The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-30
Homer CullOr Says He Killed
Lyon Sheriff.
"Pm Ready to Take My Medi-
cine" TOpekan Says.
TRACES OUT EVERY MOVE
Heard Men Discuss His Flight
in Darkness.
Wants Only $25 Saved for Lux
urieS i'm Pen.

Homer NJ. Cullor has made Il COM
plete confession to the murder of
Walter Davis, sheriff of Lyon county.
August Is, and the shooting of three
other people, but denies having had
anything to do wit hthe holdup at
Emporia because of which the Off
GERS were attempting to arrest him.
Cullor is in the Shawnee county Jail,
having been brought here last night
from Kansas City. He made con-
feSsion in Kansas City. He made an
other corroborating the first at the
county Jail during the night. Today
he is talking freely with the officers
and discussing all of the details of
the crime and his escape.
Il know I'm up against it," said
Cullor today, land there is no use in
trying to keep anything back. 1 killed
the sheriff but it is an actual fact L
did not know l had killed him until
l was arrested at Keola, Iowa. When
1 shot at him 1 was either running or
just starting to run and 1 know 1 did
not have time to aim at him.
why, Cullor." said Sheriff Kiene,
you were close enough to him 20
powder-burn his coat
Il wouldn't have believed it, re-
piled Cullor.
The confessed murderer is in the
''parlor celI' at the county Jail. He
asked for paper and pencils today.
Il want to write to my mother and
sister" he said. Il am going to make
full confession to them, clean the
slate, then take my medicine
At first Cullor was inclined to blame
his pal, Earl Smith, for giving infor-
nation that led to his capture.
mo use blaming Smith, said Hugh
Larimer. They were getting ready to
hang him and he came thru with what
he knew"
Excuses His Pal.
We'll" said Cullor. 81 expect I'd
have done the same thing"
| Cullor is short and heavy set. He
| has light hair and blue eyes, the eyes
set far apart. He doesn't look like
bad man" He claims he is not
bad man.
''I lost my head for about ten min
utes" he said. 'and this is what 1 get
for it But let me tell you. My mind
was working all right when I was
making my escape from that pose"
Cullor took a pencil and paper to-
day and followed up his movement in
the fields and timber and brush of
Lyon and Usage counties while the
posse was pursuing him. He remem-
bered every detail. He told where he
heard people talking, where he saw
men in the moonlight, where he
crawled thru a hedge fence, or over a
wire fence. He told of crawling over
a long hill because the moonlight
would have made a target of him if
he had stood up.
Half a dozen times he said, there
were men around me in the semi
| darkness. I could hear them talking
and discussing my flight. 1 thought I
never would get far enough away to
stand up and walk or run. At 2:15
o'clock the night 1 made my getaway
I got into a farmers COW lot and
MIXED a cow 1 drank the milk and
that was the first 1 had had to eat for
nearly day"
Caught Freight Train.
CuIlor did not know the first town
he struck on the railroad but by de-
scribing it Wallace Jones, sheriff of
Lyon county and J. D. Smelzer were
able to place it as Lebo. From there
Cullor walked east thru Olivet and to
Melvern. At Melvern he caught a
freight train into Kansas City.
The divorced wife of Cullor lives
anad works in Topeka but she has
made no effort to communicate with
him. Cullor inquired about her and
wanted to know if she had tipped off
any facts about him.
Cullor had about s25 when he was
arrested and he was anxious today to
have that conserved.
TWENTY-FIVE dollars is not much to
keep a man in tobacco and other little
| things for the balance Of his life'' he
remarked. but 1 would like to have it,
anyway"
He laughed and smiled on the
sli ghtest pretext today, altho he ad-
mits he knows it is the penitentiary
for life for him.
: ]. D. Smelzer stated today that Cul
lor will be left in the Jail here for
week or more anr that he will then be
[ taken back to Lyon county to plead
1 guilty to murder.
1 1t was thought at the time the muir
T. der was committed that lynchins
would follow his capture. but Mr.
e Smelzer says it will be safe to tax,
1 him back for arraignment soon.