The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-08

looks like they had spelled March IL
The pocketbook when wrapped was
about five by four inches. Two two
cent stamps were used.
1t was rather spongy package
which was probably the cause of the
blurring of the name of the town. 1t
is hard to get a clear print with
postoffce stamp upon a package of
this kind However, it is hoped that
this popularity will lead to the dis
covery of another clue as to the
Whereabouts it was mailed, as a post
master would likely remember of such
peculiar package having gone
through his office.
Why the guilty man or any one i'm
plicated should have mailed this to
the coroner and thus by his own hand
furnish clue to his identity is a mys-
terry and without parallel in the his
tory of Shawnee county. A theory is
that the criminal wished to get it out
of his possession and in sheer impu
dence mailed it, or had it mailed to
the coroner who has been co-opefat-
ing with the police and sheriff in
hunting the guilty person.
Another theory is that two persons
may have been implicated in the
crime and one of them for some rea-
son or other wished to put the author
tiles on the trail, either because of a.
that case he may have got possession
of the pocketbook and mailed it or
caused it to have been mailed.
From the writing, it is not improb-
able that a child or some one who
knew nothing of the murder may
have been induced to address the
package.
1t is significant that the rarest coins
were in the package. The comparatively
common ones. which could be passed
without exciting suspicion, were not
sent.
Tba co;ns a1toee+bar have an in
trinsic value of about $50, or half of
the value of those still missing. The
missing money includes six United
States coins, two rare $3.50 gold pieces.
one SIS piece of the 1909 mint bearing
an Indian head upon it. and three 81
pieces. The other coins were foreign.
including a German gold mark.
Those still missing are one $40 gold
piece, two $40 pieces, two SIS pieces,
28 81 pieces and four $3.50 pieces.
This money. it is thought must have
been sent from a small town. on ac-l
count of the failure of the postmaster
to change the stamp.
Postmasters in towns the names IF
which begin with ''S'' will be notified
of the latest development in the case
and will be asked if they. know any
thing about the matter.
/ The pocketbook is of black leather,
opening at the side and divided into
five compartments. On the compart-
ment next to the flap is stain which
Chief Jenkins says may be a bloody
finger print.
This is the first real clue we have
had to the murder" said Chief Jen-
kins this afternoon. I'VE are not go
ing to let stone unturned to find out
where the letter was mailed and to
catch the mailer.
Even if the murderer did not send it
himself, it is altogether likely that the
one who did knows something about
the guilty man..
Just why any one implicated should
! furnish us a clue himself is beyond me,
unless he did it for sheer impudence.
List of Money Taken.
The list of coins which Platt had is
as follows:
One English guinea of 1897.
One Russian five-ruble piece.
Two Spanish coins.
One German ten-mark piece.
Old American money as follows:
| One $50 gold piece.
Two SO gold pieces
Two So gold pieces, 1884 1880
Thirty-one 81 gold pieces.
Six $3.50 gold pieces.