The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-17
Adopted Son of County Com
missioner COnfesses Burglary.
Tells How He and Two, Others
Entered Grocery Store.
WOMAN TIPPED OFF STORY
One Mans Sweetheart Let Out
Return of Gang Member.
Clever Ruse of Police in Hunt
ing Down the Suspect. 4

Warrants were issued in the court
of Topeka this morning for Earl
Franklin Sims, William Butler and F.
M. Nelson. charging them with enter
ing the Fritton grocery at 1000 and
1902 East Fourth street and blowing
the safe with Eitro-giycerine.
There are two complaints in each
case, one charging burglary and the
other charging larceny.
Sims is an adopted son of Frank
Sims, former county commissioner.
Butler was also an adopted son and
his foster parents are now dead. Nell
son is a drifter.
The issuance of the warrants fol-
lowed a complete confession made by
young Sims to the police last night in
which he told in detail of the bur-
glary committed during the night of
April 8.
Two Arrests Yesterday.
Butler and Nelson were arrested af-
ter o'clock Tuesday afternoon. Sims
has not yet been arrested but he will
be. according to Harvey Parsons, chief
of police. Butler is held in the county
Jail and Nelson in the city jail, in or
der to keep them from getting togeth-
er on story.
The night of April the powder
house of the w. A. L. Thompson
broken into and a large quantity of
dynamite was carried away. This, &C
cording to Sims's story, was taken to
the cellar of the Butler house on Ad-
ans street and cooked until the nitro
glycerine was secured in liquid form
And it was this soup that was used
on the Fritton safe. Sixty-two dollars
f,-<x f1,<a fa
L All three men disappeared imme-
i'diately following the burglary. Sims
returned some time ago but was not
arrested by the police for fear thai
would keep Butler and Nelson from
returning to Topeka 1t was WON
an who finally tipped the officers of
to the fact that Butler was back in
! ltown-Butler's sweetheart-and she
did it unintentiona1ly. They knew she
had left town with him and when she
| was seen in Topeka they suspected he
was also in town. Her name is Haze
Estes and she is a sister of Charles
Estes, ex-convict and now a fugitive
from justice
Used Fireman Uniform.
| The Butler home is located at 12i
Adams street and was inherited BY
Butler. Late yesterday afternoon
after Hazel Estes had been seen OF
the street, the police department
borrowed a fireman and a fireman.
uniform. They clothed Bob Miller, cit,
detective. in the uniform, and he anc
the fireman went down on Adam:
street inspecting houses. They in
spected all the houses in the bloch
where Butler lives. They tapped
| chimneys and walls and looked a
stoves. They went through the But
| Ter house and found no one until the,
! reached the last room and came neal
| finding no one there. The mattres:
on the bed had a peculiar appearance
and Miller made Il closer inspection O.
| it. He found 'Bill' Butler between
the mattress and the springs making
| himself as thin as possible.
| Nelson has been driving a jtney il
Topeka and has been keeping it a
night not fifty feet from the police
station. Tom Morgan, plain clothe.
man. picked him up on the stree
about o'clock last night. After Sc
curing both Butler and Nelson, Chic
/ Parsons called Sims to the police sta
ton and Bob Miller secured the eonfes
sior from him, signed in the presenc'
/ of A. c. Bartel, justice of the peace.
(Continued on Page A.