The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-02
TANNING CRAZY
Probate Court Ascertained It
Today.
Pretends at First to Have For
gotten Dramatic Story.
FINALLY AFFIRMS 1T.
Says He Did Give Mrs. Short
Rough on Rats.
But Says That She Did Not Die
Till Day Following.
FINALLY AFFIRMS 1T.

Fred Tanning. who was arrested for
the murder of Mrs. Sandy Short was
found insane at 3:15 this afternoon
in the probate court.
Fred Tanning. confessed murderer OF
Mrs. Mary ]. Short, who was exon
| Grated by the coroner's jury, today re-
iterated his confession before Probate
Judge Schoch and an insanity commits
| sion summoned at the instigation of
County Attorney ]. ]. Schenck. In only
one particular is the confession differ
ent from the first one prompted by Mrs.
| Fannie Mather. sister of Mrs Short.
Tanning now claims that he gave the
fatal dose of rough on rats Sunday
morning and that Mrs. Short laid all
day Sunday and Sunday night after
| drinking the poison before she finally
succumbed Monday morning. In the
| first confession Tanning said he had
| given her the poisoned coffee but a half
hour before she died Monday morn
| ing.
The trial of Tanning began at 10
| o'clock this morning The commission
| called consists of Drs. S. A. Johnson,
| examiner, L. A. Ryder and o. p. Davis.
| The whole force of the county attor-
| ney's office was present to assist the
| questioning.
OF special Importance in the case is
| a letter, finally introduced in evidence,
| of % pages from Mrs. NJ. E. Felberry
of Monmouth. ILL.,. to County Attorney
| Schenck. The lady claims to be
| daughter of a former wife of Tanning
| whom the confessed murderer left
three or four years ago bedrdden and
| poverty stricken in the Illinois town.
| Mrs. Felberry requests that the con-
| tents of the letter be not made public
| but many features came out during
| the questioning of Mr.. Schenck.
| Among the more important allegations
| are that Tanning beat that wife fire.
| quently. cursed her, and would allow
| her nothing to eat but cold soup, that
| he always carried heavy club or
| batchc- fearing that she or someone
| was going to do him injury and that he
| seldom slept at night without a heavy
| iron nail puller lying beside his bed
| and that this stepdaughter often found
| it there before he arose in the morn
ing. The woman further claims that
when Tanning came into that family
he said his first wife. who died with
her first born infant. had often tried
to poison him with rough on rats and
| that later he began to talk frequently
| of poisoning some one himself.
The confessed murderer, Tanning,
| looked today much as when locked in
| the county Jail and is still QUILTED with
his straw hat and dirty clothes. His
hair is long and scraggy and fellow
II prisoner in shaving him had cut him
severely, the wound bleeding while he
| was telling his story. 1t was very evil
cent from the first that the man was
trying to forget certain things which he
had told Schenck and his deputy. Mr..
i Atchinson, at the county Jail
/ Don't you remember at the inquest
talked to you about those state
ments you had made to us? % Atkinson
ssked and was answered after pause,
No.
Don't you remember when you told
US Mr.. English had told you to give
Mrs. Short rough on rats ?"
NO.
Did you ever give anyone any
Loison?" Schenck asked.
mot that I remember Of"
eff you had you would remember It,
wouldn't your"
st never gave anybody any,
Didn't you tell me you gave Mrs.
Short rough on rats to kill herr"
mo, SIR
Don't you remember at the Jail
that time you grabbed me by the hand
ind cried, begging me to send you to
the penitentiary because you had kill
&c Mrs Short and that was the only
way you could be forgiven"
mo, I never said anything like
that, but 1 remember of shaking
hands with you somewhere.
Trying Hard to Forget.
It was evident Tanning was work.
ing hard with his feeble brain to keep
from saying what he ought not and
his answers came very slowly. He
staged a good imitation of forgetful-
ness but when the doctors then began
4 and led him along from his child
hood. he remembered everything
clearly and came right up to the
point in fine form forgetting his game
until asked:
Now, why can not you remember
4 what you said to the officers a few
weeks ago just as well as all those
l things long since passed. Fred. you
l are trying to get into the asylum for
l the insane instead of going to the
penitentiary, aren't YOU" asked DR..
Johnson.
| Tanning made no response.
| You would rather &C the asylum
I than the pen wouldn't your
Eyes, 1 guess 1 would" he finally
] answered.
Then schenck who had led him to
many confessions again took the
I prisoner.
Now you remember talking to me
don't your
Yes, 1 remember now?"
And you told me when you took
my hand that you had sinned and
4 poisoned Mrs. Short ?"
II didn't poison her"
You said you did, don't you re-
member?"
Eyes, 1 remember now, but the
judge said the other day I didn't
do you remember Mrs. Mather
sister of Mrs. Short?'
Yes"
What did she say when she saw
l you at the jail?''
'.She asked me if killed her sister
and I said no."
Then what did she do
III 'Then-then-s she threw her arms
around me and began 'singing-an6
| she said she didn't believe 1 killed
her sister.
II Did she. pray with you?"
III mo. but she sang hymns
II Nov, you are coming along and
| can remember all right. can't you
II You remember now that you ther
/ did say you killed Mrs. Short dom
| you? ?"