The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-16
A MOTHERS PLEA
Willie McKay's Parent Writes
Letter to Mayor Bishop.
Path0s in Her Request for Glenn
ency for Erring Son.
WAS A GOOD BOY.
A GOOD BOY.
Always a Drudge He Dreamed
of a Life of Ease.
May Escape Both Prison and
State RefOrmatOry.

Lawrence, Kan, Nov 16.-"My boy
was always a good boy until he met
that Bullock wrote Mrs. William Nc
Kay of Jacksonville, Fla, to Mayor S.
D. Bishop after hearing of her sons
implication in the Earl Bullock bank
robbery at Eudora last Friday. The
letter was received here and was the
first communication from the mother Of
little Willie Mckay. 1t was written in
answer to a telegram from Mr.. Bishop
to Mrs. Mckay and came after she had
telegraphed Mr.. Bishop to hold her son
and await the letter. Mrs. Nc
Kay affirms the story told by the Nc
Kay boy inasmuch as he is Is years of
age and his parents are poor, his father
being a night Waterman for the Cum
mer Lumber company at Jacksonville.
In her letter the mother does not seem
to realize the full extent of her sons
crime. She writes that the hoy was al
ways a good son and never had been In
trouble before, and because of that fact
probably does not think that the boy
can be so deeply implicated in a crime
OF such a nture. The letter is one
which awakenS sympathy for the
mother and her hayward son, and goes
to prove beyond doubt that the boy has
told the truth about himself and his
escapade with Bullock and is now truly
sorry for his deed. The letter reads as
follows:
Mrs. Mckay Writes of Her Son.
Jacksonville, Fla, Nov. 13, 1909.
IS. D. Bishop, Mayor, Lawrence, Kan.
Honorable Sir: Your telegram re-
ceived at 10:40 o'clock last night. Was
certainly shocked to hear of our boy in
such trouble I hardly know what to
say. Will you kindly let US know, and
| if we can help to make things right, we
| will. I will just tell you how we are
| situated. My husband is a Waterman
r00ly
and only gets $3.50 every day. Rents
and living are very high in this city
| and it is a very hard matter to make
ends meet. and the boy has been led to
| think of getting living easy, for he
always worked until he came across
| this fellow He was just Is years old
| the 9th of this month, nothing but a
mere child, and knows nothing of the
world, as you might say. If you please,
don't publish his name in the papers if
you can help it, as 1 think this will
give him lesson that he won't forget
| right away. I can say no more till we
| hear from you, and have not the means
to come. I would rather give the
money to help him if he promises to be
good boy, as he failed to be the other
day when he left. If had the money l
could help him. but he knows how we
are placed. He said when he went
| away that he had hired to go south to
pick oranges, and we were looking for a
1
| from you by return mail and obligc.
| your sincere friend in trouble,
MRS. WILLIAM MCKAY
Bullock Led Boy Astray
81 believe in the boy more than
ever now" said Mayor Bishop as he
sat reading the letter. "The story he
told me is affirmed by this letter and
there is no doubt in my mind that the
| boy was drawn into the crime by Bull
| lock His mother knew all nf his
affairs up until the time when he left
to go south. Then the boy mot Bull
lock and went wrong. I sympathize
| sincerely with the mother and with
want to do all in my power to help
him and see that every move in the
case is just"
The letter now proves how old the
boy is and places his case in the
| juvenile court without a doubt. He
Tuesday afternoon and it is thought
that light sentence will be placed.
Public sentiment here is entirely in
favor of young Mckay. and his
| to all who ask him for it and the
fact that he tells a story that cannot
be shaken by anyone impresses all
| who question him.
| Fred Starr, the banker who was
shot by Bullock, Friday is still in
the hospital here but is recovering
rapidly and will no doubt be able to
| leave for his home soon.
Cried When Mothers Letter Was Read
While the letter from his mother
was being read to him he held his
head down and did not once raise his
eyes from the floor of the cell. Even
after the reading of the letter the boy
did not look up and did not speak I'M
til questioned as to what he had to
say.
"All I know is that 1 ought to be
home" he said, as a big tear rolled
down his cheek. ST am awful1y sorry
| I did it. and see what an awful
thing it is My mamma must feel
quite awful about it, and I just can't
help It now
When asked why he had told his