The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-29
Detective Charges Inquest Evil
dence Is Suppressed.
Schenck Startles Jurors and
Acting Coroner. Williams.
BOLINGER ACCUSED.
Alleged He Said 1t Was "TOO
Late" for Evidence.
Witness Declared to Know More
Than They Told.

Everything was running smoothly at
the inquest held by Acting Coroner
Ben Williams of Oakland. to investigate
the cause of death of Mrs. Flora Hill
singer. The assistant county attorney,
Arthur Bolinger, was proceeding with
witness, when a bomb was thrown into
the court room by County Attorney
Schentk. He announced that Dick
Hull former city detective and spec
ial commissioned deputy to investigate
this case. was spreading the tale that
the evidence he had gathered was be
ing suppressed and that the assistant
county attorney had refused to let II
go IT,
Hull was summoned and placed on
the witness stand.
I'VE near you know something ABOUT
this affair which we are trying TO keep
out. Now tell everything you know to
the jury there said Mr.. Schenck.
What have you got to say?' de-
manded the attorney.
Il have got quite a lot to say.
well tell it to the jury.
when Keith was called to come to
the woman. he didn't want to come
who would testify to that?"
Mr.. and Mrs. Coulter. Later he
told Mrs. Norton in the kitchen that
she had been to the office and he had
examined her."
who would testify to that?"
Mrs. Coulter. Mrs Norton said he
made an examination that evening and
came out to wash his hands. He told
Mr. and Mrs. Coulter she had been to
his office the day before"
"Why didn't you tell us what you
had found out before?" demanded the
attorney.
81 didn't know it until yesterday"
Schenck here asked Williams to ad-
journ the inquest until afternoon. that
he might summon the witnesses re-
ferred to.
Hull Makes Charges.
Hull reported to Sheriff Norton this
morning that he had called Bolinger
on the telephone this morning to tell
him what he knew and Bolinger had
cut him off, telling him it was too late
to use. The Sheriff reported this to
Schenck and Schenck Immediately
| took action in the court room.
| All the evidence taken before the
adjournment was in confirmation of
the report returned on the death by
Coroner Keith that the woman had
| been poisoned.
The inquest today was an adjourn
ed one to await the findings of DR..
F.. B. Dams, chemist of Washburn.
who was analysing the inter AL or
gans of the dead woman. DR.. Dams
| testimony includes the following in
| formation. He was supplied by DR..
Menninger, who was one of the last
set of doctors to hold a postm ortem
/ over the body, with the woman's
stomach, small intestine. kidneys.
bladder, liver and some material from
| the abdominal cavity Traces of ar
/ Senic were found.
Arsenic at Undertakes.
/ The stomach and other organs all
| contained heavy arsenic but this is
not considered of value to the present
case except in that it is alleged to
show an unlawful use of the mineral
poison by the undertaken DIR. Dams
got from the Shellabarger undertake
! ing establishment copious quantity
| of embalming fluid, and a harden
| ing" substance which they said was
| 'tSolid formaldehyde. This harden
mixture tof sawdust alum and a large
amount of arsenic. But there was no
way, testified the doctor, of any of it
getting into the bladder whose wall
was solid. Hence this must have been
administered.
| DR.. MCGEE who had assisted in both
| of the post mortem examinations, was
placed On the stand and corroborated
| the statement of the chemist. He was
asked his opinion should the finding
| have been such and testified that likely
arsenic poison had produced the death.
Supports Suicide Theory.
| This expert testimony would clearly
| substantiate, also, the first report of
| Coroner Keith that the woman had
committed suicide by taking arsenic,
and also further shows that death did
not result from an operation.
The jury at present consists of J. Q.
A. Peyton. w. T. Purdum, G. w.
Daley. Josiah Jordan, ]. H. Evans and
J. 3. Cline. The history of the case is
! sensational. The woman who was a
housekeeper for E NJ. Coulter on Elliott
| street Oakland, died the night of jan
| uary 10. Coroner Keith reported arsenic
! poisoning. sister, Maize Hart, Of