The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-05-26
Slayer of Little Topeka Girl
Given q Life Term in
PenitentiaFy.
MURDERER Boosted TOO SOON
Kansas City, Kan, Jury Was Out Five
Hours Before Reaching Yer.
dict in Case.

it a sentence of life Imprisonment IN
the Kansas penitentiary. 1t will be /
the third term in the penitentiaTy that /
Bissen has served and his fifth term
in prison, as he has served two re-
formatOry terms.
The lawyers who defended BisseI |
were named by the court and served /
without fee. When the case came be-
fore Judge McCamish of the Wyan-
dotte county district court from To- /
peka he learned that Bissen had no |
legal counsel Kansas has no law pro-
viding for free legal aid except that /
the court may appoint Judge Nc |
Camish appointed W. A. Shook. Mr.. |
Shook served without pay, even pay 1
ing his own expenses when he went |
to Topeka to investigate and for maps |
and other things necessary to the de- |
Tense.
The jury retired shortly after noon. |
Bissen was gloomy at first and de- |
scribed how they would convict him |
But as time passed and the jury did |
not report he became hopeful and |
even boosted how he had selected the |
jury and would go free. When il filed
in at o'clock he looked up with &
smile. When the verdict was read
the smile vanished and Bissell began
to humble After hearing the verdict,
however, the attorney did not forget
his duty to his client and asked that
the jury be ''polled-" AS each of the
twelve declared it was his verdict Bis
sell gazed at the floor. Then, mutter-
ing, he followed a deputy sheriff from
the courtroom
The crime OF which BisseH was con-
victed was Turing Edna Dinsmore to a
vacant house in Topeka April %, 1916,
numbering the child and burning the
house. The body of the child was
found by firemen. Bissell, who had
quarTeled with Mrs. Bessie Dinsmore,
mother Of the girl, was arrested and
confessed.
* x x
Plan to Save Fruit crop.-The Kan
sas Arkansas Valley Apple Growers
Association, composed OF fifty men In
Sedgwick, Sumner, Reno and Cow1ey
counties, who control three thousand
acres of apple and other orchard trees,
has been called to meet at Belleplaine,
and conserve the fruit crop, which
promises to be large this season. At
a preliminary meeting held at Belle
plaine a committee was named to meet
in Wichita May % to take initiatory
steps towards perfecting the organi-
cation and to get expert speakers for
the Belleplaine session.
x X x
River Is On Fire.-The Walnut river
| is on fire OIL refuse on the water is
| burning. The fire extends from the
Butler county oil fields to Winfield.
The blaze is causing no damage, but
is deplored by many farmers who in
the past year have been skimming the
| oil from the river and making con-
siderable profits from its sale.
Dead From ApopIexy.-Milton Land
auer, 80 years old, dry goods merchant,
is dead at Larned from apoplexy. His
| father established the business which
he conducted there forty years ago.
X X x
J. p. Becker of Wichita Shot. P.
Becker, a widely known stock broker,
was shot and dangerously wounded at
| Wichita while on his way home by a
highwayman The robber took two
valuable diamonds from Becker and
fled. Becker was shot in the head.
X X X
Columbus Forming a company-Co-
lumbus is organizing a company OF in
fantry which will seek a place in the
new Third Kansas Regiment The
first twenty-five recruits signed up
| recently 1t is expected to complete
the company, as far as securing the
necessary men is concerned, within
week.
No Wheat in Smith County.-For
the first time since its settlement
forty-fiEe years ago, not an acre Of
! wheat will be left standing in Smith
county for harvest this year Approx
imateIy 100000 acres were drilled TO
the cereal last fall, but it is all turn
ed under and the ground being listed
to corn. Implement dealers are being
overwhelmed with orders for listers,
and find it impossible to supply the
demand.
Rector an Army chapIain-The Rev.
Otis E Gray, rector of the Trinity
Church at Atchison, has been appoint
ed chaplain and has been called 20
Fort Riley for service in the officers
training camp. Mr.. Gray is 2 native
Of England and served three years in
the British army.
4 = y
Child Dies of Meninsitis.-A 3-year-
old son OF Mr. and Mrs Robert h.
Jones OF Ottawa is dead from cerebro-
spinal meningitis. One other child in
the family probably viii die. There
is q third case Of the disease there.
X
MePherson Has Navy Leacue.-The
MCPHERSON County Navy League and
the women's auxiliary have completed
their organization Anumber Of young
men Of the city have applied for en-.
Iistment In the navy.
y X
Arrest Alleged Spy at Hays.-GoE.
eminent secret service men and Sher-
iff Alex Wells arrested Gus HoEning