The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-22
Arthur Reynolds Did Not Kill
Youth Intentionally.
COrOner's Inquest Proves No
Malice i'm the Act.
10 MOTIVE IS DISCOVERED
Turning Out of Lights Still Re-
mains a Mystery.
Boy Is Released From All
Charges by Officials.

Arthur Reynolds. 16-year-old son of
Mr.. and Mrs. F. p. Reynolds, 1925
North Quincy street, was freed today
by coroner's jury which probed into
circumstances surrounding the death,
by shooting, of Arvy Carrel, 16-year-
old son of Mrs. William Frazier, 135
Tyler street. Sunday evening in the
Epworth League room of the Kansas
Avenue Methodist church, North To-
pek-
The jury found that Carrel met his
death from a revolver wound as a re-
suit of a shot fired by Reynolds. The
jury further found the shooting was
purely accidental and was not pre-
meditated by the youth. There will
be no charge lodged against Reynolds.
officials announced. He is absolutely
free. Officers at first announced they
thought the boy guilty of murder. but
today they were convinced the deed
was purely accident.
Gruell1ng examination by Robert d.
Carver, county attorney, of fifteen
witnesses failed absolutely to establish
a motive for premeditated murder
The Jealousy theory was thrown into
the discard. One witness testified
that Carrel had gone home once with
a girl named Helen Wheaton An
other witness testified he had heard
say NdrIei ilKed Lucille Maze.
I452 North Quincy street, and that
/ reynolds had borrowed books from
the Maze girl.
! Holiday Girl Testified.
I Louisa Holiday. S29 West Gordon
street, was one of the girls in the
league room at the time of the shoot
ing. Also she is cousin of Lucille
Maze.
+ Arvy might have gone home with
| her once or twice. said the Holiday
] girl If he had been going with her
steady L would have known about il.
one is my cousin"
The flashing off of the lights in the
league room second before the fatal
shot was fired, and the flashing on of
the lights a second later, remains a
mystery Roy Casebier, 1896 North
| Quincy street admitted that he stood
| within reaching distance of the switch
ne oenled turning out the lights or
turning them on. Joe Griffins. I425
North Quincy street, stood just behind
CasebIer in the doorway. He. too. de-
hled flashing the lights or seeing anv-
one do it. 10y
| hobert stone and II. o. Caster. who
represented Reynolds, attempted to
show the lights might have been
| s"Itched OFF from a major switch
downstairs. Turning off the maior
switch would extinguish every light in
! the. church. Will PolIom. a county
employe. was downstairs in the church
at the time of the shooting He test
ned positively that the church Iipbfs
| were not turned out
4 Character witnesses testified 70
! nemently to the good nature and gen
lemanly conduct of young REYNOLDS
one mother stated that she often had
expressed regret that her boy didn't
run around with Arthur Reynoids
, more than he did.
Mrs. Reynolds on Stand.
Mrs. Reynolds, the lads mother
took the stand. She testified to the
close friendship of the two boys
! Once 1 demonstrated with him and
asked him why he didn't associate
with the other boys" she said He
told me he liked Arvy best, that the
North Topeka boys went with girls
and they didn't care about the girls -
Mrs. Reynolds further testified that
at their home Sunday they spoke of a
hold-up which occurred in Topeka the
preceding night. when ]. d. Larkin, n
visitor. remarked that soon every one
/ would have to go about armed, with
people suffering from a coal shortage
and the high cost of living. 1t was
for self protection that Reynolds car
ried the revolver. she testified.
Young Reynolds described the
shooting calmly. He answered ques-
tions fired at him distinctly.
THE gun was my uncle's." he said.
Il Just used it twice. Once was New
Years day. when I bought some