The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-14

see you before the trial and let
me know if you think you can
get away from them after they
get TO Fredonia, and come up to
Emporia. You can go to Ferns,
the next door. We just want a few
minutes talk. and if you think you
can't come, let me know. for
must see you. Please, don't talk
about killing yourself. 1 have to
have you to prove you were
forced to say what you did for
know they did. You know. Well,
I must close for this time. 1 will
come out again tomorrow night,
rain or shine. S. W.. A. K-L.''
Black Collar and Lace.
The following is evidently the first
letter written to Miss Stephenson at
Topeka. 1t is dated February 27 and
reads:
Mrs. L. L. Wilson, Topeka, Kan.
MY Dear Little Sweetheart:
How are you this rainy morning?
I hope you are feeling better and
if it is raining and showing there
like it is here, darling, don't go
out in it, just mail your letters
there in the hotel to L. L. Wilson,
Olpe, in care of lock box No. &c
and 1 will get them. Well, / was
looking through my pockets this
morning and found a black col
lar trimmed in white lace. 1
wonder who that belonged to.
neck that it goes around to hug
this morning. o dear, how sweet
you are and how bad 1 did hate to
leave you yesterday. But, dear
est. don't worry. for we always
have the bad with the good. We
will have a good time again some
of these days before long. But,
darling, you know / just love you
and think of you all the time. 1
dreampt all night about you last
night, and it was sure a sweet
dream for 1 dreampt we were to-
gether again. ..-s,. ~ -,s..
well, dear, tomorrow is your
sweet seventeenth birthday and 1
am going to send you present
but 1 haven't time this morning
to get it but will send it this
evening on the five o'clock train.
Keep sweet, dear, and take
good care of yourself and goodby,
dear love, with the sweet love and
kindest thoughts of you to you 1
will close, hoping you are all right
by this time. S. w. A. K. and ev-
erything that is good from your
loving husband to my Dear Lit
tie Sweet Little Darling Wife and
True Love-
r. This letter is closed with twelve
kisses indicated by x marks.
Tuesday Afternoon.
Admission of the authorship of tn,
IL. L. Wilson, love letters, a dozen o
which were read in the district cour
Tuesday afternoon, was made by tn
defense in the case of William H. Val
SICKLE, mayor of Olpe, Kansas, wht
faces statutory charges. For the frs
time in the course of the trial in which
she has related in minute detail thu
story of her esca pades with the mayo
Of Olpe, Miss Alma Stephenson los
her nerve and left the witness stant
in tears. The afternoon session wa
of letters written by Val
SICKLE to the girl both before ant
since his arrest.
1t was brought out that since tn
beginning Of the case, while the CIR
was in the custody of her parents a
O1pe, the defendant has endeavoret
to persuade her to go back on he
story and break down the states cas-
against him in the statutory charg'
for which he is now on trial.
Left Under q Rock. 80 .tas
This and other letters were written
by Van SICKLE, and left under. a. rock
where the girl could find them. They
are regarded by the states attorney as
the most damaging collateral evidence
at their command and their possession
has been jealousy guarded since they
first came into the hands of the prose.
cution. Every letter is filled with
illusions to his affection
my dear little sweet darling wife, the
sweetest Slrl tndI ever nyed, is a fa1l
sample of the endearments which
crowd the pages. Miss Stephenson
was moved to tears by the reading OF
the first of these and she was led from
the court room to compose herself
The fact that Alma Stephenson was
seventeen years old on February %
last, was testified to by the girl.
mother and substantiated in letter
from IL. L. Wilson, written on the
twenty-seventh in which he promise.
her a present for her seventeenth
birthday.