The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-25
Mother of Arvy Carrel Would
Prosecute His Slayer.
County Officials Refuse To Ar
rest Arthur Reynolds.
EVIDENCE is insufficient
Mother Believes Reynolds Was
EnyiOus of Her Son.
Rich Uncle Was Giving Dead
Youth an Education.

Mrs William Frazier. 1875 Tyler
street. mother of Arvy Carrel, 16-
year-old high school boy shot and
killed by Arthur Reynolds Sunday
night in the Epworth League room of
the North Side Methodist church
called today at the sheriffs office to
learn what procedure is necessary to
issue warrant charging young Reyn-
olds with murder. Officials refused to
issue the warrant, Mrs. Frazier stated.
They told me a prosecution would
be useless and would add much eX-
pense to the county" said Mrs. Fra
zier. II intend to do everything in
my power to get some official TO take
county attorney for a warrant charg-
ing Reynolds with carrying a weapon
concealed.
While Mrs Frazier does not believe
that jealousy over girls caused the
shooting. she thinks that if anything
caused Arthur Reynolds to shoot ner
boy on purpose it was envy over Arvy
Carreps opportunity to finish high
school, go to Kansas university and
later to Yale. Twice, she claims she
heard Army say to Arthur Reynolds:
81. You shouldn't feel hard towards
me because I've got chance to go
on to school"
Jealous Over Future?
In addition, Mrs. Frazier asserts,
that the fact in years to come Arvy
Carrel with his college education
might be getting 5000 a month against
a $50 month salary of his playmate
Also 1 want to know why just a
few days before the shooting, Art
Reynolds had a gun when he was at
our house." continued Mrs. Frazier.
wealthy uncle in Kansas City
had planned to send Arvy to Kansas
university and' later to Yale accord
ing to Mrs. Frazier.
Reynolds. who is only 16 years of
age, was freed following a finding by
coroner's jury that the shooting was
accidental
Il was asked why I didn't present
those facts at the inquest" said Mrs
FRAZER. NO one asked me to 60
l was heartbroken, as you or anyone
else would be under such circum-
stances, and didn't know what to do
NO one came out to my home after
me and I wasn't urged by anyone to
attend the inquest"
Carrel Shot in Church.
Arvy Carrel was shot and killed as
ne sat side by side with Arthur Rev
nolds, his bosom friend, in the Ep-
worth League room of the church.
lights in the room were switched off
and few seconds later were switched
on The switch governing the lights
is located near door across the room
fro-l where Carrel and Reynolds were
sitting. Two other boys were stand
ing almost within arms reach of the
switch but both denied they had
turned out the switch.
Reynolds had the revolver back in
his pocket when the lights were
switched on. No one saw it. He ran
out of the church, went to the Frazier
home and notified Mrs. Frazier of her
sons sdeath and later hid the revolver.
Finally. he confessed to Sheriff Lari-
mer that he had hid the revolver and
had shot Carrel. He stated that he
just intended to snap the gun and
thought he had taken all the car
tridges out of it when he entered the
church.
Girls and boys attending the league
testified that it was customary at past
meetings for someone to flash out the
lights as joke. In fact, testimony
showed that just preceding the turn
ing off of the lights, when Carrel was
shot, someone had turned out the
lights and turned them on again. As
to who turned them off then or a few
minutes later when Carrel was shot,
is still a mystery