The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-24
Burt +. Hunts Life Is Hanging
by a Thread Today.
Gas Infection Has Turned Both
of His Legs Black.
STORIES SHOOTING CONFLICT
Wounded Man, Gray Haired,
Has d Wife and Family.
Cooper, Now in Jail, Plans De-
Tense With Attorney.

The "unwritten law will be the
defense of Ezra Cooper, jealous nus
band, should Burt F. Hunt die IN
Stormont hospital as a result OF
bullet wound received at the hands OF
Cooper at the Iatter's home, Z4oo
Fast sixth avenue, Saturday night
Today C,ooper. who is in the county
iau called w T.. Atchison, IorliltN
county attorney, to make arrahSe-
ments for his defense Should At .5
ison accept the case he VIII be Pitteu
against Robert Carver, county attor-
ney, who, until a few weeks ago Wa
deputy county attorney under Atch-
ison. .,, 7
Hunts life is suspended by a thread
TODAY. so to speak. He is as gray
haired man, forty-eight years oi4'
married and the father OF IWo ,r T4-l
, dren. The deadly gas baclln me-,
tfon which has killed thousands OF
soldiers in Europe, has been creeping
slowly up the body of the wouna It7
man. The germs which cause the
infection spread gas thru the BODY,
attending physicians stated today, ana
turn the parts affected black. Ihe m
lection had its incipiency in the riSht
leg. gradually spreading upward TO
the abdomen. If it can be checked
before it reaches a vital organ HUNT
has an opportunity to live
Hunts Statement Shaken.
Testimony shaking the statement
made by Hunt, on what he believed
was his deathbed, was unearthed to-
day by the sheriff's office. In that
statement Hunt declared that he call
ed at the Cooper home to give Mrs
Cooper "a telephone number for her
husband to call. Hunt was employed
by the Kansas Natural Gas company
at its station across the street from
the Cooper home.
The number" said Hunt, lis writ
ten on a piece of paper in the pockets
of my trousers at my home, S3S High
land avenue"
Investigation resulted in the finding
Of a telephone number in Hunts
trousers The number is that of well
known Topeka physician. But in
quiry by the sheriffs deputies reveals
that the physician and all members
Of his household absolutely deny
knowing any of the persons concerned
and also deny that they requested
Hunt, or anyone else, to carry such a
message to the Cooper home.
Cooper is 81 years cid, u much
younger man than Hunt. lis wife is
Il good looking blonde. 80 years Old,
md the mother of three children. The
stories of all three conflict excepting
IN a few details Cooper was calm AS
he sat in the county Jail awaiting the
arrival of w. +. Atchison.
Il will tell my story to the jury" he
said. NO. l never saw my wife with
Hunt. But I saw him in the yard Il
number of times and ordered him off
the place.
Re-Enac:cd Tragedy.
When arrested late Monday eve
ming by Sheriff i-arimer and Under
sheriff Mfler, Cooper made no pro-
test. He took the officers into the
house. showed thrm the rooms, the
bed under which ,se declares he found
ls.n he a HON
Saturday morning. He then led the
officers to the kitchen, pointed to 4
shotgun hanging ever the door, indI-
Gated the manner in which he ran to
a cupboard. rea ched for a cartridge
and placed 1t IN The shotgun. Then he
re-enacted the scene OF running to 4
side door. loaded shotgun in hand,
pointing the gun ut the fleeing figure
of Hunt and pulling the trigger.
Hunt in his statement. declared
that i'll feeling etween Cooper and
himself grew out IT alterations be-
tween the two when Cooper worked
at the gas station with him. He fur
ther declared that as Cooper drove up
10 the house, the alters wife warned
him against a jealous disposition of
her husband and urged him to flee.
He ran thru the front door, he told
the sheriff and deputies, ard was shot
by Cooper who went into the house
and obtained a shotgun He denies
that he hid under the bed.
AS Hunt told his deathbed story to
Hugh Larimer, sheriff: Bob Miller. I'M
dersheriff; Walter CLANCY. deputy
county attorney. and BILLY" Anderson,
stenographer for the county attorney.
his wife sat at the foot of the bed sob
bling. So far she has steadfastly re-
fused to make any statement.
Mrs Cooper's story differs from
that told by Hunt in many particulars.
Just few minutes before the sheriff
was notified to hurry to Hunts bedside
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