The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-19
URDER is CHARGE.
Negro and Wife Must Answer
for Death of Girl.
II fuest Following Alleged Fall
From Florists Car.
ID BUCKET BLOOD IN HOUSE
Front Yard of Clarence Porter
bone Raked After. Tragedy.
Tes timOny of High School Boys
Had Bearing on Verdict.
ID BUCKET BLOOD IN HOUSE

Murder charges were filed in the
cosft of Topeka today against Clar-
'enee Porter and his wife, Beryl Por-
teiiy eolored, following an inquest into
the death Of Leota Williams, colored,
Tuesday night A coroners jury re-
tuned Il verdict that Leota Williams
ha6 met her death by a blow on the
baSe of the skull with blunt instru-
InAnt in the hands of an unknown
pc lon. recommendations were made
.thaA Clarence Porter be held, pend
.ing further investigation. Carver
Issued a warrant charging both with
mlfFuer.
testimony of Lyndel Hawkins and
BlrFt Gurden, high school boys, appar-
entity knocked Porter's version OF the
ACCIDENT in the discard. Porter told
the police that the girl had been
tn EQwn from the Hayes florist de-
livsdy car at Tenth and Locust streets
WIEN he sWerved it to one side to
avoid Il collision with another automo-
bile travelling east on Tenth street.
Tire accident, he told the police, &C.
cEEfed between and o cIock Tues
day evening.
The two high school lads told the
jury that they stood at the corner of
Te 18Th and Locust streets, talking from
O'cfpck curfew blew. They saw the
Hatxes car driving down Locust street
ans return up Tenth street. 1t turned
to &he east on Tenth street, they testi-
fiep and returned westward bound
toward Kansas avenue few min
utss later. They could see none of
the occupants.
Or. J. L. Ransom. colored physi-
clan, called to the Porter home in
Noah Topeka, testified that Leota
WNlIams was dead when he arrived
abp11t $3.50 o'clock. spot no larger
than a quarter at the base of her
brain was the only abrasion on that
part of her body. he told the jury.
blow at that point had caused the
fracture, he testified. There was one
othsr slight abrasion on the girls
hip
Bucket of Blood.
Mrs. Porter seemed much disturbed
over the affair, DR.. Ransom stated.
She told him that she had been sus-
piGtous that Porter was running
ardnnd with the Williams girl and now
sh@ knew it and could not see why he
shHlld bring the girl into her house.
Testimony of Detectives Bundy,
Frust and Ransom was to the effect
THAI the front yard at the Porter home
had been freshly raked the morning
aftsr the tragedy. A bucket partly
filEed with blood and covered with a
newspaper was found behind the stove
in sthe Porter house, Bundy testified
Detective Frost testified that he had
been unable to lind any blood at the
corner of Tenth and Locust streets
wlssre the accident is alleged to have
happened. Elisha Scott, an attorney
defending Porter, demanded if Frost
hadn't been shown blood stains on the
bricks last night, when he was called
to skhe scene of the accident by Scott
Frfst admitted that he had. On cross
examination by Carver, the detective
stated that these stains were found a
block east of the alleged scene of the
ACCIDENT.
Il had been brought out Before that
Porter had been Tilted by the Williams
girl before his marriage to another
woman. The Williams girl married
but did not live long with her hus-
band. The day after the girls death
James Hayes, theS florist, issued a
warrant, charging Porter with taking
% the car out of the garage without his
consent. Porter worked for the flor
ist%
Coroner o. F. Narcotic took the
jury to look at the car. 1t is enclosed
in Ffront and on top and on both
sides. To have met her death in the
manner described, the girl would have
been obliged to plunge thru a narrow
Opening over the door of the car
Tie jury was comprised of negroes
The court room was filled with spec
faters