The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-26
Kansas Towns Expected to Give
Motive for Sextuple Killing.
History Of Burnham and Wayne
Families Is Sought.
POLICE ARE PUZZLED.
Theories ALI Leading to Nothing
Run Down by Score.
Sheriff Takes Complete Charge
of Colorado Horror Case.

Colorado Springs, Sept. 26.-Begin-
ming today systematic search for
the slayer of the Burnham and Wayne
families will start under the leader
shop of George Birdsall, sheriff. The
first step in the search will be the at
tempt to find a motive for the crime
The first action looking to this end
will be the delving into the history of
both families in every town in which
they have lived
Lawrence and Leavenworth, Kan
sas, and even Indiana towns will be
visited by detectives who Will seek in
each to unearth motive for the sex
tuple killing, which occurred nine days
ago and which the police admit is no
nearer solution than it was thirty min
utes after the discovery of the muir
der three days later.
Everyone in Colorado Springs has or
has had a theory and most of these
have been run down. They led to
nothing in each case. Birdsa1 being
the only man to have a plan which it
seems may result in the killing, was
given the leadership of the job and
every detective in the city is under his
command.
Expense will not be spared. Beside
the 81 900 reward offered, other money
will be used in securing evidence. A
history OF the families which will fill
volumes is expected to be collected.
Blood on Woman's Knees.
Coroner Jackson happened to re-
member q detail that gives further in
dication that Mrs. Wayne was prob
| ably awake just before she was muir
dered. Bloody marks were found on
both her legs just above the knees.
Sheriff Birdsall has a theory in con-
nection with these bloody marks. He
suggests that the woman awoke when
her husband was killed and leaped
from the bed. AS she arose she was
struck on the head with the axe and
I Q1Tf bn9-
were hanging over the edge. And the
murd erer took hold of her legs at the
knees to throw her body back onto the
| bed.
All the officers who are working on
! the case are distinctly nervous about
| it. And this is shown clearly by the
| fact that they all say different things
about the same points. Take, for in
stance the question as to the methods
/ of investigation. Commissioners Hlne-
| baugh says there is no method that
| there is nothing to do but to listen to
/ inconsequent clews and run them down
to their inconsequent ends. Chief OF
Detectives Railsback says the best
thing to do is to get some much need
ed sIeep. Chief of Police Springer says
frankly: 81 won't tell you what method
we are pursuing And Sheriff Bird
sail is working on some family his
tories.
Burnham Not WeakIing.
| Iii tell you one JnlnS, SAID SLerlIL
Birdsan, "this man Burnham is not
the weakling that he has been pic
tured I don't believe that he did
these murders, but I am perfectly sure
that he was physically able to do them.
| The sanitarium people have been talk
| ing of his extreme weakness, saying
that he could not walk a hundred yards
without stopping to catch his breath
and cough.
81 tested that. when Burnham did
not know that I was doing so. When
we took him from tht police headquar-
! ters to my office I purpOSely set a fast
oace. I made him walk much faster
than I ordinarily walk myself. and he
| did it without the slightest difficulty
and did not cough once, nor lose his
1 breath. 1t is certain that, although
| he may have one foot in the grave,
he is by no means ready to step in
with the other.
Sheriff John Anderson of Douglas
| county has interested himself in the
| case and has taken steps to protect the
! lives of people of his county He came
to Colorado Springs yesterday on horse
hack. and on his way he made a wide
detour through the western part of his
county. warning the farmers to be on
their guard to watch all suspicious
characters who might come to their
| doors for food or a drink of water.
/ The coroner's jury is patiently wait
ing for something to do. 1t was sworn
! in last Wednesday, the day after the
finding Of the bodies. The members OF
the Jury viewed the bodies and then
went home to await another call from
the coroner.