The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-29
COrOner's Jury Makes Some SEN
satiOnal Disclosures.
Fina ROst Tells Story About
Presence at Central Hotel.
WAS WITH ERICKSON.
Meeting Was Partially Arranged
by Wife of Proprietor.
Campbell Says He Tried to Keep
Liquor Out of Rooms.

The principal witnesses before the
coroner's jury in the Central hotel case
today, were F.. L. Campbell, proprietor
of the burned hotel and his wife.
Campbell testified to the arrangement
of the rooms. stating that guests were
seldom placed in the blind" rooms on
the south side of the building, and
that On the night of the disaster, the
Sippy boys were assigned to room 16
the end room with the wire glass WIN
dow opening onto the roof He said
that the boys could have escaped had
they kept their heads" as the win
dow could have been broken out. or
they could have crossed the hall
passed through the lavatory and out
onto the kitchen roof. When first
awakened by the clerk said Campbell,
he looked out in the hall, and seeing no
smoke, decided that the boys were un-
duly frightened, and returned to get
nth clothes. He turned on the electric
light, and while trying to dress the
llght went out. Knowing that fire had
burned out the circuit, he made hasty
exit and barely escaped in time. In
giving the location of guests, he said
that Brown. the travelling man. was in
room p, Erickson in No. 1, and himself
in room 21. He stated that he did not
as May Evans" at any time. and
didn't know she was in the building
He told of ordering the night clerk to
serve lunch to Erickson in his room
during the night, but says he knew
nothing about the liquor bottles found
in Erickson's room after the fire He
said that he had tried to suppress the
habit of bringing liquor into the house,
and had spoken to Chief Eaton about
it.
Mrs. Campbell testified in regard to
the kitchen stove, which is supposed
to have caused the fire. She had
smelled the odor in the kitchen, and
was told by Johns, the cook, that the
wall behind the stove was hot, but
had not reported the matter to her
husband.
Girl Was With Erickson.
Vina Rost the woman who was Sc
verely burned in her escape from the
building testified before the jury last
night, the jurors calling at her home
to hear her story. She said that she
spent the night with Erickson in his
room, and was with him when the
alarm OF fire was given. She also
made some nasty charges against the
proprietor of the hotel, stating that it
was customary to furnish girls for
male guests, and that the meeting be-
tween herself and Erickson had been
partially arranged by Mrs. Campbell,
and that Mrs. Campbell notified her
when Erickson arrived and told her
what room he was in. Erickson, she
says, was stopping at the Throop ho-
tel, and came to the Central for the
purpose of meeting her The Rost
girl made no reservation in branding
the place as a disreputable resort.
Deny the Story.
Both Campbell and his wife denied
the truth of the story told by Vina
RnSt hof
about her. Mrs. Campbell said that
she carried the girl a note on the
evening before the fire. The note had
been left by messenger boy at the
office, but that she knew nothing
about the girls subsequent moye-
ments.
| The story that the girl and
Erickson were together in room l
was told wednesday, afternoon before
the coroner's jury by Jesse Haley, the
night clerk He claimed that he saw
! them both in the room, and that the
| girl tried to shut the door in his face
| while he was awakening the guests.
| That part of his testimony was not
| published last evening, because there
was doubt as to it's truth, the gen.
! eral belief being that the clerk was
! either mistaken in the room or the
! identity of Erickson. 1t was in this
room, No. 1. that a number of empty
! liquor bottles We're found after the
| nre- Inc ROSI girl says they had
something to drink
| In his instructions to the jury
| Coroner Keith asked for a verdict
covering any condition and reputation
| of the place, which might have some
thing to do with the liability of the
proprietor.
Clerk Haley Tells Story
the night clerk of the hotel, set
tied it in the minds of the specta-
tors. Young Haley made the best
witness of the lot. He was positive
in his statements, and explained con-
| ditions at the hotel to the satisfac-
ton of the jury. And Furthermore
his tale concerning the most probable
| origin of the fire was corroborate6
by two other witnesses.
! Haley testified concerning the frs
alarm of fire. when he turned in the
alarm by telephone. and then hurried
| to the second floor and began areusins
guests. His testimony was clear, anC
he gave the locations of the severa
occupants of rooms, and told of theil
| actions were aroused. When asked
| of the fire. Haley stated withou
| hesitation that he believed it caught
| in the woodwork back of the kitchen
| range.
During the past week" said tht
| witness. 81 have seen the negro day
| cook Henry Johns. throw water be.
| hind that stove to quench smould er.
ing fire I asked him why he did not
do something about protecting tht
wall"
What did he have to say abou
that?" asked County Attorney
/ Schenck.
"He was usually too drunk to make
any answer to any question" replied
Haley.
| An officer was at once sent out af-
ter Johns. the negro cook. and he ad
| mitted that trash behind the stow