1t has not been opened. |
May was always happy about the |
house. She was plain spoken girl, |
but she was never respondent. She was
as pleasant as could be the night she |
was killed. Mrs. Kline can tell you
night or any other night. She never |
had any correspondence with any man
friend"
Did May have a bloody waist or
clothes on the Wednesday morning
before the tragedy" she was asked.
1t was on the night previous that
said her waist had been COW
cred with blood from the wound in
his hand, which the girl had inflicted
with a razor. "I never saw any bloody
was the reply.
Did she do any washing that
day."
On Mondays. All of Mays clothes are
now hanging in the closet just as they
always have BEEN.
HAS she a lace scarf?"
yes"
was there any blood on it?''
mo, sir. 1t has been hanging in
is accustomed place. I saw it in the
morning"
other witnesses followed Mrs.
Sapp this afternoon.
I'm glad that my preliminary hear
ng comes off today" Samuel f. WHIT
ow, who is in the Allen county Jail
lere charged with the murder of May
Sapp of Moran, said. I'm anxious to
nave 1t over. I'm not afraid of the re-
suits of my trial..
Whitlow smiled and chatted about
he fine weather and general topics,
out would not discuss his case. He
ooks less worried than he did a week
lgo. Just what will be developed at
he hearing is not known. The attor-
leys for the prosecution and for the ]
lefense have been very busy on the
case during the last week. Carl ].
Peterson, county attorney, said that he
iidn't expect much new evidence to be :
out.
1--WE shall use only sufficient wit ,
lesses to show good cause for holding j
Nhitlow for trial. he said. 1--WE are
,oing to fight any attempt to secure
he release of Whitlow on bond. 1 D.,
lon't believe under the existing cir
he should be allowed to
rive ball.
Mr.. Peterson caused subpoenas to be
ssued for twelve Moran persons for
witnesses. They included Mr.. and
Mrs. J. N. Sapp, the parents of the
lead girl; Ray Smock, her brother-in>
aw; the physicians who examined the
,ody Immediately after the tragedy,
md the first witnesses upon the scene
# the tragedy. Whitlow's statement
the tragedy will be intro
luced in evidence by Ray Smock, who
vas present when the accused man
old his first story to the officers. Whit
ow's lawyers said last night that they G
lad not yet decided what witnesses ,
hey would use.