The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-17
Button Will Be q Witness In
Bernhardt Murder Probe.
Several Days Longer Needed to
Complete Inquest.
STORY OF FARM HAND.
Believes He Would Have Been q
Victim Ii He Had Stayed.
Wants to Help All He Can in
Clearing the Mystery.

Kansas City, Dec. 1.-THE inquiry
into the quadruple murder on the Bern
hardt farm last week probably will not
De closed for several days as there still
are several witnesses to be heard at
the inquest. Sheriff J. s. Stead has
returned to Olathe from Cottonwood
f'alls with Walter Button, a former
employee of the Bernhardts. Button
VIII be used as witness in the coron-
er'S hearing.
When Button was located, W. K My
ers, sheriff of Chase county, went to
Hymer where he took him in custody
until last night when Sheriff Stead went
after which Button was taken to Cot
after him.
When seen Button talked freely of the
Bernhardt family and the time he spent
on their farm. Button came from Eng
land TO this country II years ago. He
soon after returned to England, spend
ing seven years in the old country. Re-
turning to America again, he located
at Liberty, MO-, and later moved to
Leslie, Ark. He recently went through
severe illness there and decided to
leave that country. He went to Kan
SaS City, there he met George Bern
hardt, and, on November Is, went to
the Bernhard farm to work. He husk-
ed corn and received 20 cents a day.
Said Bernhardts Were Peculiar.
In speaking of the Bernhardt family,
Button says they were peculiar. They
never visited their neighborS and But
ton says he never knew of any of their
nelghborS visiting them. He says Mrs.
Bernhardt was kind hearted old wo-
man, and that when he left she cried
because she hated to see him go. But
ton did not like the work or the wages
he was receiving of the Bernhardts. so
on November q went to Kansas City
to find other employment there.
Through employment bureaus he met
s. E. Whitney, of this county, and en-
gagged to work for him. He has since
been working on the Whitney ranch.
Button says he knows but little of
Sam Bailey. He says he often heard
Mrs. Bernhardt speak of Bailey and the
woman with whom he lived on the
Bernhard farm and whom he purport-
ed to be his wife. Mrs. Bernhard said
the woman whom Bailey lived with
spent most of her time in her room,
which they occupied in the Bernhardt
home, smoking cigarettes and reading.
She and Mrs. Bernhardt did not get
along well together, and this was the
cause of Bailey and the woman Ieav-
ing.
He says Bernhardt always seemed TO
have ready money and, as far as he
Button, knew, never gave checks. But
ton has a wife and two children They
arrived here a few days ago, and all
are living in a tenement house on the
ranch. Button says he has been much
interested in the murder case, and he
believes he would have been one of the
victims had he remained on the Bern
hardt farm until the night of the mur-
der. Button says he doesn't know
what the Johnson county authorities
want with him, but that if he can be of
service in clearing up the mystery of
the Bernhardt murder, he is anxious to
do what he can.
The Mysterious Man.
That ubiquitous suspect in the cordu-
roy suit, who has been sought by Of
ficers ever since the murders became
public, got into the limelight again last
night. Fred Macance, of OcheItree,
Kan, told Prosecutor G. B. Little that
on the Thursday before the dead bodies
were discovered on Saturday a man
whose description is similar to that of
the person the authorities have been
seeking, accosted him on the street IN
Spring Hill, Kan. The stranger, said
Macance, asked him if he had heard of
the killing of a man and a woman on
the Bernhardt farm.
Tells Story Against Advice.
When the coroner's jury resumed its
sessions in Olathe todav to question
three important witnesses, one of
them, John Feagles, charged with the
murder of Mrs. Emile Bernhardt, in