The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-30

It was 2 o'clock when the party of
county officers reached here. BY thar
time the news of the sudden action had
spread to the curious few who had not
gone to the Sapp home and they ffOeKed
to the house.
The church is just across the street
from the Sapp dwelling. The choir
filed into place and those who passed
through the Sapp parlors to view the
body went directly into the church
Suddenly the crowd in the street was
parted the county attorneys car
riage turned into the main street of the
town. driven at a rapid speed There
was a hurried conference among the
officials. J. n. Sapp, father of the girl
so mysterfously murdered, and DR. g.
B. Lambreth, the Sapp family ply
sician-
OF this conference It developed that
DR.. Lambeth had been commissioned by
the coroner to make the examination
and had declined Dr. Lambeth, after
a talk with the father of the dead girl,
withdrew to the yard The parlors
were cleared of friends and spectators.
the blinds were drawn, lights were
turned on and the body was removed
from the casket After a hasty obser-
walton. Dr. David W. Reid. county cor
ouer. in the presence of the county at
torney and C 8. Culbertson the Off
from the dead girls form and removed
certain parts of the body.
Only a hasty observation of the or
gans removed was had and thew were
sealed and placed In custody of the cor
oner- After the body had been placed
in the casjxet and the services were re-
sun7ed. County Attorney Peterson said
when the coroner's jury meets again
we will then examine more closely into
the case. I considered il nv duty to
order this action before burial that no
mistakes may creep into the exhaustive
examination to be made before the jury
will return a verdict wish to ascer-
tain positively Miss Sapp's condition at
the time she died"
County officers declined to state the
exact information which caused the de
layed examination, saving II ran onlv
be ascertained at the inquest which
will be continued behind closed doors
While the services were in progress,
other runors were taken to the county
attorney but the greatest secrecy was
maintained regarding names of persons
who figure in the now rapidly develop
ing situation directly prior to the muir
der last Friday night.
Miss Sapp. the murdered girl, was the
daughter of j. N Sapp. a retired farm
er who is reputed to be very wealthy
She was a cousin of Colonel Bill Sapp
Of Galena, the former chairman of the
state Democratic central committee
The well known Galena politician did
not attend the funeral
While intimate friends of the Sapp
family have declared ever since the
murder that the girl had no constant
associates. that she rarely went out ev-
enings and that she never in her life
had a girl chum. nor a sweetheart, a
circumstance was laid before Prosecu-
tor Peterson here which he at once be-
gan to Investigate. Witnesses were
found who state, after much hesitation.
that they have seen girl very much
resembling Miss Sapp in company with
a man on two occasions during the past
two weeks The man is nameIess so
far as the witnesses are concerned yet
one man stated to Mr.. Peterson that
he followed the couple This was the
second time he saw them. he said The
girl, he reluctantly stated, wore clothes
like Miss Sapp did, was of her size and
had her voice and he saw her face.
When the prosecutor asked about the
man his witness quailed.
Miss Sapp was murdered in the yard
at the rear of her fathers home Just
after the supper hour. She had party
enga cement and was to have left for
this party within Is minutes. The party
at the home of Miss Bess Kline. just
across the alley from the Sapp home,
was postponed, although several guests
had arrived Miss Kinne and her
youn ger sister, Miss VerIe, were so
Frustrated that they were removed to
another residence to spend the night.