The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-13
Questioned Closely After George
TennysOn Confession.
SOME QUEER FACTS.
contradictions in the "COnfes-
sion" of Young Man.
More Developments Are Ex-
pected Very Soon.

1rosper, who was accused by George
Iennyson of being implicated in the
murder of David Tennyson, was taken
into custody by the officers here Satur-
day and closely questioned for two
hours. He told such straightforward,
clear story that he was not arrested
out was allowed to go back to his home
after answering the questions put to
him.
The officers are now said to be con-
vlnced that George Tennyson, the son,
| fs Withholding some very vital facts
concerning the murder of David Tenny-
SON There Is some reason to believe,
! 1t is said. that the written statement
purporting to have been made by Flora
, nennyson on her deathbed, Is a forgery.
| Inc writing on the paper is very
scrawly" and is hard to identify as
the natural handwriting of anyone 1t
must De remembered, however. that at
| the time it is claimed Flora wrote the
| of death.
| There are some peculiar things con-
cerning this written statement which
| indicate that everything is not as it ap-
pears to be.
In telling about the circumstances
| under which Flora wrote the confession,
| George Tennyson said that she had
| been unable to talk or hear for several
| days. A few minutes later in explain
] Ing the reason for his sisters action
| he said that Flora said she was going
to die and wanted to make a clean
! breast Of 1T. How could she say this if
she couldn't talk?
1t 1s claimed by some of the relatives
| that Flora was unable to write at the
| time George claims she wrote the con-
fession; that she lay in a sort of stu
por during the last day of her life
| Geo. Tennyson told of little 4-year-
old child, his nephew, coming into the
room with Mrs. Henry Trosper, while
he was receiving the confession from
! Flora. The peculiar circumstance is
| that Flora was quarantined for diph-
| theria and no one was supposed to
| come into the room where she lay,
/ especially not a little 4-year-old child.
Another very peculiar circums tance is
| that even after the death of his sister,
George Tenilyson should have kept the
written confession a secret for two
| years, when he knew that other men,
bers of the family were exerting every
energy to get some clue to the identity
| of the murderer.
| These circumstances are taken to in
| dictate that either Flora voluntarily
gave confession to shield her brother
| George from suspicion, or that he per-
suaded her to make the statement to
shield him, or that the whole thing is
| a forgery.
| There are some other things which
are damaging to George Tennyson and
indicate that he may know more than
| he has told.
The anbi which George Tennyson
| gave for his whereabouts in Frankfort
on the night of The murder was not
| verified by the Pirkerton detectives
who worked on the case.
George Tennyson did not get along
we'll with his father. His father had
made the statement that George could
not stay with him another year. and he
had told George to get himself a place
to work out. George had arranged tc
| work for one of his brothers, and was
to leave his fathers house on March 1
| The murder occurred two days before
on February 81
After the murder George Tennyson
did not continue to live with his mother
on the old farm. as it might naturally
be expected he would. He lived at the
farm until the August following the
murder, and then moved away and
bought a farm in Ottawa county. He
says the raeson for this was because
land was cheaper in Ottawa county
than in Marshall.
George Tennyson, in the June follow
ing the murder, seemed to have made
up his mind to reveal something o.
great Importance connected with the
, murder. Whether he decided at thai
time to tell about F'lora's written con.
fession, or whether he wanted to admit
that he himself was a party to the
crime is not known, but he told his
brother-in-law, Lafe Lindsey, that he
would call the family together the next
day and make some revelations thai
would kill mother" He also made the
or three people concerned in the kill
ing. Lafe urged him to tell what he
knew, but George merely declared that
he himself was innocent and that wher
he told what he knew it would Kill
mother" But George Tennyson never
called the family conference, and nc
| revelations were ever made by George
Tennyson until they were dragged ou,
of him by the sweating process last
Friday night.
George Tennyson in the course of his
sweating, declared that he would rather
go to the penitentiary, or even die thar
cause his mothers death from grief. He
said that the reason he did not tel
about his sister Flora's confession was
because he was afraid it would kill his
mother
..Do you Think he was asked, that 81
would kill your mother if you should
be sent to the penitentiary for the muir
der of your own father"
YES" said George.
few minutes later, however wher
threatened with arrest and a term iT
. the penitentiary. George produced his
sisters confession which he has stated
would kill his mother.
Great sympathy is expressed fol
George Tennyson's young BRIDE JeaT
Flemrling Tennyson. whom he married
, last Christmas day. Jean Flemmins
| was a pretty Scotch school teacher IL
| Ottawa county one of three sisters wht
came over from Scotland number o
| years ago, and have been making thei
) way in this country. They are all high
/ " respected young women In Ottaw;
} county.
MarysvilIe. Kan, JAM 13.-Georg'
Tennyson. charged with the murder o