The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

room at the Fifth Avenue when we
were talking. Either at 1885 that morn
ing or the night before Mrs. Thomann
and Mediock went to Holton. They
were not in Topeka when 1 saw the
judge. Ericsson took me part way
down the steps from the parlor in the
National and showed me the judge
That was the only time in my life l
ever saw the man. 1 never spoke tc
him, or he to me, and I am willing
to swear to every word of it.
Then, when we signed the state
ments, Ericsson and Medlock promis-
ed me $45. don't know why it was
$45, but it was. That looked like
lot of money to me. 1 had been earn
ing 81 and $3.50 a week and needed
the money awful bad. When they gave
me the paper to sign, told them every
word of it was a lie, but they said
that it wouldn't do any harm to sigI
it and no one would ever know about
the thing So we all signed our state
nlents.
After that Mrs Thomann watched
me pretty close, 1 guess. She wanted
me to go to Excelsior Springs, but I
wouldn't 90 and staid right in Summer
field One day she said that a preacher
would probably come from some town
to see me and told me to stick to my
story. When told her I would tell the
truth, she got mad. The preacher never
came, thought.
When Thormann Knew.
zone day Mr.. Thomann got letter
that was for his wife. 1t was from
Medlock and Mr.. Thomann opened it
and read it, The letter cautioned her to
keep quiet and to watch me. I think
that was the first Mr.. Thomann ever
knew of this trouble. He threatened to
bring a suit for divorce, but they have
made it up some way and 1 think he is
going to help her
do INV Ia CT n for T1f
Mrs Thomann has been angry and
won't speak to me. You probably no
ticed that she walked right by me in
the hotel at Marysville and didn't
speak to me. But am not mad at her
and in lots of ways she has been good
and kind to me. Mr.. Thomann and the
boys have also been good and I am
awful sorry this trouble came up. I
don't want to hurt Mrs. Thomann or
cause her any trouble, but 1 am going
to tell the truth and If have to testify
in this case, I am going to tell just
what 1 know and not try to shield Mrs.
Thomann, Medlock, Ericsson, myself
or anyone.
They will probably say a lot of mean
things about me, but I can't help it.
God knows there isn't anything very
bad that I ever did, but there might
have been a lot of things if 1 had done
what Mrs Thomann wanted me to do
That was the plain simple story of
the little country girl, as she kicked
her foot nervously against an adjoin-
ing car seat, or looked out the window
and tried to keep back the tears that
sometimes came to her eyes. Usually
she looked up into the eyes of the per-
son on the car seat at her side and
told of her troubles in a frank, candid
manner. Nothing was kept back. AS
she barred so . secret of her rather
simple life, her face flushed and her
eyes dimmed but the story always
came without an effort to quibble or
parley.
VIII Stand by Wife.
Across the aisle sat Frank Tho
mann. a big genial Frenchman, who
has accumulated much of the world 8
goods and looks for the fun in the |
simple life he leads. But Thomann
into Topeka. He had determined to |
help his wife through her present |
trouble and he hung to that resolu- |
ton with dogged determination. For |
in the events of Marshall county. He |
was married to Mrs. Thomann 20 |
years ago and they are the parents of /
three sons. one of whom is married /
and family of his own.
I've got to see her through this"
Thomann declared as he talked of the
Gillett affair, "and I am going to do |
the best I can. I believe she is tell
ing the truth. I think the girl told /
her just what she says she told her.
Maybe it was the truth and maybe it /
wasn't. I don't know that. Leta is
a good little girl and we like her, too,
but something is wrong somewhere
and 1 wouldn't be doing the right
thing by my family if 1 didn't help
my wife when she was in trouble"
Both Thomann and the girl were
taken to the court house today and