The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-18

Floor Plan of Snowman House, Show
ing Beds and Position at Time of
Discovery of Crime.
Ira E. Lloyd, a well known attorney
of this place, gives a clear and definite
! account of the trouble Marzyck had
that resulted in his prison sentence
and also tells of the part played IN
| that trouble by the Showmans- Mr.
Lloyd was attorney for the man Vopat
who was implicated in the trouble and
who later married Marzyck's wife. His
story follows:
'.Vopat lived on small farm near
here five years ago and Marzyck and
his wife lived with him. Both men
Marzyck got up before daylight and
took Vopats team and wagon and
drove to a neighbor's and took load
of wheat out of his bins and took it
to town and sold it and got a check for
the wheat made out in Vopats name
When the loss of the wheat was dis
covered, Nopat was accused of the
theft, but denied it and hired me to
| defend him. We soon proved that
Marzyck had driven the team that
morning and cashed the check and got
drunk on the proceeds had sew
eraI conferences with MarZyck and his
wife and Mrs. Snowman and Vopat in
the Jail where Marzyck was confined.
Mrs. Snowman and Marzyck's wife
were sisters. Marzyck finally decided
to plead guilty and throw himself on
the mercy of the court. After he was
sentenced he stamped and SwOre over
his i'll fortune and expressed strong
feeling against the Showmans. whom
he declared ought to have Shlelded
him in the matter instead of siding
with NOpat.
Il know that if the case had come
to trial the Showmans would have tes-
titled against Marzyck
l. ". 1--I 7rfE
ing to do with Mrs. Marzyck getting
a divorce from her husband after he
went to prison. I got the divorce for
her, it being simple enough affair, as.
he was serving prison sentence
The Trail of the BIoodhounds.
The two bloodhounds brought here
by Sheriff Bradshaw from Abilene yes
terday followed the trail of the muir
dered from the Snowman house down
to the railroad tracks and over the
Frisco depot platform to the section
house near the tracks, where it seemed
to end so far as the dogs were con-
cerned Each dog working separate
ly, followed the trail to the same spot.
1t is possible that the murderer took
the night train west at this place The
dogs were given piece of blood
soaked rag upon which the murderer
wiped his hands from which to trail
by.
The C1ew of the Bloody Shirt
An unknown man stopped at the
Baker house here the night of the
crime and acted strangely, appearing
to be nervous and i'll at ease. He came
to the hotel at midnight and was gone
at daylight the next morning His bed
was not slept in and he left behind a
blood-stained shirt. The sheriff is
working on this matter from Kanap-
oils, where the man said he was go
ing.
MI, Count a+.@,,,<,v- T. Eo,t;.~,,+
County Attorney Samuel E. Bartlett
is intensely interested in the case and
is working on it day and night. He
has listened to a lot of reports and
sifted them down to tangible evidence.
Coroner ReitZel is in consultation with
Mr. Bartlett constantly during the in
vestigation and conduct of the inquest.
Both men show sense and Judgment in
their conduct of the mysterious and
remarkable case. They will have a
Pinkerton here tonight to confer with.
The coroner's Jury impanelled for
the inquest is composed of the fol-
lowing citizens: Roscoe Holt, Joe Ka-
lima. James Nemechek. Hugh Leith,
George Jones and Norris Babson.
The Women Are Terrorized.
The women in Ellsworth are terror
stricken as result of the Snowman
tragedy. and one can not blame them.
Marzyeks wife. Mrs. Vopat, has begged
the sheriff to let her stay in the county
Jail nights for protection from sec
ond visit Not a woman in town will
leave her home after dark and the
husbands have to stay at home after
6 o'clock in the evening or take their
wives to their stores and places of
business with them.
Slayer Friendly With Dog.
Ellsworth, Kan. Oct. 1S-William
Snowman, his wife and three small chill
dren, whose mutilated bodies were
found If their home here, We're slain
by someone who knew the Snowman
home accurately. and who was IN
friendly terms with a family watch
dog. This fact was brought cut fDl-
lowing Investigations by the police.
The murderer completed his task and
covered his crime we'll To prevent
the telephone with Mrs. Sno%man's
cloak. After the tragedy the ak with
which the crime was committed and the
lamp the slayer used were placed be
hind a door. where they were found
today. The lamp chimney was placed
in the kitchen of the house, under a
chair and it is believed the crime was
committed in the dim light thrown from
a lamp wick, the murderer evidently
fearing the family might awaken in
stronger light
Did Murderer Return?
Mrs. O. w. shook, a neighbor, who
discovered the murders when she called
at the Snowman house, said she know
of no reason fer the crime. The Show
mans had no enemies. she declared.
Mrs. Shook said a dog owned by the
Showmans came to her house several
times yesterday and each time she
when I went into the house." said