The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-20
Testimony in Sapp Murder Case
Being Heard.
Witness Taylor Testifies to
WhitlOw's Excitement.
DEFENDANT NERVOUS,
>Exclaims, us She Dead! Is Her
Throat Cut2'
Jury Is Taken to the Scene Of
the Killing.

lola, Kan. May 20-The first pro-
ceedings in the Sapp murder trial to-
day was the outlining of their case
by the defense and what they expect
ed to prove. One of their strongest
cards was, they said. that Miss Sapp
would be shown insane. They also ex-
pected to prove that she owned the
razor that the killing was done with.
The rest of the day was taken up
In hearing evidence.
The first witness called by the state
was G. g. Merrill, lumber dealer OF
Moran. Mr.. Merrill testified, in brief,
that he was going by the Sapp home
In the early evening of September q
when he heard a woman scream. He
hurriedly climbed the fence and STUN
bled over the body of May Sapp. She
but said nothing. Her body was COW
cred with blood.
Harlan Taylor, a Moran banker, tes-
titled that when he reached the scene
Of the murder Whitlow was standing
hear the body of the girl. Whitlow
ed. us she dead? Is her throat cut?''
Harlan looked at his watch and no
ted that it was 1928 p. m.
w. L. Thompson, of lola, was placed
of photographs of the home, the body
OF Miss Sapp, and the position where
she was found lying.
Miss Sapp's mother is expected to
take the stand late today.
Late last evening Judge Foust sent
the jury to Moran to visit the scene of
the murder, cautioning the jury that
they were not to talk among them
selves concerning the case. Under
guard of Sheriff Bollinger they went
through the Sapp home. The sheriff
also showed them the spot where the
hn vx-1,f rI
Miss Sapp is said to have crawled af-
ter meeting Whitlow at night and 9TH
er places.
Sheriff Boiiinger, without discussing
the case with the jury, took them
through all these places just as If he
were a guide being paid for sightsee-
ing. He showed them the grape ar
Dor where Miss Sapp and Whitlow, it
is said, often met; the post against
which Miss Sapp fell when her throat
was cut; the gate through which
Whitlow passed after the tragedy and
when he came back to dispose of the
razor which he says was wrenched
from Miss Sapp's hands. From there
the jurors were taken to Whitlows
home in another part of town. They
saw the surroundings Of the Whitlow
home, examined the sleeping arrange
ments of the rooms, the barn where
Miss Sapp tore the glasses from his
face and crushed them.
Immediately after their return to
lola the jury was called together and
c. s. Ritter, on the part of the state,
told what the state would prove and
what they would rely upon for convic-
ton. He insisted the state would in
troduce expert testimony to show that
Miss Sapp could not have inflicted the
wounds which caused her death. Ev-
cry muscle, nerve, artery and cartil-
age in the neck, even to the spinal
column, had been severed and the
wounds caused instantaneous death,
he said. The state would show, he
said, that ten years ago when Whitlow
was a teacher and Miss Sapp a pupil
there had come a school scandal;
that from the scholars there came
constant talk about their teacher be-
ing in love with May Sapp.