The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-23
THE STATE RESTS REPLY TO WHITE
s. F. Whitlow Takes in Norton Abaughs Comment
Own Defense. Senator Long Article.
Girls Says Latter Had No
Admission to Her. Friend Than White.
COULD NEVER MARRY RECORD IN CONGRESS-
Testified That May Both Mr. Brstew
Once Owned q Razor Editor Approved 1t.
But Was Bloody Many Points Threshed Out
Found in Yard. Long Ago.
8. f. WhitlOw Takes Stand in
Own Defense.
One Witness Tells of Dead Girls
Admission to Her.
COULD NEVER MARRY
Father Testified That May Had
Once Owned q Razor
But 1t Was Not the Bloody One
Found in Yard.

lola, Kan, May 23.-The state has
finished its evidence in the case
against Samuel F. Whitlow. charged
with the murder of Miss May Sapp
last September and the defense has
begun it's testimony. Several of the
states witnesses were recalled to the
stand late Friday. An attempt was
made to Introduce as evidence the
coroner's findings but this was over
ruled by the court.
Whitlow On the Stand.
Samuel F. Whitlow went on the
stand today in his own defense. With
out a trace of nervousness the defen-
dant gave a detailed story of his life
and his relations with the murdered
girl. His wife was among the specta-
tors in the crowded court ROOM
Whitlow told of his first conversation
with Miss Sapp in 1905, in Moran.
where they were neighbours. He told
how she had asked him to meet her
in the Sapp backyard secretly after
dark. adhering to his first assertion
that he knew Of no reason why Miss
Sapp desired such meeting.
The coroner's jury decided that
Miss Sapp came to her death by other
hands than her own and held Whit
low to answer for the death of the
girl. When the attorneys for the
state attempted to introduce the ver-
dict immediate objections from the
defense were sustained.
| The state then recalled for brief
| questions Mr.. and Mrs. Sapp and an
nounced that the presentation of evil
dence for the prosecution had been
completed.
w. H. Root of lola was the first
witness at the later Friday afternoon
session. He was in Moran the night
of the tragedy and heard Whitlow
Sapp was then recalled. He was
| asked to state how he found the west
| barn doors the next morning after
| the tragedy. He said they were open.
The night before they were closed. In
1 cross examination he said he did not
| many people who were at the yard
| that night had entered the barn. Mr.
| Sapp was then handed the bloody
razor by Judge Schoonover, who in
| quired:
Not Miss Sapps Razor.
| "Mr. Sapp do you know whether OF
| not May had in her possession OF
! owned this razor?"
/ "She did not" .s- s--a.-.-
| In the cross-examination Mr.. Oylel
4 asked: How do you know it. Mr.
sapp?"
4
| owned"
1 Ibid she have any razor?"
Yes, sir, one razor"
Mrs. Sapp was then recalled by thu
| defense. She was asked by Mr.. Oyle
If she knew a Mrs. Jackson who stayet
all night at the Sapp home one nigh
last summer. She said she did. Sh
, was then asked If she did not tell Mrs
Jackson that May was frequently alb
sent at night and they did not kno1
1 where she went.
mo- did not" was the answer.
| At this point the state rested and
recess was taken for the defense t
. confer. Mrs. Eva Samuels followe
| Mrs. Sapp. She knew Miss Sapp we
and said she did not go out in com
| pany much. Mrs. Samuels told Of see
ing a young girl near the Sapp HON
one night at II o'clock, but she sal
, | she couldn't identify her as Miss SapI
| Following Mrs. Samuels, Mrs. Jackson
clairvoyant. who lives In Chanute, bu
. has property in Moran, testified sh
| spent one night at the Sapp home an
was quite friendly with May Sapp. Sh
.. | said that May told her one mornin
that she would never marry, that sh
had once loved a man but that he wa
/, married now and lost to her. Mrs. Jack
son also said that the night she stage
at the Sapp home she heard voices ur
der her window, the voices of ma
and a woman and that she thought tn
I woman was May Sapp.
Whitlow's Written Statement.
Il Whitlow's written statement whic
!, was read to the jury was much tn
Z same as his former oral statement. I
| it he detailed what he termed Ma
D Sapp's infatuation for himself. Ae
cording to it, Miss Sapp's visit to tn
: Whitlow home one rainy night wher
i they conversed for several hours in tn
| rain caused Whitlow's attack of rheu
!. matism from which he says he sti
t suffers The statement tells of man
8 threats made by Miss Sapp again'
Whitlow and his family. 1t says ths
I the girl left her home at night throug
+ an upstairs window to a porch an
= thence down one of the columns. ST.
climbed back by getting upon the we
!, curb, thence to the south porch roc
: and into a window.
. The statement recites that Whitlo
begged May Sapp all the time to ceas
other men. The statement tells
t Whitlow's connection with the deaf
of May Sapp, how he went to HI
o home to tell her family that their COZ
g nections must stop, how the girl DIRE
q razor and slashed her throat, that /
It grabbed the razor and ran home wit
y it and then took it back to the SAP
h home.
"All this has been more than cou
% bear" the statement says, land mu
= leave this life." The statement sa,
further that this is the awfulle
sc thing possible and 1 have not told ha
ir of it." The statement is signed by
X F. Whitlow."
AE W0N1 CEPvc