The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-28
Mrs. Robert Riley Of st. Joe
Aided in Correspondence
Carried ON by Cramer and DR..
Elam's Wife.
OF Trip to Kansas City to Meet
Man Now Dead.
Declares That Nothing Inn
proper Took Place at Time.

Kansas City, May 28.-Mrs. Robert
Riley, wife of a railroad conductor Of
st. Joseph, Mo-. today told the jury
trying DR.. w. T. Elan. charged with
the murder Of w. Putnam Cramer OF
Chicago Of how she aided Cramer and
Mrs Elan in their efforts to meet and
correspond.
Mrs Riley said on September 16. last,
Mrs. Elan called her on the telephone
and asked her to go to Kansas City.
Mrs. Riley said she and the physician's
wife came to Kansas City, where they
met Cramer, who took them to cafe
and later to dinner at a hotel. Mrs.
Riley told of an arrangement at this
meeting between Mrs. Elan and Cram
er whereby they were to correspond
through a st. Joseph stenographer
Later, Mrs. Riley said, this arrange
ment proved unsatisfactory and Cram
er carried on his correspondence with
Mrs. Elan through Mrs. Riley. An ar
rangement was made that Cramer was
to send his letters to Mrs. Riley in the
envelope of the magazine with which
he was connected.
Mrs. Riley was thus to know the let
tiers and Immediately turn them over
to Mrs. Elan. Some time after this ar
rangement had been made, Mrs. Riley
said, DR.. Elan had called her on the
telephone and told her he knew OF the
arrangements for correspondence be-
tween Cramer and his wife and asked
her to turn over letters INTENDED TOT
Mrs. Elam to him. Mrs. Riley imme-
diately wrote to Cramer that every
thing was known and the situation Is
tense" She advised Cramer to write
letter that would appease DR.. Elan.
Cramer Wrote to the Doctor.
Mrs. Riley said this letter was writ
ten and she gave it to DIR. Elan.
Mrs. Riley said the letters Cramcr sent
to Mrs. Elan were addressed to"Bilps
She said during the meeting on Sep
TENDER Is, Cramer called Mrs. Elan
Bert" and Mrs. Elan called Cramer
BILL" Mrs. Riley also said she heard
Cramer mention the Jess telegram he
sent Mrs. Elan and which DR.. ELAN
overheard on an extension telephone.
Mrs. Riley said Cramer, Mrs. Elan
and she left the hotel at which they
dined here. the evening of September
16. at 8 o'clock. She maintained there
had been no improper conduct in the
taxicab in which the trio rode to the
depot.
Did Cramer kiss Mrs. Elam?" Mrs.
Riley was asked.
Witnessed hesitated a minute. then
replied: Il don't know"
She was excused.
Mrs. Riley was to have testified for
the state decided not to use her so the
defense placed her on the stand.
At the opening of the morning session
G. w. Brownson. manager Of the West
ern Union Telegraph company here.
produced the telegram that was tele-
phoned to Mrs. Elan and which first
caused DR.. Elan to suspect his wife.
The telegram read:
The jess Telegram.
Dropped of en- route Baltimore no
tel. Can you come down? Telephone.
JESS"
A letter written by Cramer was pro-
duced and Mr.. Brownson was asked if
telegram were alike. He said 1t ap-
peared to be the same writing.
Charles c. Grow, formerly of St.
Joseph. told Of talking to DR.. Elan the
night of the shooting. He said DR..
Elan was visibly excited.
The following witnesses from st.
Joseph testified to knowing DR.. Elan
many years and considering him man
of high moral character; Rev. j. M.
Chiffon, pastor First Congregational
church; A: p. Clayton. former mayor:
DR.. ]. w. Heddens, Circuit Judge
Charles H. Mayer. L. c. Barker, bank
er: DIR Jacob Geiger, Charles D. Nor
ris, publisher Of the st. Joseph Gazette;
State Senator T. J. Lysaght, and Mar
tin J. Shea. police sergeant.
LIZ L. a. 1OOQ ana Dr. w. "A. Card
ner. physicians of st. Joseph, testified
DR.. Elam's health was not the best
just prior to the shooting. DR.. Todd
said he was extrer ely weak and DR..
Gardner declared DR.. ELAN had lost
80 pounds previous to the tragedy.
Miss Tim Fenton. a stenographer OF
st. Joseph, testified to receivine
letters from Cramer for Mrs. Elam
These letters were first addressed to
her, she said. Inside was an enve-
lope addressed to Mrs. Riley and In
side that a letter addressed to Mrs
E." She said she did not know she
was go-between between Cramer
and Mrs. Elan, but believed for q
time that she was merely receiving
letters for Mrs. Riley.
An Intercepted Letter.
Miss Fenton said she had done
stenographic work for DR.. Elan. On
September 10, she said, she turned
over to DR.. Elan, at his request .
letter from Cramer. DR.. Elan as he
read 1t became greatly agitated. ex.
tremely pale and his body shook
Turning to her, DIR. Elan said:
Tim, my life has been ruined .
Defense introduced the letter in eyi.
dence. It was addressed to '.Bill',
i Bert" and signed "Bert's Bill I,
was dated Chicago. Sept 8, 1919
and read:
BEAT myself home by a whole da,
and just received your dear Letters
was happy day. dear, and am think
ing we did pretty well under conditions