The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-21
Mrs. Sapp Undergoes a Rigid
Cross Examination.
Defense Tries Hard But I'm
successfully to Confuse Her.
STICKS TO FIRST STORY
Said MAY, Have You Tainted" !"
Not why Did You Do This"
Declared Her Daughter Acted
as Usual That Afternoon,

lola, Kan, May 21.-The greater part
or the. day in the Whitlow trial was
taken up in the cross examination of
Mrs. Sapp, the mother of the murdered
girl. A strong effort was made to make
her admit that her daughter had acted
strangely and peculiarly the day of the
tragedy. She admitted nothing Of the
kind, saying that she was just. the
same as usual The defense tried to
make her admit also that when she
went out into the yard and found her
daughter that she said, May, why did
you do this?" instead of saying, May,
have you fainted?" but she insisted
that she said, May, have you faint
ed?"
Mrs. Sapp reiterated that the night
was very dark and that she had to
feel around to find where May was
injured. She again described minute
ly the dress worn by May which has
been the subject of dispute ever since
the tragedy occurred. She said May
had just started to get ready to go to
a surprise party, which was to be given
in honor of the daughters of L. B..
Kinne, whose home was just across the
alley from the Sapp residence
May hadn't dressed yet, but had
combed her hair" Mrs. Sapp contin-
.ued. she wore a white gingham dress
with green bars in it. making it sort
of a check; a little embroidered yoke
came down about to here" Indicating
point about five inches below the
throat. THE waist and skirt were
sewed together. the dress was all one
piece; it buttoned in the back. can't
say just how many buttons-10 or 12.
Sometimes May had IA buttons on her
dresses
Mrs. Sapp said that the dress was
burned several days after the tragedy,
along with other bloodstained article
picked up near the body. Here the at
every person in the court room
Have you in your possession any OF
the clothing worn by May the night she
was killed." he asked.
Yes"
Are these the garments?" and
Judge Schoonover held up two under
garments. for the Inspection, of the
witness.
Yes
"Was this white skirt torn when
May left the house that night?''
1T was not; May never wore torn
clothing"
The undergarments were then intro
duced into court showing that a strug-
gle had taken place.
The feature Of the late We'd
nesday afternoons session of the
Sapp murder trial was the testimony
given by Mrs. Rebecca Sapp, mother of
the girl. Mrs. Sapp told of the events
leading up to the night of the tragedy,
then detailed the events of that night.
She told of her daughter going out into
the back yard shortly after dark, and
a moment later she heard her scream,
Mother" The witness said she rush
ed out of the house in answer to the
call and stumbled over the body of her
daughter. then breathing her last.
During the recital Of her story the
moi her broke down SaVarQ1 times and
the attorneys were compelled to wait
several minutes for her to regain her
composure before the examination
could be continued.
The torn clothing worn by the girl on
the night she met her death was pre-
sented in court. The mother identified
the clothes and testified that they were
in good repair before the tragedy.
Dr. A. H. Delong, who was called as
soon as the body was discovered, said
he made an examination to see If life
was extinct. In attempting to get to the
heart he had asked his wife, who had
come in the meantime, to unfasten the
dress. She rolled the body over in order
to do so, for the dress buttoned in the
back. It was impossible to shake him
from this statement, although the de-
fense tried hard to do so.
Whitlow had stated that the girl
pulled the razor from the front of her
dress when she cut her throat. On the
left shoulder there was tear three
inches long and another one on the
right shoulder, but not so long. On the
Saturday following the tragedy DR.. De-
long called Whitlow into his office for
private conversation. He told Whit
low that an ugly story was af1oat In
Moran that Miss Sapp was infatuated
with Whitlow. DIR. Delong advised
Whitlow to take the first train for lola
and tell his story to the officers.
The doctor testified that Whitlow
turned pale and exhibited great ner-
vousness when told that such a story
was in circulation. He hesitated for a
few minutes and then answered:
II believe I will act on your sugges-
ton"
c. C. Thomas, editor of the Moran
Herald, said he saw Whitlow at the
postoffice door and asked him what he
knew of the tragedy. Whitlow answer
ed nothing. Mrs. Clara Register and
Charles Hesson knew nothing of impor-