The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-02
HAD GIRLS WATCH
Andrew Wallace Held on the
Charge of Murder.
County Attorney Refuses to
Issue Warrant.
PUSHED GIRL FROM BRIDGE
That Is Theory on Which Of
/ ficers Work.
Rock Island Bridge Believed
Rock Island Bridge Believed
Scene of Crime.

| Andrew Wallace a negro, is held at
the county Jail pending an investigation
4 of the killing of Mabel Morris, a 16
| year old Buchanan street girl. The
finding of the girls watch and locket
| in Wallace's possession last night and
the fact that it was in Wallace's COM
pany that the young woman was last
seen alive, officers considered strong
circumstances pointing toward the
| mans guilt.
| Wallace Is about % years old, mar
| ried, and works in a pool hall on lower
| Kansas avenue. Sunday night ne was
seen walking north on Buchanan street
with the Morris girl They were walk
| ing arm in arm and from all appear
ances, the girl was accompanying WAL
lace of her own motion. Ten days later
the girls body was found in the kaW
river near the Sardou bridge
| lace refused to talk. County Attorney
| Simon has refused to permit lawyers,
reporters or visitors to see the prisoner
and has not himself talked to the man.
The inquest, set for this afternoon, has
been indefinitely postponed. In the
meantime an effort will be made TO
secure more evidence against the man
| in Jail.
Following the report that Wallace
was seen with the girl the night she
disappeared ITOH nome, al lnNSSIISd-
ton was made by the officers and the
pool hall where Wallace works was
searched. Here the girls watch and
locket to which was attached a 81 gold
piece were found. To the officers Wall
lace said he did not know any of the
circumstances of the case. Officers
working on the case now believe that
the young woman was pushed from
the Rock Island bridge and that the
| motive for the crime was either rob-
berry or assault, perhaps both. AS the
girl fell, it is believed that her slayer
seized the watch and chain. This
theory carries strength because of the
fact that a portion of the watch chain
was still around the girls neck at the
time her body was found. The crime
was probably committed near the
North end of the Rock Island bridge,
where the water is deep. Whether the
girl consented to walk across the
bridge with her betrayer or was forced
to enter the bridge, is not known.
There is little doubt that this place was
the scene of the murder if murder it
is. The finding of the girls hat on a
sand bar below the bridge, further
strengthens the theory on which the
officers now work. e..
So Voiles Found the Watch.
Detective Ed. *rVoiies- found the
watch.
Detective Voiles and Golf have
worked continuously on the case since
the girl disappeared and believed that
Wallace was connected with or re-
sponsible for her disappearance. They
have Questioned him a number of
times as have Detective Otto Anderson
and Frank Summers and Chief of Po-
lice Morris Jenkins.
They believed that the man Wal
lace had knowledge of the affair and
asked E. r. Simon, the county attor-
ney. for a warrant for his arrest The
county attorney did not think that the
ia 3o3<
rant to be issued and would not grant
the request.
Wallace was taken to the police sta
ton last week where he was question
ed by Tinkham Veale of the Office of
the county attorney, but no additional
information was obtained.
John Morris. father of the girl, has
insisted that Wallace be arrested but
the police refused to make the arrest
without warrant. The sheriff's force
arrested him without a warrant last
night.
Detective VoiIes found the watch
hidden under the counter in the pool
hall in the basement at 404 Kansas
avnue where Wallace was employed as
a porter. The pool hall is owned by
George S. oliver, a chauffeur, but he
denies having any knowledge Of the
affair. Wallace has been employed
regularly in this pool hall for several
weeks but he has employed another
negro in his place during the last ten
days during which time he has been
questioned by the police and taken
away from his work on numerous oc-
casions.
Wallace is married and is about 25
years old. He lives in the vicinity of
the home of Mabel Norris.
He is short and slim. He MAIN
tains his innocence.
Mabel Morris was 16 years old and
was considered a girl with much abil-
ity. She was a student in the To-
peka high school and was in her Sec
ond year. In addition to that she was
studying music at Washburn college.