The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-24
Mrs. Lille Hamilton COnfeSses
to Illegal Operation.
duplicates DIR. j. B. Armstrong
and Ralph Shaeffer, Farmer.
CHARGES OF MANSLAUGHTER
Autopsy May Mean Criminal
Prosecution Immediately.
Dead Woman Mother of Seven
Farmer Boy Is Wealthy.

] 1ldnSIduRnIer
will be filed against DR.. ]. B. Arm
strong. 521 Kansas avenue. and Ralph
Shaeffer, son of wealthy farmer liv-
ing three miles north of Topeka. If
an autopsy to be held late this after
noon on the body of Mrs. Lille Ham
llton substantiates a deathbed state
ment made by her Friday night in
which she accused Doctor Armstrong
or performing an illegal operation on
| ner, according to a statement today by
Hugh Fisher, county attorney.
| Shaeffer was named by Mrs. Hamil-
ton as ner betrayer. Mrs Hamilton
! died at a local hospital at $40 O'Clock
TINS morning. She was the mother of
seven children. Her husband, William
Hamilton. is not in the city They
have not lived together for a year The
chlldren were not staying with their
mother.
In signed statement made this
morning at the home of his father,
Jacob Shaeffer. Ralph Shaeffer admit
J ted that he knew of Mrs. Hamilton's
condition and gave her SIS when she
suggested going to Doctor Armstrong
He admitted in the statement that fol-
lowing the alleged operation he went
to Doctor Armstrong and paid the
balance on the bill, $35.
Second Case. Says Fisher.
'Tt certainly looks as tho we have
them both dead to rights said Fisher
today. There is no danger of either
| leaving and I intend to clean the
whole affair up before we make any
arrests
This makes the second deathbed
statement of Topeka women implicat-
ing Doctor Armstrong in illegal oper-
ations. a proud mother and failure
of physicians to find that an opera
/ ton had caused the death OF a girl
last winter halted us in prosecution of
Doctor Armstrong at that time"
DIR. Armstrong Denies 1t.
Doctor Armstrong in statement to-
! day denied that he performed the lille
gal operation. He stated that Mrs
| Hamilton called at his office once for
trea tment for another ailnnent but de-
MED any operation had been per-
formed.
L. p Kistler. assistant state registrar
of vital statistics in the state board of
health, was notified at o'clock last
night that there was a woman in a
! local hospital on the point of death
who had a statement to make relative
! TO an Illegal operation. Kistler noti-
! fled Tinkharn Veale. assistant county
attorney.
Deathbed Statement.
Veale took stenographer with him
! and went to the hospital. AT that time
Mrs. Hamilton was so weak she could
! hardly talk above whisper. She an
swered Veale's statements, which were
taken down by the stenographer.
Then Veale and the stenographer
went to the court house, summarized
the answers into a statement. The
statement was read to the dying
woman and she feebIy endeavored to
scrawl her signature on the paper.
The name is hardly legible. The state
ment, in part follows:
At Mrs Lille Hamilton, "a being
! severely sick and realizing that I am
| about to die. do make this statement
regarding the cause Of my condition:
Il have had improper relations with
| Ralph Shaeffer, who lives three miles
| straight north of Topeka, on Kansas
avenue. I have been in a delicate CON
Shaeffer made arrangements with Or.
7. B. Armstrong. who is a crippled
doctor. with offices between Fifth and
Sixth streets on Kansas avenue, in To-
! peka. Kansas.
"At Ralph Shaeffer's suggestion
went to Doctor Armstrong; office
April o. 1920. accompanied by my
sister. Bertha Tarhoon. My sister re-
! went into Doctor Armstrongs private
office alone. Up to this time had not
condition. and there was no doctor
| present Mt the time"
The statement continuing describes
! the alleged operation.
Sister Tells Story.
| Fisher and Veale this morning first
called at the home of the Tarhoon girl
at 1920 North Tyler street. Tt was a
| home of squalor and poverty. much
| different to the big fine home of
Ralph Shaeffer visited by the officers
an hour later.
Bertha Tarhoon testified that she
went with her sister to Doctor Arm
strong's office on the date set by her
| c
Florence Martin, 407 Monroe street
The Martin girl was at the Tarhoon
home when officers called. She. too,
corroborated the Tarhoon girls state
ment.
outer room while she went inside. Two
days before that she called at the
same doctors office with Ethel Dean
who lives next door to US"
The officers stated they would inter
view the Dean girl later.
Young She effer and his brother. En-
met Shaeffer. sitting in the kitchen
reading newspapers
Shaeffer Admits Tt.
"Yes. I heard she was dead" said
Shaeffer.
Continuing. he admitted having i'm
proper relations with Mrs. Hamilton
who he said he met in February. He
told of knowing of her condition but
denied that he had suggested that she
go to physician.
When she said she was IN trouble
and wanted to go to Doctor Armstrong
! told her to go ahead and l footed
the bill" he said.
Shaeffer admitted that he knew
Doctor Armstrong. In fact. he stated
that he had been a recent patient oi
: the physician and was treated for z
verereal disease.
Shaeffer's father. Jacob Shaeffer
; owns los acres of land three miles
north of Topeka. which the oldest son
Emmett said today was worth s50t