The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-06

negro enter Platt's place about
| o'clock in the afternoon Of the day
| the murder was committed. Accord
| ing to his statement the negro was
| carrying a bundle when seen. Mr..
| Voiland is confident that ne can iden-
| tify him.
Another system of identification is
| that of the revolver which Riley car
| Riley was carrying an old style revolt
yer which was formerly used as a side
arm in the United Stat IS army
when arrested in Tulsa. The gun was
a AS callber Colts revolver with wood
| en- handle and strap swivel on the end
! of the handle. This is believed to have
been the same gun that was used to
| club Mr.. Plat over the head by the
| murderer.
He Has the Foreign Coins.
Sam Freidberg, son-in-law of Ben
| jamin Plat, and Chief of Police Nor
ris Jenkins, held a conference yester-
! day with J. F. Elston, the postomce
| inspector who is working 0" the case.
| Mr.. Elston called them in to try to
| identify some foreign coins which
| were found among Riley's belongings.
! Mr.. Freidberg was unable TO identity
the coins but stated his father-in-law
had some of this description. The
| coin according to Mr.. Freidberg, is
| seen often in this country and he
| could not identify it because it was so
| common.
After the postoff1ce inspectors COM
plete the web which they are weaving
around Riley, the Topeka officers will
{ be given a chance to fasten the Platt
crime upon him. If the Topeka officers
are successful, they will be allowed to
irscarcerate Riley in the state peniten-
tiary. If not the government will take
charge of him again and prosecute him
for robbing mail box.
NJ. j. EdmOndS, proprietor of the
jewelry store at 500 N. Kansas avenue,
which was robbed by Riley, has identi-
fed large number of rings, two brace
let's and a number of watches which
were found among -1iley's belongings.
His private marks were indicated to
the inspector and the inspector hGs ack-
nowledged that the articles contain
these marks as described
Inspector ElSton returned to topeka
Thursday afternoon and brought
lar ge number of these articles with him.
Other articles which may have been
taken out of the Edmunds place will be
received today from FIT. Worth, Texas,
and an effort will be made to establish
the identity of these.
Riley Wanted for Many Crimes.
Riley is a much wanted man. War
rants for his arrest have been issued in
Ncwata, Vinita, Tulsa, Muskogee, in
Oklahoma, and in Sa1ina, Kan, and in
FIT. Worth, Bartlett and Galveston,
Texas These warrants charge him
with grand larceny, robbery and post
office robberies in the several places
The draft for 5000 which Riley got
cashed in Topeka was drawn in favor of
Watson Durand KaSper COMPANY of
Salina. Riley had erased the words
Kasper Company so that it would read
Watson Durdnd and raised its valua-
tior from 200 to 5000. He realized thot
identification would be necessary and
secured the name of Eli Brainard, of 919
N Monroe street. Mr.. Brainard has
been required to pay the amount which
was lost by the bank. The draft was
cashed at the Shawnee State Bank.
July 8, the same day that the Edmonds
burglary was committed Riley left
Topeka for Salina the same night. He
secured drafts and checks from the
lock box in Salina which amounted TO
more than So, goo.
Riley is not a stranger to prisons. He
was convicted of stealing a suit of
clothes on East Third street in Topeka
and sentenced to the county Jail. He
began serving his time September Is,
1910, and was released on parole No
vember "A of the same year. While in
Jai, he professed religion and spent
preaching to the other prison inmates.
He Is a Bright Negro.
He adopted different methods while
being held in the prison at Nowata
Okla He had been arrested at Nowata
for burglary and feigned insanity. He
was so SUCCESSFUL III InlS reign, tnat he
was taken before the probate judge and
pronounced insane. He was taken to-
the Oklahoma insane asylum at Nor
burn, Okla, but escaped a few days
later.
Riley is we'll known in Topeka. He
seemed to be a good natured fellow and
an entertainer. He was good dancer.
singer and guitar player He worked
for the city street car company, drove a
wagon for Arthur Capper and did other
work. He had a number of female COM
panions in Topeka but his wife is n
Tulsa, Okla
Stolen property has been found among
his goods in Salina, Tulsa, Galveston
and FIT Worth.