The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-20
Mystery of Josephine 5 Death
TyIock Homes and Doctor Ottson Reveal Facts Behind
Discovery of Dead Girl on Wedding Morn
Vl3 L ALLIso< 49,


Dropping into Tylock Homes's room
one evening and finding that he had
not yet returned from dinner, I sat
down to wait his return and picked
up the evening paper which lay upon
the table. My attention was attracted
to the following headlines: Found
Dead On Her Wedding Morn Jose
phine Wilkinson the Victim of Foul
Play" Police Baffled at Mysterious
Death"
I recalled the prominence which
this same paper had given to the
elaborate wedding preparations and
the accounts of the many social events
in her honor and could not help think
ing what an unexpected ending to the
newspaper publicity which had been
given her. As thus meditated Tylock
Homes opened the door and seeing
the paper in my hand and the ex-
preston on my face said: well.
who did kill Josephine?"
knew then that he had been called
in on the case.
1 replied that the account was too
brief to enable me to form any con-
clusion as to who had committed the
dastardiy act. He told me that, as
usual. the police intended to claim all
the glory for discovering the villain
but had called him in TO do the real
work. and as he understood there
would be need of expert medical ad-
vice, he wished / would go with him
at this time to the scene of the muir
ader- This I was glad to do for al
ways received a mental stimulus from
seeing him work on a case. So to-
gether we went to the Wilkinson
homes We found the police in charge
and at their request everything had
been left just as it was pending our ar
premises the chief gave US the follow
ing story.
Josephine Wilkinson came to her
death shortly before the hour appoint
ed for her marriage. She was evil
IDENTIFY alone when the murder was
committed; Jack Hazel-Dn, to whom
she was to have been married, had ar
rived at the Wilkinson home the night
before. having driven there in his car
from his home about fifty miles dis
tant. The parties who occupied the
house the night before consisted of
the murdered girl. her intended hus-
band. Jack Hazelton, one Olive Draper,
a former college friend of them both.
who had just returned from Red Cross
service overseas. the PROSTATE mother
and the usual number of servants that
might be expected in a family of their
prominence. dinner for the mem
bers of the bridal party had been given
the night before and when the rest OF
the guests had departed Hazelton had
called Josephine and Olive into the
drawing room, where he handed Jose
phine her wedding gift, a string of ex-
ouisitely matched pearls. They were
they took turns trying them on they
we're startled by noise outside the
French windows. which reminded
them of the many recent burgiaries IN
that vicinity Josephine seemed ap-
prehcnsive and gave the pearls back
10 Jack asking that he keep them for
her until the next morning. JACK
l7ughed at her concern. told ner IL
v-as only the wind they had heard, but
siipped the pearlM into his trousers
rocket, telling her that he guessed his
colts automatic would insure their
nrotection Then they separated for
the night. ,-
She said that nothing particularly un-
usual had characterized the evening,
t,ycept that there had been strained
atmosphere among the three OF them
for some reason and that none OF
them had much to say but each ap-
peared rather abstracted- Even after
the two girls retired Josephine con-
tinued to be rather silent, except that
lust as they were going to sleep she
said to Olive: II hope some day you
VIII be as happy as ] am going to be;
If YOU lcve him as 1 do. you would
understand" and these were the last
words she ever spoke.
As Olive Draper had a great deal to
do in connection with the final prepa-
rSt50us for the " Wedding, she arose very
early, without disturbing Josephine,
The time for the wedding was set for
o'clock in the morning. and it~was
almost $3.50 when she hurriedly re-
tur17ed and was astonished to find
Josephine apparently still asleep. Run
ming over to the bed she spoke to her,
and not receiving any response, shook
her and found to her utmost horror
that she was deal, tho her body was
Yet warm. She hastened to give the
alarm. going first to Jacks room, when
to her amazement she found that he
was not there and the room was in
disorder as tho things had been moved
about in haste. She then called the
mother and servants. and while they
were all occupied in their vain efforts
to arouse Josephine, one of the serv-
ants notified the police.
The chief of police said that the
grounds to the house had been ex-
amined and there was no trace OF
footprints. all the windows were found
locked that morning, with the excep-
tion of some French windows at the
rear of the hall which were never KEPT
locked. and that it was his opinion
that the assassin had not entered from
the outside. There were two signifi.
cant facts. the disappearance of Jacl
Hazelton and the finding of his caro-
case and key ring on the floor in the
dead girls room. This was all he haC
10 report and requested that we ther
go to the scene of the murder and SEE
il we had anything additional to add
An Oriental Odor.
As we entered the room there seemed
to me that faint oriental odor wa:
slightly perceptible but the suggestion
was so slight l thought 1t was i'm
aSina-y so did not make mention o