The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-27
rHE ONE WHO WAS LYNCHED.

Bennett at the time she decided that
she was in love with Walter Harper
and gave him her hand. Two of the
unsuccessful suitors withdrew with
feelings of disappointment and chag-
rim, but the third harbored feeling
of revenge against the successful rival
and thirsted for revenge. His name
was Frank Knapman, and he was a
young lawyer. He knew that Harper
had lied about and maligned him, and
was his enemy on account of a certain
business transaction.
While the young lawyer hoped for
revenge he had no idea of putting him
self in the coils of the law to obtain
1t. He put the best face on the mat
ter he could, and only he and Harper
knew that there was enmity between
them. He even sent the bride flow
ers and was one of the callers at her
first "at home" Several times when
pthere was an opening to speak Ill of
Harper he spoke in his praise rather,
but while his lips uttered the words
he felt his hate growing. One night.
six months after the marriage, as he
was going to his boarding house at
ter being detained at his Office, he met
Harper. There was lumber yard oc-
cupying one side OF the block and
there were no houses on the other.
in ugly mood. In fact, it was proved
later on that he had had a bitter
quarrel with his bride, and that it
was not the first. He replied to
Knapman with sheer and taunt.
The latter fired up and struck him
with a. heavy cane he was carrying.
and he threw up his hands and went
down like log.
Knapman waited for a moment for
his victim to rise, and as he did not he
bent over him and found that he had
probably inflicted a fatal blow. His
- f yyaG n IN
He rejected that and dragged the body
into the lumber yard between two
piles Of lumber and hurried away. No
one had noticed him. Next morning
the body was found and the alarm
given. It was plain enough that the
deceased. who might have lived an
hour after being dragged among the
lumber, had been struck down on the
street, and the constables and a de-
tective from the city began hunting.
Had the lawyer came forward and
told the truth he would have been be- |
lieved, but the trouble was that he |
had hidden the body instead of giving |
the alarm. He kept quiet and no hu- |
man being suspected him.
Within three days an arrest was
made. 1t was that of a butcher named |
Sanderson. He had had two or three |
rows with Harper over a bill the lat |
ter had refused to pay, and in the |
presence of witnesses had threatened
was out that night. His wife admit |
ted that he came home in a state of
agitation. His assistant at the shop |
said that he acted strangely next day. |
The butcher at first vigorously pro- |
tested his innocence, but upon being |
told of the proofs collected against |
him he at once owned up. He said
that he met Harper at the lumber
yard and offered to make a reduction
in the bill, but that the man called
him swindler and cheat and finally |
provoked him so that he lost his tenn
per and gave him the fatal blow. He
when fear of the results imDelled him
to turn back and secrete the body.
The officials felt that they had got the
right man-there could not be the
slightest doubt of that after the story
from his own lips, and he was placed
in custody. j. Js.
Before the butchers examination
came up a singular thing happened.
A farmer living two miles out Of town
awoke one night to find a burglar in
his house and to give him the con-
tents of a shotgun. The fellow was
fatally wounded, and on being so in
formed by the doctor he said he
wished to make a confession. He
was the murderer of Harper. He was
q stranger to the place. and had plan-
ned to break into store that night.
He had been hiding in the lumber
yard for an hour when he came out
| to look around a bit and met Harper
face to face. Harper demanded what
he was doing there. threatened him
with arrest. and even took him by the
collar. In defense. the robber struck
him with a stick he had picked up in
his place of hiding. The robber lived
for thirty hours, having his senses to
the last. and they could not shake him
| in his story. They told him Of the
butcher, but he said the man must
have dreamed what he confessed to
doing.
Here was pretty mixup for the off,
GERS, but a worse one awaited them.
Knapman had been amazed at the butch
er's confession. and the confession of
a second man for the crime he himself
had committed made the lawyer wonder
| If he was not going crazy. -Four days
after the death of the robber an italian
navy entered house in the suburbs
Of the town and stole watch and 9TH
er things. He was seen and pursued
He turned and fired at his pursuers,
but they closed in on him and he was
made prisoner. The town was In a
state Of excitement and great indigna-
ton was felt. Threats were freely made
to lynch the navy, and he lost his
nerve and pleaded that he did not
mean to kill Harper the week previous.
Upon being interrogated along this new
line he made a confession. He had
come from a point fifty miles away,
being told there was work for him.
When he arrived in the town there
was no work. He was penniless and
hungry, and while wandering about
and having planned to sleep in the lum-
Der yard that night, met Harper and
asked him for small sum. He said
that he received a kick in return and
he showed black and blue spot on his
hip to corroborate his statement He
had a stick in his hand to menace any
prowling dog. and upon being kicked
he struck back. Harper fell and was
dragged among the lumber, and the
murderer took about two dollars in
change from his pocket and fed. He
had dime of the money left.
Here were three arrests for the same