The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-22
Four Men Arrested Following
16-Year.Old Girls Story.
Gertrude Coffman Ran Away
From Home Last Thursday.
TOLD co. ATTY WILD STORY
Stayed in Parks and Fair
Grounds All Night With Men.
Two Alleged Offenders Married
May Arrest Others.

Alex Wallingford, 4s years old; John
r. Shook, "a years old; Boyd McClel-
land, Is years old and Archie Haslett,
IS years old. were arraigned today in
the court of Topeka and charged with
statutory offenses against Gertrude
Coffma0, 16 years old, 1887 Randolph
street. Shook, Wallingford and Has
lett plead not guilty and We're placed
under $500 bond and their preliminary.
hearings in the court of Topeka set
for August 2. Hugh Fisher, county
attorney, said this afternoon that Nc
Clelland had confessed to the girls
charges against him and had promised
to enter a formal plea of guilty.
The arrest of the four men followed
the arrest late Saturday evening of the
Coffman girl in a field west of the city.
She disappeared from home Thursday
morning. and relatives notified the po-
lice who made attempts to find her.
Not long afterwards w. F. Barber.
proprietor of the College Hill laundry,
appeared at the county attorneys Of
flee and demanded a warrant for the
girl saying she had been working at
his laundry and had stolen about $22
worth of clothing just before running
away. 1t was on this warrant that she
was picked up in the field west of the
city Saturday evening by Bert Larimer
and Chas. Hixon. deputy sheriffs.
Thought Girl Murdered.
The deputies went to the field in
answer to report that a girl had
been murdered. 1t developed that
Miss Coffman was only asleep and
passersby thought her dead.
The girl was brought to the county
attorneys office and questioned by
Walter Cheney. deputy county attor-
ney, and the deputy sheriffs- After
some hesitation she told story OF
wild nights and days spent with men
west of the city and in Garfield park.
She involved the four men arrested
later and arraigned today. and the
case may lead to other arrests.
According to affidavits made by the
girl in the county attorneys office. she
went to Gage park Thursday after
noon and met McClelland. who works
at the brick yards west of the city
She claimed to have remained with
McClelIand, who lives near the park.
until o'clock Friday morning.
Stayed with Men All Night.
McClelland then. she says, intro.
duced her to a man by the name OF
John" who county officials say is
Shocks. She says she went with
| John" to a hill one-haf mile west OF
night with him. She says her rela-
lions with Alex Wallingford took
place in a small house near the Figure
eight" at Garfield park She asserts
| she was with Haslett on July 6. They
remained at the park until o'clock
| in the morning and then went to the
| fair grounds to stay all night, she
| claims in her affidavit
The girl was arraigned with the
men. ana faced . charge Of stealing
the clothing from the College Hill
| laundry. She plead guilty and was
placed under $500 bond. her case also
! to come up August 2. This afternoon
she made an affidavit in addition to
| the one she made Saturday night and
according to the county attorneys Of
| flee, frightened the evidence against
| the men under arrest.
Two Men Are Married.
| Wallingford and Shook are married
| Snook's wife visited him this morning
in Jail. Wallingford lives at S11 North
| Quincy street, Shocks and McClelland
| near Gage park and Archie Haslet'
| lives in flat on jackson street near
| the car barns.
Further developments in the case
| are expected.