The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-11
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She would have been shot had it not
been for this fortunate move.
AT that moment there was thun-
derous explosion accompanied by
crash of glass. The conclusion extin-
guished the lamps in the house and
stunned Mrs. Tennyson. How long
she was stunned she did not know,
but it was not great while. AS soon
as she recovered she thought that a
lamp had exploded.
whats the matter pa" she said
to her husband.
Failing to receive any reply she
made her way in the darkness to her
husband and felt his head. It was
| covered with something. She thought
1T was coal oil from the lamp. Mrs.
Tennyson hurried upstairs to F1oras
room and found her daughter about
half undressed just getting ready to
retire for the night The daughter
was unmoved by the explosion. She
afterwards stated that she thought it
was shot gun fired by a neighbor
to scare the coyotes from his sheep.
This was said to have been a common
occurrence with this neighbor. It was
not until Mrs. Tennyson had run into
her daughters room that she found
her hand covered with blood and then
she gave a scream as the awful truth
of what had happened was just be-
ginning to dawn upon her. The two
ran downstairs, Flora carrying a
lamp. They found the father dead,
laying limp in his chair. His head
was sunk in his chest and down either
side of his neck trickled streams of
blood A hole in the back of his head
near the base of the brain told the
story of the shooting.
AS soon as the news of the crime
reached the officers they at once took
up the work of locating the criminal.
Sheriff Fred Barrett of Marysville
arrived an the scene and took charge
of the work. During the night a
picket line was formed so that it was
impossible for any one to approach
the. scene and obliterate foot. marks
or in any way destroy what clues
might be found.
A kennel of bloodhounds were or
dered from Beatrice, Neb., and were
put to work on the case. At daylight
a search for clues was Instituted.
Every inch of ground was scrutinized
for footmarks. A print of womans
shoe was found right in line with the
probable path taken by the murderer
1t measured exactly with Flora's foot.
The sheriff located an old shotgun be-
longing to the family in storehouse
near the house which contained an
empty she'll This shell sme1led of
having been freshly discharged and
Sheriff Barrett was of the opinion that
this was the weapon used in the kill
ing:
the trail of the woman's footmark
which was found but this attempt
proved futile. Another attempt was
made placing the hounds on the trail
of mans shoe which was also found.
and taking. somewhat circuit
Gus route arrived at the home of a
Miss Maude Sylvester with whom
George had been keeping company.
At the coroner's inquest held next
day all the members of the family
were closely examined. Suspicious
pointed strongly to either Flora or
George as the guilty person. Both
had quarreled with their father a
great many times The parents and
especially the father objected to the
visits of Horace Trosper to Flora. And
George had quarreled many times
about money matters. In the testt-
mony brought out at the inquest
George did not explain his where>
abouts at the time of the killing to
the satisfa ction of the officers. but
nothing was ever DONE and no ar
rests were made. It was almost the
universal opinion of the Frankfort
citizens that George was connecteu
with the killing.