The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-06
KAY 4 FREE Man.
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other man and Mrs. Kay objected to
the remarks Of her husband in q man
ner that occasioned frequent QuaIreis.
Killed With Fiat IRON.
: Then there was the final quarrel
and Kay battered his wife to death
with a flat iron. After the crime. the
man was almost frantic with remorse.
He tried to nurse the woman back TO
life, 1t is claimed. and when ne 1ouno
that the woman was dead. Kay rusneo
from the home to raVine near the
house and hanged himself from q
bridge. But the rope broke and Kay
wandered about town Tor severai
hours Then. he went to the Crosby
mills, where he was employed and
again tried to hang himself. 1t was
while Kay's body was suspended IN the
air that he was found and revived.
Charged with wife murder. Kay en-
tered a plea Of guilty to second degrees
years in the state penitentiary. He
began serving sentence in the Lansing
prison in September. 1902. His rec
ord has been among the best OF the
state convicts. =,
Sitting in the deputy warden's Of
about the crime which caused him to
spend the best days OF his life In pris-
on Calm and unmoved, the big rug
Ked man. told the details OF his crime
and concluded with the assertion that
he hoped he could live down the stain
the crime had brought upon his home.
rQuarreled ON Way Homo.
II didn't intend to kill her." said
KAY. as he explained the events Of the
FEBRUARY night I'VE had been to
lodge and walked home. There was
another woman with us and we took
her home before we went to our own
house. We had often quarreled about
~ tnIA her Ah0
should not permit him to come on the
place. She had almost driven me des-
perate by saying that II she couldn't
see him in her own nome, she wouio
see him somewhere else.
I'VE were talking about these things
when my wife said that she had filed
suit for divorce that day. Then she
said she had sold the carpets and tho
everything Tor SO. III
was the little home had worked for
and fought for and for minute -we'l.
j aort Of lost control Of myself. I never
really knew Just. what did. They say
I picked up a. fiat iron and killed her.
After 1t was all over, I began to
realize. I tried to nurse her back !
was almost crazy. I guess. But tnere
was nothing that could do. She was
dead For more thaniI2 years l. nave
been paying the penalty" f.
VIII Try to Make Good 49,
That was the first and only crime
Kay ever committed. Never before had
the man been arrested. He was a, man
Q. wears old at the time Of the killing.
He Rae been married when u HIS
wife was but a year younger Their
children were then two and five, re-
spectively.
What will you do II a parole IL
granted ?" was asked of Kay as he sat
in the deputy warden's ONCE.
IT am going back to Topeka" was
the stern and determined reply. II
am going back where my friends and
my enemies are. I have enemies there
as we'll as friends. But am going to
show them that can make good. My
children are there. and I have them
and myself to live for"
Kay will probably go to work in the
Santa Fe shops when he returns to
Topeka this week. He Is an excellent
mechanic. and almost since the day
he was sent to Lansing he has been in
charge Of the hoists and machines at
the prison mines. His record is per-
feet.
Scores Of widely-known Topekans
signed the petitions for Kay's parole.
Among the men who urged that the
man be given a chance to make good
were: Charles Sessions, secretary of
state; Mayor r. L. Cofran, Commits
sioners w. L. Porter. Roy L. Bone,
Postmaster w. o. Rigby. Arthur Cap
per, Sheriff L. L. Kiene, County Attor-
ney w. E. Atchison, Treasurer Matt
Weightman. County Clerk Oscar
Swayze, Register Of Deeds Robert
Tasker. r. M. Penwell, W. w. Mills,
j. B. Abrahms and C.. L. Wolf