The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11
One of the Jurors Disappears
From His Hotel.
Escapes Through a TransOm of
Bath Room.
DOMESTIC TROUBLE
Is Given as the Cause of His
Running Away.
May Be MistriaI Unless Missing
Man Is Found.

Kansas City, Dec. 11.-Undoing the
work of weeks Of court procedure and
bringing to a standstill the second trial
of DR.. b. Clarke Hyde, charged with
the murder of Col. Thomas II. swope
Harry Waldron. a juror in the case
broke out of his room in hotel here
early today. eluded the two deputy
marshals set to guard the jurors. and
escaped
The first hint of the Jurors escape
came when 7. Holloway and Frank Jas
per. deputy marshals, found the tran
som torn away from the door OF wal
drons room. The deputies carried the
keys to all the rooms occupied by the
jury Waldron was nowhere to be seen.
A force Of deputies was sent Immediate
ly in pursuit.
When the news of Waldron's disap-
pearance was carried to the court room
just before time for court to convene
attorneys for both sides Immediately
went into conference to determine the
effect OF the incident upon the case.
Prosecutor Conkling said the state
would at once start an investigation
to determine whether Waldron had been
induced to escape.
Attorney Walsh, for the defense. said
he would ask that elisors be appoint
ed ta take charge Of the jury until
Waldron could be found Asked as to
whether the matter would result I'm "A
mistrial Judge Portsrfield said that
would depend upon Waldron's course
during his period of liberty should he
be captured
Charged to Domestic Trouble.
Domestic trouble is said to have
caused Waldron TO grow restless under
confinement as a Juror He owned and
conducted a dairy farm on the out
skirts of the city. on November %
Waldron's sudden illness caused an
adjournment of court December
Waldron's physician pronounced him
able to serve and the trial was resum-
ed. Waldron's incisposition was at that
time pronounced due to his worry over
home affairs.
To prevent his roommate and fellow
juror, @. w. Palmer, from upsettiug his
plans, Waldron constructed a dummy
man of bedquilts and slipped Il into his
place in the bed The room was In the
rear of the hotel next to a bath room.
Waldron removed staple from the
transom in the door over the bath room
and climbed over. When Palmer arose
this morning he nudged his dummy
bedfellow to arouse him, then spread
the alarm.
once before in jackson county. In
the early nineties juror escaped. He
was a young man named West. q
court official recalled today. who had
an engagement TO take his sweetheart
out buggy riding He slipped out OF
his room during the night and fulfilled
the engagement. he returned the
next day and signed an affidavit that
he had discussed the case on trial with
no person. The judge then fined him
$50 and the case proceeded.
Conlxiing Is Sarcastic.
In a written statement Prosecutor
Conkling said:
THE action OF Juror Waldron viii
be rigidIy investigated by the state.
under the orders of Judge Porterheld.
not only TO ascertain the extent OF the
misconduct but also who. # any one,
induced it,
"As for the state, we are indignant
at these distractions TO the admins
tration of justice. For an innocent
man Dr. Hyde 80 ems to have phe-
nomenal luck. First. Some mysteri-
ously found grand jury notes get into
the hands Of his counsel. Second. At
the second trial "A juror mysteriously
disappears just at the time his cross
examination story at the first trial Is
being read against him by the state.
Il wonder why the defendant is 50
flick led . -