The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-22
MURDER MYSTERY
CircumStantiaI Evidence Points
to Foul Play in Death.
Clarence Porter and Wife on
Trial in Court Tomorrow.
ACCIDENT STORY IS DISCARDED
LeOta Williams Killed by I'm
known Person, Jury Finds.
Motive for Crime Is Puzzling
the Topeka Police Force.

A real murder mystery will be
aired in the court of Topeka tomorrow
morning when the preliminary hear
ing of Clarence Porter and his wife,
BeryI, will be held. Both are held
for the murder of Leota Williams
Tuesday night of last week. All per-
sons involved are negroes.
A story told by Clarence Porter of
the accidental death of Leota Williams
has been made subject to doubt as
police and sheriffs force. So says
Robert d. Carver. county attorney.
But as yet, the officers have been I'M
able to discover a motive for the
crime or anything excepting circum-
Stantial evidence to involve the huS-
band and wife in the alleged murder.
Leota Williams had met her death at
Leota Williams had met her death at
the corner of Tenth and Locust streets
when she was thrown out of an en-
closed delivery truck as he swerved
it to one side to avoid a collision with
another car.
The story on it's surface sounded
plausible. The next day the police
examined the car. Its structure was
such as to make such an accident as
was described next to impossible, the
police declared. The front of the car
is enclosed The sides opposite the
seat are enclosed as is the top. There
are doors two and one-half feet high
on the car and in order to meet
death in the manner described the
girl would have had to plunge thru a
very narrow opening. Then, too, ac-
cording to her father, the girl weighed
about 10 pounds.
Suspicion Aroused.
This created suspicion Further
investigation at the corner where
Porter said the accident happened
failed to confirm the story. Not a
clot of blood could be found by the
police, they testified at the coroner's
inquest.
The same day Leota's father told
the police that Porter had sought her
hand before his present marriage and
had been Tilted She married and so
did Porter. She didn't live long
with her husband, and altho Porter
was married, he continued to be at
tentive to the girl. Porter declares
/ that on the night of the girls death he
met her at the National hotel, where
she was employed as a pantry girl,
and walked with her to the garage
on Tenth avenue, where he got the
James Hayes car. A warrant has been
issued by Hayes charging Porter with
stealing the car.
After the accident Porter told the
police he picked the girl up and
placed her in the car. He drove the
car down Kansas avenue looking for
a doctor in front of the picture shows,
he says. Failing to find one he drove
to his own home at $40 North To-
peka avenue and carried her into the
house. His wife, he says, was in bed
Went for a Doctor.
Mrs. Porter went out after a doctor
DR. J. L. Ransom went to the house
( but the girl was dead when he ar
rived Mrs. Porter was greatly agi-
( tated DR.. Ransom testified at the
coroner's inquest. She resented heI
husbands action in taking the girl to
the house and told DR.. Ransom she
had been suspicious that Porter had
been running around with the Will
/ liams girl and now she knew it.
! A blow on the back of the head nc
/ larger than a quarter had caused the
/ blow had resulted in a fractured
skull. There was a slight abrasion or
/ the girls hip. Those were the only
marks on her body. Meeting death
4 in the manner described by Porter
would have caused more ard larger
4 bruises, the police say.
Porter stated that the accident hat
occurred between and 9 o'clock il
the evening at the corner of Tenth
and Locust streets. Two high schoo
boys testified at the coroner's inques
that they had stood at that corner
from o'clock in the evening unit
the O'Clock curfew rang, had seer
! the Hayes car go down Locust street
: return up Locust street, go east OF
Tenth avenue, return in a few min
utes and go westward toward Kansa!
avenue. They saw no accident at the
corner, they testified
The police introduced evidence a
! the inquest to the effect that the Por-
ter yard had been carefully raked the
morning after the accident. They die
admit they had found a little blood
on the back of the automobile seat.
Police Investigation.
/ Recent investigation by. Joe Holman
a deputy in the sheriffs office, has re-
suited in finding a flat iron smearet
with blood in the Porter home. Also
a mop with which blood had beer
/ wiped up.
A picket on a gate of the Porter
+ home was smeared with blood on the
outside. The mark looks much like &
bloody thumb print. The gate swing!
inward and persons thumb in open.
ing the gate with the picket from the
inside would be pressed against the
| outside of the picket where the mari
was found, the officers say. The pick
ct has been sent to the federal prison
at Leavenworth and the thumb prin
will be taken and compared with tn,
1 thumb prints of Porter and his wife
Then there are stories that the vii
liams girl was seen going into the Por
ter home that night. The police ar,
running down these stories. So far
If they have been Substantiated tn,