The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-28
STANLEY. IN JAIL.
Former Liveryman Is Charged
With Arson.
Claimed That He and Woman
Caused a Fire.
INSURANCE CLAIMED.
House in Auburndale Belonged
to w. L. Bates.
Mrs. d. e. Evans Charged With
Completely.
INSURANCE CLAIMED.


whose three barns burned down within
the period of a year, has been lodged
in the county Jail charged jointly with
Mrs. D. E. Evans. with whom he lived,
in a complaint sworn to by w. L.
Bates with setting fire to house No.
1929 Laurel avenue in Auburndale in
the early part of November.
Mrs. Evans claimed the insurance i'm
mediately after the fire on $4,000 insur-
ance which she held on the furniture
in the Commercial Union for which
Capt H E. Wentworth is agent. The
company's adjustor. H. E. Seeds of
Kansas City was sent down and he
with Bert Lucas set to work with the
result that they are ready to begin
action.
Mrs. Evans. however. has left the
state and there is doubt of finding
her. Additional complaints, says Mr..
Wentworth. will be made charging her
with attempting to defraud the insur-
with already having done so.
The furniture in question was in
sured by Capt. Wentworth at Stamey s
residence at 906 Buchanan street where
Mrs. Evans called the agent to inspect
it. From there it was moved to the
Mrs. Evans went to Kansas City for
time but is known to have been in city
at the time the house burned and soon
after made application for collection of
the insurance. When sweated by the
county attorney concerning the furni-
ture, she said a man named Stanley
had sold it to her and that she had
paid him So, 200 for it.
when Mrs. Evans first came to To-
peka last September" said the insur-
ance agent. "Stamey met her at the
train and took her to the house at Blu
chanan street where they lived. When
was insuring the property I went to
the place several times and was met
by Stamey but did not know him. La
ter, and since the fire, have learned
who he was and had 1 known it was
he then 1 would not have taken the
business.
But IN contradiction to Mrs. Evans,
Stamey when sweated. said that he had
given all that furniture to Mrs. Evans
to prevent her from bringing a breach
of promise suit against him.
Further, it is the claim of the insur-
ance Investigators, that Stamey, before
the fire in Auburndale, hauled all the
more valuable furniture from the house
in one horse wagon and stored it with
w. NJ Hornbeck at 429 Harrison street,
with whom he had formerly had rooms
when the HOrnbecks had a rooming
house opposite his Tenth avenue barn.
Additional evidence of this was gained
from a transfer company to which he
had applied for aid in moving the
piano. 1t was found there and more
was found on Fillmore street
The certain charge against Stamey
of defrauding the company for which
w. c. Stephenson is agent, is the find
ing of a photograph in this house
which Capt. wentworth identified as
one on which he has insurance taken at
the house on Buchanan after the fire at
the Tenth avenue barn in which
Stamey had been living. Stamey had
claimed insurance on it and now Mrs.
Evans has claimed it, Other articles
Of furniture are expected to be identi-
fed as the list included some very fine
articles according to the agents story
and included a handsome piano, up
holstered mahogany rockers and Won
derful sofa.
There is a suit now pending in the
district court against the insurance
companies who held policies on the big
Tenth avenue barn. John Flakener
paid $1,000 on the hacks DESTROYED in
the barn at 721 Van Buren, and the
Tyler street loss is said to have been
settled also.
The whereabouts of Mrs. Evans is
giving the officers concern. She said
she came here from st. Louis and had
been here three years before for visit.
The money she said she bought the
furniture with she claimed to have been
life insurance of $4,000 on her first hus-
band. Considered to be a further proof
of a swindle is the fact that she had ap-
piled to Insurance Agent Elliott for a
policy but was refused on account of
her connection with Stamey. In seek
ing insurance from Wentworth she
therefore mentioned the man as STAN
ley and evaded detection
The preliminary hearing for Stamay
has been set for February Z. His bond
is fixed at $500, which he has not yet
been able to secure. Stamey, since his
business was burned, has been driving
for the w. H. Davis Mercantile COM
pany.
More of the furniture was located at
the barn of L. L. Adams at S24 Fillmore
street and consists of a leather daven-
port, four mahogany parlor chairs, a
sofa, hall rack, and bedding. The goods
were found by Bert Lucas and a, deputy
sheriff to whom Adams explained that
Stalney had asked to bring it there
some time before the fire and added
that he and Stamey had formerly
boarded at the same place and that
Stamey knew he had the space in his
barn.
BREWSTER WANTS MORE TRAINS