Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-01-14
Tells HOW CAPTAIN
Slew four IN BANK
WornalI, Survivor OF Army
Camp Tragedy, Describes
Robbery
SLAYER'S IDENTITY
DEFINITELY FIXED


CAMP FUNSTON, Kan, Jan. li.-De7
tails Of the manner in which CAPITALS
Lewis J. Whistler robbed the pank at
the army csutonment here and killed
with o hand axe four Of five men who
were IN the building were told TO army
officers yesterday by Kearney Wornah'
who, himself seriously wounded, was
the only survivor Of the captains fury
For forty Eight hours Wornalll, who
was cashier Of the bank, mad lowered
between life and death. But yesterday
progress was so satisfactory to the
army doctors that they permitted him
TO tell the fun story Of the tragedy
which ended with the death Of Captain
Whistler self-lnnicted at the moment
Of detection on Saturday.
In the meantime q systematic search
OF the cantonment has failed to reveal
any money which was stolen from the
bank byeCaptain Whistler. Federal bank
examines Yesterday began checking the
banks accounts, but the interior Of the
/ building is IN such O chaotic condition
/ that Is is expected no statement viii
/ be made for two or three days.
10 developed that a note Captain
/ Whistler wrote after he had decided TO
/ XIII himself was addressed to q young
woman az ottawa, Kan, but army
officers are making every effort to keep
secret both her name and possible rela-
tions TO Whistler.
WornalIs story yesterday differed
slightly from that which had previous
f. ~ been pieced together as army OIL
GERS had questioned him during his in
FREQUENT intervals Of CONSCIOUSNESS.
Yesterday Wornall told how he was In
the bank with c. Fuller Winters, vice
president Of the National reserve Bank
OF Kansas City, MoE John W. Jewell
Z editor OF the Camp Funston paper
( Carl Ohleson, Of Kansas City, and o.
+ N. Hin, a clerk IN the bank, when Cap
tam Whistler entered.
/ II was about 80 o'clock Friday even
ing The door was unlocked and Wits
/ Ter easily gained entrance TO the build
! ing. Walking around the counter, he
drew a heavy automatic pistol and
/ told the men he was short in his ac-
count" and believed that this was the
best bet" 10 remedy 10.
Wornal says that the officers re-
marks were treated as a joke until DE
took an axe from under his overcoat
and struck Mr.. Winters with its flat
side All Of the men then were forced
10 lie face down on the loor while
Whistler selected money, mostly bills
OF large denomination, and threw them
into a sack Wornali says he then was
forced TO get up and bind the other men.
Ills own hands then were tied by the
ofncer and an of them were gagged.
Here says the stan officer who re-
ported Wornalls statement, the cash
er's mind Is a blank and he recalls
nothing that Happened until he became
conscious In an ambulance on the way
to the hospital
Wornall had been found by a sentry
wandering aimlessly outside the bank
about an hour after the crino was
committed. He could not answer ques-
llons, but mumbled uninielligibly ac-
cording 10 the sentry, Don't strike him
again Are you 'lond! ~ and finally
murmured Bank robbed Then the
alarm was given.
That. Wornall knew perfectly what
he was doing when he positively iden-
titled the body Of Captain Whistler as
that Of the robber was atte5ted today
by a stan officer who was present
at the identification. Before the body
Of the army officer was wheeled into
Wornalrs presence the wounded cash
Ter was made 20 read from a magazine
90 show that he could see and under
stand.
Then Whlsler's body, dressed in his
olive drab campaign uniform and up
right in a chair, was wheeled into the
ward and placed directly before Wor-
nall.
That's the man, that's the captain,
exclaimed Wornal according TO the
stan officers story. Wornall then made
sworn statement that Whistler was
the man who had robbed ihe bank and
, committed the murders.
After the crime. it now has been es-
, tablshed, Whistler went TO the Quar-
termaster's Office, where he removed
E the blood stains from his hands and
garments He then proceeded to a
% class OF French.
When an order came from headquar-
& ters for a report from all company
t commanders the Captain seemed TO
know that detection was at hand. It
was then he shot himself to death.
J Capt Whistler recently took out
s Government insurance policy for si0,-
2 eco 70 was made payable to his four
year-old son, Duane, Of Salina, kan-
WHISPERS home, or, in case Of the
sons death, TO Whisler's father. Capt.
e Whistler, who was IS years old and
his wife. Mrs Nadne Whistler, were d.
2 yorced about year ago.