The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-14

After being brought to Topeka last
night. Boyle reaffirmed his innocence.
He told the county attorneys force he
could give no reason for signing the
confession, and begged them not to
question him about the matter.
when we left st. joe said Boyle,
lock gave them some money earlier in
the week.
Attorney Bolinger and PatroIman
Boyle a brother of the plumber. visit
ed the former Topekan at the Jail this
morning, following the interview of the
county attorney. After considering the
method by which the Boyle comics
sion" was secured, Simon declined to
issue a complaint for the mans arrest
and ordered him released. 1t was adj
rnitted that there is no evidence on
which to base a conviction aside from
the bare statement of the Boyle. An
investigation showed that Boyle work
ed on west Tenth avenue the day OF
the killing and was not in North To-
peka that day.
Detectives Are Wrathy.
When it was announced that Boyle
had been released, Detectives Erics-
son and Medlock were wroth.
I'VE had a good case against Boyle
said Ericsson. "Medlock had been
with the man several days and was in
his confidence. Much of my Informal
ton was secured from Mr.. Sloan, a
Med1ock, who is a Topeka man and
lives at 610 West Fifth street, denleo
that he had inundated Boyle or got
him drunk in securing statement OF
his guilt.
I'VE took a drink Of whisky early in
the morning." said Medlock. but after
that drank only pale beer. Boyle
didn't drink the amount he claimed
and was careful not to permit him to
become intoxicated. Neither did We
promise Boyle clemency if he confess
ed. although both Ericsson and myself
sympathized with the man and prom
ised to do what we could for him.
told him Ericsson was a coed friend
of the governor and would do what ne
could for him"
Members of the police and sheriff
force consider the Boyle incident
huge Joke. Not since the mans arrest
have they given any credence to the
story of the plumbers guilt and are or
the opinion that there was never su1n-
cient evidence to warrant bringing the
man to Topeka.
A year ago Boyle was suspected OF
the murder At the time the plumber
was working for the Henry Hardware
company, one door south of the Platt
store. After an investigation by Pink
erton detectives and police OFFICERS, II
was conceded that Boyle could not have
been in the neighborhood of the Platt
store at the time of the murder.
When Former Spotter Ericsson open
ed private detective agency in Topeka
the Ericsson Medlick-Sloan trio took
up the Platt mystery. The Boyle the
DRY was lying loose and easily access
sible. On this they based a still hunt,
which resulted in the plumbers detec-
ton this week
Mr.. Simon Makes Statement.
The manner in which the William
Boyle confession was secured, is ex-
planned today in a statement made by
ment Simon states his reasons for re-
fusing a warrant in the case and de-
clares that the alleged confession would
be worthless in a court of justice.
Simon says:
mo man in Shawnee county has ever
been more anxious than 1 to see the
murderer of Benjamin Platt convicted
and punished. At the same time have
never issued a criminal complaint
against any person unless I believed
there was = reasonable ground or MS
guilt.
Shortly after the murder of Benj1-
min Platt, William D. Boyle was sus-
pected and all clues tending to show
his guilt we're run down and found to
be groundless. A couple of months ago
Mr.. Ericsson came to me and said that
he believed that Boyle was guilty.
informed him of the investigation
which had been made concerning Boyle. |
Mr.. Ericsson then proceeded on LIS
cwn responsibility to investigate the
murder and located Boyle in st. JOS
eph. Mo.
Last Tuesday morning when I was
sick at home, Mr.. Ericsson came to |
my house and wanted me to issue
complaint fer Boyle's arrest, saying
that on Monday night, while under the
influence of liquor, Boyle had made
certain discriminating statements to one
of Ericcson's men in ST. Joseph
told Mr.. Ericsson that considering
Boyle's intoxicated condition, that those |
statements would be of little or no
weight as evidence and refused to is
sue a complaint. I told Mr.. Ericcso |
also, that if Boyle would make writ
ten confession CT guilt, that there would
then be evidence or grounds on which
to issue a complaint. Mr.. Ericsson
said he would return to st. Joseph and
have Boyle picked UP and sweat him
out and said he wished could g
along AS 1 was sick and could not
go, but desiring to be advised as to
the circumstances under which con-
fession was made, if one wasr made.
I had my assistant, James A Mcclure
go to st. Joseph with Mr.. Ericsson.
Boyle was picked up that evening in
St Joe by the police, and while Mr.. |
Mcclure was present at the sweating, |
Bowie made no admissions of guilt and
denied that he had made any state |
ments discriminating himself, to anyone
the night before, and said that if he did
make any, he was drunk and did not
know what he had said. Mr.. Mcclure
was present until about or o'clock
in the morning and then retired. About
5 o'clock Mr.. Ericsson came to the
hotel and walked Mr.. Mcclure and said
that Boyle had come through and |
would plead guilty. Boyle was brought
over to the hotel and said he was will