The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-10-28
vAWTER CASE


Rad Lee said he knew I was innocent,
but that if he didn't stick Vawter he
would convict me-"
Mr.. Atchison questioned the cor
rectness of Meyers watch, of his
memory and various other things, but
failed to shake the witness.
Watch Was Right.
My watch was all right said the
farm hand, every time the big whistle
| in Topeka blows 1 look at it and see
that it is about right. 1 looked at it at
noon that day and it was only min
ute or off,
Then Mr. Atchison began prying
! into Meyers reasons for rememb ering
the exact time different things took
place that day. He took him back thru
several previous days and demanded
to know what time he looked at his
watch, what time he had seen Alfred
Vawter and what time different things
had happened. Meyer appeared to be
a veritable human diary. But he ex-
planned that his clear recollection OF
matters, on the particular day upon
which the assault occurred, was due to
the fact that it was made known to
him that night that he was suspected
| and he went back mentally over the
| whole days proceedings.
He stated that he saw Vawter again
at O'Clock that evening when he quit
work. He drove his team and load Of
| corn to the Vawter place and went
! into the house. There was no one at
| home.
'In a short time" he said, NELSON
! and Robbins came to the house and
called me out. 1 pulled the door shut
and it locked on the inside. They told
me then that Miss Curran had been
! attacked and gave me to understand
that I was suspected. Later 1 tried
to get back into the house and could
mt. I went over to Alfred Vawter's
house to get a stepladder SO I could
climb into my upstairs wind. I found
him at home and helped him finish his
chores. Then I asked him to come
| over and stay with me until his moth
er and sister returned from Topeka
He came over and helped me finish up
| my chores. Then we went into the
house and 1 lay down on a cot and
went to sleep. Vawter sat up and
read a paper. l did not know until
was crowd around the house to keep
me from escaping"
Black as Midnight.
There was much testimony offered
| today relative to the visibility of OBJ
! jects in the outbuilding wher the at
tack occurred, when the door was
Chased. Miss Curran gave her descrfp-
ton of her assailant from the view she
| obtained while he was in the outbuild-
ing with her.
The defense put on witness after
witness to shaw that when the door is
| closed it is impossible to tell whether
a man is white or black whether he
| wears a collar or not or what kind of
| clothes he wears.
According to Mr.. Schenck's wit
nesses that outbuilding is proba bly, the
darkest place in Shawnee county One
witness said the interior is as ssblack
! as midnight" Oleta Cazier a young
woman who lives in that neighbor-
hood, testified that it would be impos-
sible to recognize any one by clothing
or otherwise in that outbui.ding with
the door closed. Mr.. Schenck put his
own stenographer on the stand TO tes-
/ tify that he was unable to see any
| thing when he went inside the build
ing and closed the door
After the defense had completed its
testimony the state put on several re-
buttal witnesses and most of them res-
titled upon this particular point. One
after another testified that one could
see clearly in the outbuilding with the
door closed. One woman, Mrs George
Mabon, testified she went into the
building this morning before she came
She said there was crack an inch
/ wide below the door and one almost as
| wide over the door.
Rad Lee arrived in town after the
testimony was all in with two wit
nesses to testify that they could read
a newspaper with the door closed, but
they were not permitted to go on the
stand.
Attorney Schenck bantered the
states attorneys to allow the case to
| go to the jury without argument and
they accepted his terms. Then Mr.
Sehenck declared he would have to
consult with the Vawters.