The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-09

crime had been committed or that the
woman who mad been town character
for quarter of century had been
fCully murdered. 1t was the intuition OF
her sister, Mrs Fannie NJ. Mather, who
came on from Seattle. which started the
wheel of justice in motion.
Fred flaming, the self-confessed STAY
er of the woman, is a religious fanatlc
who belongs to the sect known IN TINS
section of the west os the Holy Roll
ers," a man of the lowest order of in
telligence, who had lived with Mrs.
Short in her howell. Following his arrest
Mrs. Matner spent hours in his cell with
Eim protesting to be a member or the
| Holy Rollers.
She prayed and pleaded with him to
confess his crime and receive the Lord s
forgiveness fer his sin. Her ruse was
successful and with the assistance OF
County Attorney Schenck and Detec-
tive Ben Judkins she Wrung complete
confession from him. He told how he
had learned that Mrs. Short had saved
81, 400 from the charities which the cit
liens of Topeka had bestowed upon her.
How he had followed the advice OF
Mrs. Minnie English whom he met fire.
ouently at her home end had got rid
of Mrs. Short and securing the money
turned it ovef to Mrs. English, or Mrs.
McCaulley. as he knew her. Il gave
| her thousand dollars at one time" he
confessed, ''and at another $3.50, with
which we intended to go to Utah and
start in business.
Tells of His Awful Crime.
About a month ago. continued the
| murderer, Il gave Mrs. Short dose
| of rough on rats and it made her
mighty sick. but she got well and the
| day she died 1 gave her a bigger dose
| and that fixed her. 1 guess it is an
! awful thing to kill any one but she
would not have lived much longer
| and I got tired of waiting for her to
10 I 70 90 70
right away for perhaps it will make
a better man of me and 1 will feel
/ better when I know that l am suffer-
ing the penalty for my crime.
| Il don't care whether they send me
there for a few years or for life be-
! cause l feel that l must now do some
! thing to get Gods forgiveness for kill
ing Mrs. Short. l am willing to plead
I guilty tomorrow and begin my sem
| tence for my mind will not be at rest
until l get to the penitentiary."
Mrs. Minnie English, or Mrs. Eliz-
4 abeth McCauley, as she is better
Il known, denies that she had anything
to do with the crime or that she re-
i Likewise Edward English, with whom
she has lived out of wedlock, denies
any knowledge of the crime.
The officers do not believe that the
McCauIey woman or English had any
thing to do with the crime and unless
days implicate them they will be re-
leased from jail. The story of Fam
{ ing duplicating the McCauley woman
has not been substantiated by the
evidence so far produced.
When confronted with Tanning III
: a. cell today Mrs. McCauley denied all
! knowledge of the crime and facing
him boldly branded his statement that
' he had given her the money as false
: hood. Likewise she denies every state
? | ne0t that he has made which in aQy
L way duplicates her with the murder
$ of Topeka's Mysterious Woman in
2 Black.
Tanning, the murderer, is a man
j about so years of age, with a low re-
4 ceding forehead and small -sunker
eyes which glitter from behind his
e high cheek bones, foretelling his In
= dian ancestry. His hair well as his
e mustache is black and coarse though
5 inclined to curl.
Wore Crepe on Hat.
e When he was confronted with Mrs
Mather, he was wearing a band Of
e crepe on his hat as mourning for the
s days before. Mrs. Mather promptly
t removed this and to his face accused
: him of the murder of her sister He
S shrank from her gaze and denied the
< crime which few hours later he con.
: fessed when confronted by her in hi:
: cell
o Following his arrest Tanning turn
s ed $45 over to the officers which he
said he had taken from the home O.
It Mrs. Short following her death. Tn,
$ remainder of her little fortune h,
y maintains he gave to Mrs. English, o.
i Mrs. McCauley, as she is known t,
s many. There. is plenty of evidence t.
a the effect that Mrs. Short had hoard
5 ed q little fortune of between $3.50
/. and $4,000 dollars and all of this il
fr1F =.