The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-08


her, she thought. and she ceased to
care for him.
Mrs Vollstedt is not crazy, but she
gives one the impression that she is
| woefuIly weak. She is either telling
the truth of her relations with Daniels
or she is a good actor and trying to
shield him.
ded cell nor did she have guard, as
was reported this morning. She spent
the night in the hospital ward with a
couple of negro women and there was
no guard over her.
Holds Husband Blameless.
Mrs. Daniels the wife of the wound
ed man, said this morning: 'I hold
my husband blameless. I have i'm
plicit confidence in him and think that
the woman VINO shot him was insane.
mo, did not know anything about
| her except what I have read in the
papers, nor did 1 know of his writing
any note to her. I merely saw a pub
| lished statement to that effect.
| However, 1t does not seem plausible
| to me that he would write any note.
He generally said what he had to say
and would say it direct to the point. Z
| He has often told me about differ
ent things which he had seen happen
in the street car, and was always a
| great fellow to joke about the happen
ings of the day, but he never mention
| ed names. 1 don't remember of his
ever speaking of any one trying to
! fiirt with him. however.
Yesterday when he was brought
home didn't have much of a chance
to talk to him. but he said he had been
shot by a woman"
The Daniels came here about fifteen
years ago from Pottawatomie county,
where Mr.. and Mrs. Daniels were mar
ried in 1882. Mr.. Daniels was raised
near Louisville, in that county. He is
As years old.
The bullet struck Daniels a little to
the right of the left shoulder and with
cry Of pain he sank to the floor. Mo-
torneer Sam Kinney ran to his assist
ance. He overcaIne the woman,
took the revolver away from her and
compelling her to sit in the front seat
of the car. dashed toward the city.
1t was a wild ride and Kinney was
a busy man. Changing the gong every
foot of the way to attract attention and
thus secure assistance he ran the car
to the corner of Sixth and Lake streets
before help was reached. There he stop
ped the car and calling to several per-
sons standing near the car. track. he
told them what had happened. The po-
lice were notified and another wild ride,
this time for the police, resulted. The
woman vas arrested, taken to the city
prison and the wounded man removed
to Christ's hospital where he now lies
in serious condition.
Tried to Kill Herself.
Mrs Vollstedt, after being taken to
police headquarters. tried several times
to end her life. She tried repeatedly
..
She tore her handkerchief into bits and
tying the ends together tried in this
way to strangle herself. When a police
man VINO knew her entered the room
and tried to talk to her she made an
attempt to wrench his revolver from its
place in the holster and end her life
with it.
The woman is the wife of Herman
Vollstedt. teamster employed by the
Hackney mill. She is % years of age
and has been married three years. With
her husband she has lived in Topeka
for two years Daniels has been in the
employ of the Topeka Railway company
about eight years. He resides at 1910
North Harrison street.
The story of the woman's infatuation
for Daniels is said to begin with the
first time she ever saw him. The fact
that she was married to a man who
was, as far as can be learned, a good
and dutiful husband. did not prevent
her falling in love with the conductor
For time she was satised to ride on his
car and gaze fondly upon him. And she
says she tried in every way to conceal
her affection for him.
But love would not be thus satisfied
and so. one day, she tried to engage
him in conversation. Then she wrote
notes to him.
Desperate, at last. in her unrequited
love, she wrote to the conductor and
told the secrets of her soul She loved
him, and because Daniels was
immovable in his decision to have
nothing to do with her Mrs. Vollstedt
decided to kill him. Monday morning
Vollstedt gave his wife his pay check.
She bought a revolver and some cart
ridges. She wrote a note which was
found later in her pocketbook and it is
believed she intended to hand it to
Daniels 1t read:
IF you are not going to speak or talk
to me any more you can abide by the
consequences.
Then she boarded Daniels car. There
We're several passengers on the car
during the run to the east end of the
line and she did not have an oppor-
tunity to speak to Daniels At the end
of the line the man spent his time out
side the car.
When the return journey was begun
Daniels walked to the forward end of
the car. He stood with his back to the
woman and she saw her opportunity
for revenge for love spurned. Placing
the revolver she had concealed in her
wrap against him she pulled the trig-
ger and Lee Daniels sank to the floor
with cry of pain as the bullet pene-
trated his left lung. The woman was
preparing to fire again when Motorman
Kinney seized the revolver.
When the police arrived at the corner
of Sixth and Lake street the woman
fought desperately to avoid being
placed in the patrol wagon. She was
finally overcome and placed under ar
rest Her stop at the city prison and
her stay in the county jail have been
marked by repeated attempts to take
her own life.
II loved him and yet he wouldn't
speak to me-" faltered the woman while
at police headquarters after the shoot
ing yesterday afternoon. Il loved him
and told him so, but he would have
nothing to do with me. Then decided
that we both must die as I had moth
ing left to live for. So I shot him. No"
1 want to die and 1 will. They can't
watch me all the time. 1 will get
chance to kill myself soon. Then
Al