The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-14
Mayors Missives Brought Down
Heavy Evidence.
DREAM OF HER ALL NIGHT
Breathed Words OF Tenderness
i'm His Late Letters.
Found Collar Trimmed in Lace
i'm His Pocket.

prosecution when it introduced letters
written to Alma Stephenson by Will
liam H. Van Syckle after the date of
his arrest for the purpose of persuad-
ing her to withdraw her own testi-
mony against him in the white slave
case now. being tried before Judge A.
w. Dana in the first division of the
Shawnee county district court, had
shaken the defense to its very founda-
ton was indicated this morning when
the state rested its case. Owen Sam
uels, attorney for the defendant asked
that court be adjourned from IL
O'Clock to 1: 80 for the purpose of pre-
pairing certain questions of law which
he said he desired to submit to the
court at the opening of the case for
the defense.
The defense in the Van Syckle case
this afternoon rested it's case without
introducing any evidence in behalf OF
made a motion to withdraw the evil
dence concerning the happenings be-
fore the offense alleged to have been
committed at the Rex hotel in early
March. The motion was overruled by
Judge A. w. Dana. Judge Dana also
overruled motion by Samuels to dis
miss the case. The defense then an
nounced that it would rest.
The afternoon will probably be
taken up with the argument of the
attorneys and Judge Dana's mstruc-
tions to the jury. The case will be
given to the jury late this evening.
Letters a Surprise.
The introduction by the states at
torneys of several letters which had
passed from the defendant into the
hands of the complaining witness since
Van Syckle's arrest in which he used
argument and persuasion to induce
her to withdraw her damaging evil
dence, was evidently a complete sur
prise to the other side.
lott t,1d 70 Ian ;y,fn ho
hands of the girls parents, been de-
liNered byzthofn to Lon Mccarthy, of
Emporia. and by him turned over to
w. E. Atchison, county attorney in
charge of the case here.
They were filled with injunctiOns of
secrecy and warnings against being
shown to the prosecution While
none of these letters was signed they
were identified by Miss Stephenson
as having been received by her and
as being answers to letters which she
wrote at her home in Olpe and hid
under a stone in a secret place to be
collected by Van Syckle.
He Listened NervOusIy.
Van Sychle listened nervously to the
reading of the letters when they were
presented in court Tuesday afternoon,
and the admission by his attorney that
they were his appeared to mean the
REIMBURSEMENT of his last hope of be-
ing cleared of the statutory charge
growing out of the love affair between
himself ana the 1f-year-OIO girl on
whose evidence the states case rests
All told. fourteen OF Van Syckle's let
ters were placed in evidence. They
tell the story of the clandeStine rela-
tionship which terminated in the dis
covery of the girl in the Rex hotel at
Topeka on March Is. Some of
the references contained in them
give unmistakable evidence of the in
timacy between them Several of the
epistles are merely love letters. The
last three or four are filled with dis
cussion of the criminal case then
pending.
G. A. Baxter, the proprietor of the
Rex hotel; the day clerk and the night
clerk and a high school girl who was
staying with the Baxters at the hotel
at the time Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson"
went there. The people of the Rex
hotel told of what had taken place at
the hotel while the couple were stay
ing there. Frieda Ralston, the young |
lady at the hotel had the room next
son, and she testified that she had
heard Van Syckle and the girl in the
Miss Stephenson's room. She was
not, however, positive of the identity |
of the man.
Van Syckle is being tried on only |
one count, and it was announced this |
morning by County Attorney Atchison |
that the state would rely for con-
viction on the alleged offense said to /
have been committed on the event of
Van Syckles second visit to the girl at
the Rex hotel early in March.
Letters Introduced.
Following are extracts of some of |
the letters written by the Olpe mayor
to Alma Stephenson:
Undated letter left under
rock at Olpe:
Miss Alma,
Olpe, Kansas.
please tell me who made you
swear so falsely against me and
will you write to me about these
matters if / will come out and
change our letters Please tell me
all about your troubles. l will
come out, but don't know just
when. You can leave answer
where you find this. If you don't
want to write to me please leave
word any way" Unsigned.
An eighteen page letter written at
Olpe to Miss Stephenson at the same 1
place was signed Il" This letter was
among those written after the pre-
Iiminary hearing in Topeka and was
written in pencil on small sheets. 1t
said in part:
Miss Alma ]. Stephenson, Olpe, Kan:
Miss Alma ]. Stephenson,
"Olpe, Kan:
You don't know how much
good those words 1 got from you
this morning done me- But you
know I can't write what ! want
have never changed or never will
know all the evidence
they have got from the hotels and
it won't hurt me. But every
thing rests on your evidence They
.od