The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-29
LEFT HER IN LURCH
Mrs. Laura E. Draper Victim of
Mans upIicity.
Married Man Who Claimed He
Was Rich.
THEN GOT HER MONEY
Soon After That Dropped Out
of Sight.
Now Woman Asks Court for a
Divorce.
THEN GOT HER MONEY

A poverty divorce petition filed with
r. L. Thomas, clerk of the district
plicity of at least one man and the
gullibility of a woman. The title of
the case is Laura E. Draper against
Thomas Draper. Along the middle
part of last summer the defendant in
the case drifted into Topeka and an
nounced to his new made acQua1nt-
ances that he was rich ranchman
from Utah, with a number of valuable
properties near Salt Lake.
Among those who listened to his
stories of wealth and the beauties of
the great northwest was Mrs. Laura
E. Murphy. who conducted a little
confectionery store at 504 East Fourth
street, owned a home at st. Marys.
He was an ardent suitor for her hand
from the first meeting, despite the
fact that she was widow and en-
numbered with three small children.
That made no difference to him as he
had made a careful inventory of her
property which he found to be worth
something like $1,000.
He had known her hardly a month
when he proposed marriage and was
accepted and two weeks later the cere-
mony which calculated to seperate
her from her little property took
place. He Immediately assumed
charge of the little candy shop and at
tempted to dispose of it but was un-
successful as it was mortaged for
about all that it was worth and has
since been taken by the holder Of the
mortgage.
Draper claimed that he did not like
the climate of Topeka and longed for
the bracing air of the northwest and
the freedom of his ranches which he
owned, in his mind, in Utah. His wife
was loath to sell her little home in
ST. Marys but his entreaties finally ac-
complished their purpose and he went
to st. Marys and sold the property for
$3.50 though it was worth consider
ably more
He failed, however, to deposit the
money in the bank to the account of
his wife as he had promised to do and
she was never able to get possession
ever, and lived with his wife for few
weeks while she was getting ready to
make the trip to Utah.
Finally all was in readiness and
taking the family trunks and Draper
and his wife's son started for Kansas
City where he had some business to
attend to before starting on the jour-
ney westward. The boy was sent back
to his mother in Topeka the same
evening that he arrived in Kansas City
with his adopted father and that is
the last that Mrs. Draper has seen of
her husband or the savings of a life
time.
A few days later a letter was re-
ceived from Mr.. Draper's brother in
Peoria, Ill, which stated that Mrs.
Draper's husband had been drugged
and robbed in Kansas City and that
she would never see him again. She
was instructed however that she could |
secure the trunks which contained her
clothing by sending to Kansas City for
them.
Mrs. Draper realizing the hopeless
ness Of her case has asked Judge !
Dana for a divorce from her husband
on the. grounds of extreme cruelty
and for the reason that their mar |
riage was brought about through !
t. no
there had been Draper might yet be
in the city. Mrs. Draper asks that her |
former name, Mrs. Laura E. Murphy, |
be restored.