The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-20
A IALkEk
Greatly Interested in Plat MUIR
der While at Spencer.
Believed That Keith Package
Was Mailed There.
INSTRUMENT OF DEATH
Bunch of Iron Nuts Used as Gas
Connections Used.
The Accused Man Had Been a
Stove Tinker.
INSTRUMENT OF DEATH

/ Gradually, piece by piece the police
and county officers are collecting evil
dence with which they expect to con-
vict Charles Lolley of the murder of
Several new developments were made
Sunday and today the case was
strengthened by new evidence.
The many statements made by Lol-
ley concerning his whereabouts the
| day Plat was killed have been inves
tigated. Each statement has been dis
proven. His latest statement that he
| worked with man named Tom
| Brown has been proven false. To off
set the many claims made by the
| prisoner, the officers have produced
evidence to show that Lolley was alone
the greater part of the day, that he
did not work and on several occasions
was seen in the neighborhood of the
Plat store.
| After holding Bert King twenty-four
hours. the police released the man, but
will use care to see that he does not
leave town and Will be in a conven-
| lent place when he is wanted as a wit
ness. County Attorney E. R. Simon
refused to issue q warrant for King
| arrest on the ground that sufficient
evidence had not been produced on
which to secure conviction. 1t IS be-
lieved that King knows several things
about the matter that he has not told.
The police, however, do not believe
that King took any part in the killing
Late Saturday evening the officers
landed a few brand new clues which
are anything but favorable to Lolley.
Deputies from the sheriff's Office are
now at work on these problems and
several new witnesses may be brought
into the case.
Mailed at Spencer.
1t was learned that several days
after the murder Lolley went to Spen-
Ger. near the east line of Shawnee
| he fra
talked about the Plat murder and
displayed considerable interest in de-
velopments in the case. 1t was while
Lolley was in Spencer, the othcerS De-
lieve, that he mailed the package TO
| DR.. H. H Keith, which contained the
PIatt bill book and twenty-one of the
m erchant's gold coins
The envelope in which the package
was mailed was postmarked 'Feb. l.
I1911." 1t was very natural for the
postmaster the morning of March 1 to
have changed the date and neglected
to change the month, until later in the
| dav when he discovered an error on
| his cancellation book. The postmark
of the town was indistinct. There was
a very plain $50 on the envelope ana
the officers were at first led to ne
| Iieve that the package had been mailed
at Soldier. The first and two last let
tiers of the two towns are the same
a blur on the letter ''p'' would make a
1
tiers could be deciphered-
After LolIey left Spencer, he start
ed for Perry, in Jefferson county, ten
miles distant. He spent one nlgnt
the two towns. Here he is said to
have agai.. discussed the killing. When
he reached Perry, Lolley inquired
anxiously if anyone had been arrested
for the Platt murder ana nerVousrs
sought the columns of the newspapers
for fresh developments in the case.
Killed With Iron Nuts.
Rut this was not all. While the po-
| lice were at work Sunday, they learn
ed that Plat had not been killed with
gas pipe or tOngS as first DeneVeo:
Instead he was struck on the head
with a number of heavy nuts and taps
| from a gas stove. These had peen
| placed on wire or cord ana mace
| formidable weapon. The use OF the
heavy nuts and taps would account for
| the numerous injuries found on the
murdered mans skull. 1t is claimed
that Lolley frequently repaired gas
stoves and that it was not unusual Tor
him to have in his possession num-
| Der of these iron taps. He usually
! carried them on a small wire The
notice. however, have not been able
! to locate the instruments used by
| Platt's slayer.
With these and probable additional
clues which are expected to come to
! light in a few days, strong clrcum-
stantiaI case is being woven around
the prisoner. He is still being held
at the police station on the charge OF
maintaining a nuisance. Lolley was
unable to give bond on this charge
and unless he is unable to secure an
acouittal on this charge, 1t is haroly
probable that a formal charge OF mur-
der will be made against the IMAM loi
several days
An investigation of the affairs OF
Bert King, the North Topeka barper'
threw some additional llght on tne
case. On the back of an envelope IN
Kings posession eyre the words
"Co1nty Coroner" They had been
written several times by the young
man, whom it is believed practced the
writing before writing the words at
the lower left hand corner OF the
envelope sent to DR.. Keith. The Ber-
rev woman, who was SWeated Dy the
police last Friday, admitted having
written the words Or H. H. Keith,
Topeka, Kans.," which were on the
Persons who have followed the case
| believe that the officers are now on
| the right track. There IS a divlslon
sonally committed the crime. Chief
| Jenkins, however, is of the opinion
that they have arrested the right man
| and that the officers will be able to
| introduce sufficient evidence to warrant
| a conviction of Lolley and the probable
| Implication of one or two other par
| ties.
Find the Newspaper.
Another damaging piece of evidence
against Charles Lolley came to light
| at 2:3O this afternoon when the po-
lice found what is believed to be the
paper from which Lolley used a sec
ton for the purpose of wrapping the
coins sent to the State Journal. The
paper was found in stove in the
| North Topeka furniture store and 4
| strir, torn from the classified adver-
| Using page is similar in every respect
to that used by the person who mailed
| the coins.
In sending the coins to the State
| Journal the sender tore a strip from