The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-22
Ward Speelman Still Refuses to
Discuss His Troubles.
Declines to Deny Stories of His
Wife's Extravaganza.
NOT FURNISHED BOND.
Father in Law Returns to Wake
field Without Action.
Relatives Do Not Call on Him in
County Jail.

For four days Topeka society has
racked and scraped Ward Speelman's s
trouble and after being duly sworn,
the Jurors in the social realm, point
to Mrs. Speelman's fancy clothes as the
place where much of the bank clerk s
$9, GOO steal really landed To be sure
SpeeIman himself shed money lavishly,
but the gentle sex at the card clubs
still carry visions of the wife's shop
ing expeditions that boosted the days
sales at the department stores.
1t was on these trips to the shopping
district, it is said, that Mrs. Speelman
rea ched her pinacEe of glory and made
happy the girls at the dress goods
counters. Added to these were visits
to the florists, the hair dressers and
manicurists. Then to the theatre.
Later to supper. Here the ambitious
walters carried trays Of the best the
provided. That's the gossip of the gos-
sips They tell of other days when
Mrs. Speelman visited the clubs where
she mingled with women whose hus-
bands annual income was equal to
Speelman, plus two cipherS. Probably
twO-thirds of the stories heard on the
streets are idle gossip. His wife was no
doubt extravagant but not to the ex-
tent reported.
Usually Mrs. Speelman paid cash for
all of her purchases. Few monthly bills
We're ever sent by the big stores to the
young bank teller and no one except
Speelman and his fashionable young
wife had even the faintest idea of the
size OF his big expense accounts.
Where Speelman himself spent his
money has been told and retold,
Some provision must be made for his
wife. And none of Speelmans inti-
mate acquaintances deny he made
them His friends will also testify
that he told the truth when he told
the bank officials that he Just lived
the money up
But Speelman is making no apollo
gIes. When visited at the county jail
this morning by a State Journal repre-
sentative, Speelman was sitting in his
cell He leaned heavily against the
narrow cot in his cell as he looked
through the bars at a visitor. He
seemed more cheerful and confident
than at any time since his arrest Yet
he was not making statements for the
newspapers.
There's nothing for me 0 tell,'
said Speelman to his visitor, "and
nothing that I care to say to the news
papers. And if l did make Il state
ment," intimated the young bank
clerk you wouldn't print it the way
I gave it."
Speelman was assured that this was
not true and that any statement would
be handled with care. Then he was
told of some of the wild stories that
floated along the streets and reports
Of the high living of himself and his
wife.
Did you find them all true asked
the young man.
The visitor said he supposed many
of them were false, but urged that
Speelman should tell the story him
self
Well, I don't think I viii do it.
There are always lot of stories; and
of course the papers will print them
But have nothing to say"
A little later a waiter came from the
Elks club. He carried a tray loaded
with things to eat that have seldom
been passed to prisoners in a Shawnee
county Jail. Then came visitor after
visitor until it was necessary to re-
move the bank teller to the parIor
cell on the first floor of the building
\ ct in the long lines of visitors none
OF Speelman's Topeka relatives have
appeared. Not since his arrest have
the members of the Mileham fam
lies called on the prisoner Neither
nave Speelman's parents come to To-
peka and it is intimated that Mrs.
Speelman will not come here Until her
husband is arraigned in April.
1t has been intimated that an effort
IS being made by mem bers of the Elks
and Country club to secure bond for
Speelman. He is not a member of
the Topeka club as was 1T first re-
ported and never was member of
the Topeka club
This afternoon Speelman was still
without bond, but some of his friends
insist that he will secure his release in
a few days. DR.. Andrew Pearson has
returned to his home in Wakefield.