The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-30
.STORYOF SHOOTING
Killing Of Frank Wilkerson De-
tailed in. Court.
Feud Result of Talk About Mar
ried Woman.
WAS OFLONG STANDING
Young Man Had Threatened to
Kill WilkersOn.
Was known as a Fighter in
NeighbOrhOOd.

The quarrel between Frank Wilker-
son and David Braggs which resulted in
the killing of Wilkerson at a Silver
Lake dance two weeks ago and which
was admitted to have concerned a mar
rled woman was shown today to have
grown from an erroneous charge.
The woman in the case is Mrs. Fred
Moore. wife of a farmer at whose farm
BraggS was for some time employed
as farm hand. Wilkerson. it is al
legged, went to Fred Moore saying that
Braggs was claiming to have a tsbet-
ter standin' with his wife than he had.
BraggS was able to convince Moore
that the report was false and that
charge The affair was settled so far
as the Moore family was concerned
but Braggs began to watch for WIKI
erson.
At the preliminary hearing of the
case against BraggS in the court of
Topeka today, the state made an es-
pecial effort to draw out new evidence,
going into the evidence of the killing
only sufficiently to show Braggs' adj
mission which is calculated to hold him
for trial.
The law firm of Crane & WOODBURY.,
Holton, have been engaged by the
state to assist in the prosecution and
sat in the court room today but Coun-
ty Attorney Simon conducted the ex-
animation of witnesses.
A great deal of time was devoted to
an incident at the w. W. Glidewell
farm near Valencia on the day after
Christmas 1t was shown that Moore,
Glidewell, John Mcclure, farm hand,
and Braggs were there among others
and were drinking. MCGUIRE said
Braggs had handed him his gun early
in the morning to take care of but later
in the day asked for it again. Some
he didn't. But the evidence went to
show that Braggs was then looking
for Wilkerson.
Miss Matte Bridewell gave the best
evidence for the state though some
what reluctantly.
lied to Moore about him and he was
going to whip him. said the witness
when asked what Braggs had said at
the time he wanted his gun.
what else did he say?"
well, as he went out the door, he
said he was going to kill Wilkerson.'
| She further testified that Braggs
was excited and acting peculiarly at
the dance the night of the shooting.
Instead of stopping to talk and jolly
| as usual. she said he just spoke and
went on. He did not dance any dur
/ ing the evening, she added.
| Schenck & Atchison, attorneys for
Braggs. confined their cross examina-
ton to establishing the fact that Will
| kerson was fighter and a dangerous
man. Several witnesses testified that
| this was so but wavered somewhat on
| examination by Simon. Mrs. Moore re
! piled, when asked, that Wilkerson
was a dangerous man, but she could
not name a single person who had
| ever told her so and could not even
name anyone who had told anyone
| else so.
Coroner H. H. Keith was placed on
the stand to recite his evidence OBJ
tanned at the dance hall, where he ar
rived before the body was removed.
Will Cook, of the neighborhood. and
! Paul Priddy, of Elmont, both testify
! the same as to what Wilkerson said
when he fell in onto the dance floor.
AS he fell he gasped, HE shot me- y
Some one asked who. He replied,
| s'Dave Braggs." The defendant admit
ted the shooting to the officers after
| his arrest and attempted to explain
| that Wilkerson had kicked him and
| pushed him down the stairs. The pre-
| liminary probably will be finished this
| evening. The court room is crowded
with men and women from the Silver
Lake and Valencia districts.