The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-13
KISSED Them ALL
Robert Floyd, in Jail, Then in
Court, Greeted 5 Children.
Father Facing Three Charges
of Theft In Court of Topeka.

With Elisha Scott. colored attorney
for the defense, supplying the comedy,
and Tinkham Veale. deputy county at
torney, as prosecuting attorney for the
state, the preliminary hearing in the
case of the state against Robert Floyd,
a colored porter, charged with num-
Der of robberies and larcenies in To-
peka, was opened this morning in the
court of Topeka before Judge Rad M.
Lee. The preliminary evidence in
three of the, cases against Floyd was
taken and in each case was consid-
cred by Judge Lee sufficient to justify
the defendant't being bound over to the
district court. A fourth case was con-
tinued. The prisoners bond was set
at $500 on each charge and he was
returned to the county jail
The first case to come under the
courts consideration was that in :, h
Mrs. c. r. Whitmer was the COM
planning witness. Mrs. Whitmer tes-
titled that nearly three years ago her
house at 324 Topeka avenue, where
she was then living. was entered at
night and a 9 by IL blue plush rug,
valued at $50 was taken. This rug
was found in Floyd's house at 2046
Fillmore street after his first arrest a
few weeks ago, and Identified by Mrs.
Whitmer as her own. George Frost
and Ed Ransom. plain clothes men,
fled that Floyd had confessed to them
that he had stolen the rug by entering
a window of the Whitmer home. In
none of the cases did Scott permit his
Client to take the witness stand. He is
Saving his ammunition" for the dis
trict court.
Coat and Vest Missing.
The second case was that in which
George NJ. Hammel. a local tailor.
was the complaining witness. Ham
1nel's place of business is in the base
ment of the Mulvane building and
Floyd worked as a porter in the bar
Der shop in the same basement. HAM
mel had a coat and vest and four
pairs of trousers stolen from his $
tablishment about a year ago. The
trousers were found at Floyd's house
but the coat and vest are still miss
ing. Maybe they are worn out by this
time.
C. w. Maggart, pastor of the swed-
Ism Lutheran church, was the COM
planning witness in the third case. His
home at 621 Tyler street was entered
In April, 1917. he said, and personal
property to the value of $3.50 taken.
Among the missing articles was a
chinchilla overcoat valued at $50 and
this was found at Floyd's house. Doc
tor Maggart testified that he was a
patron of the barber shop where
Floyd worked and that the porter ha
helped him off with that same coat
and hung it up for him on innumer-
able occasions when he visited the
shop None of the other articles
stolen from Doctor Maggart have been
recovered. Frost and Ransom were
witnesses in every case but only in
the first deal did they claim that they
Lad secured confession from their
prisoner.
AS is always the case, Elisha Scott
frequently threw the comfortably fill
ed courtroom into fits of hilarity with
his admirable acting. Between object
ing to the questions put the witnesses
by Veale, demanding the bringing Of
the stolen goods into court for iden-
tification and the hasty subpoenaing Of
witnesses he effectually broke the
monotony that would otherwise have
crept over the affair.
He Kissed Five Children.
But despite this, the trial was not
without its sober side. When the pris-
oner, who has been in Jail for a num-
Der OF days, was brought into court
this morning, hush fell as he quickly
crossed the room and tenderIy kissed
each of his five little children, whose
white teeth flashed in glad smiles
The Oldest is not over H. Floyd him
self is about 80 years old His wife
and mother were also present at the
trial
Scott firmly contends that there is
only one of the charges against Floyd
which can be proven. If he is tried
on each charge, it will take several
years. as the law provides that a man
can be tried on only one charge dur
ing term of court If he is found
guilty on one charge and sentenced
to prison he cannot be tried on another
charge until his term has expired