The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-10-29
SHOT mrs. CARL KNAPP
Defendant Claims That Staying
of the Woman Was An
Accident
Five Bullets Said to Have Been
Put Into the Body of His
Victim
Wyoming Authorities Claim To
Have Cinch Case Against
Prisoner

Prisoner
Completes details Of the killing Of
Mrs. Carl Knapp. formerly. Mrs. Gates
Phillips, nee Lydia Day OF this city,
for which Gates Phillips, is now held
at Rawlins. Wyoming, on a charge
of murder, have been received In
Mankato. From reports 1t appears
that Mrs. Knapp was killed on Octo-
Der II.
The Rawlins Republican contained
the following story:
Zone of the most cold blooded
murders ever committed in Rawlins
was that on Monday night last
times, three OF the bullets entering
the mead; one the stomach, and the
other grazing the hand. The murder
was committed at the home Of Mrs
Knapp on West Lincoln Highway.
Several months ago Gates q
Phillips and the murdered woman
came to Rawlins together. Mrs
Phillips was transferred from the
Laramie branch Of the Barkalow
News Agency to the branch in this
city. 1t was believed that Phillips
and the murdered woman were man
and wife until about two or three
months since when the woman lett
Phillips, stating that although they
had been living together as man and
wife for seven years they hat never
been married.
n Married Carl Knapp.
Shortly after leaving Phillips tn
woman married Carl Knapp, an EN-
ployee of the water department OF
the Union Pacific After being mar
rted Mr.. Knapp was transferred from
the water department to the machine
shops here and at the present time is
working SHIFT from three 20 eleven
o'clock in the afternoon.
mfr. and Mrs. Knapp secured a
house in the western part OF the
city and have been living there ever
since they were married. Following
the marriage of the woman t. Knapp,
Phillips became very respondent and
friends state that he started drink
Ing heavily. It is reported that many
times he has stated that he would
put the woman where neither Knapp
or himself would have her.
About 1890 Monday evening
Knapp became worried about his
wife and asked to be relieved in on
der that he could go home. He stated
He went directly home where he
found his wife lying on the floor in
a pool Of blood. Mr.. Knapp imme-
diately phoned for the doctors, who
arrived within few minutes. When
the doctors arrived about eleven
o'clock the body was almost cold and
1t was estimated that the murder evi
IDENTIFY took place around eight o'clock.
Slept In Woman's Bed.
When the officers were notified of
the murder they Immediately started
search for Phillips. The man could
not be found in his room at the
thought that he had left the city.
However. about three o'clock he was
found asleep in the bed of a woman
living In the same house. The wo-
man, who is working nights, stated
that Phillips was there without her
knowledge or consent, although she
had seen him earlier in the evening
just before she went to work at elev-
en- O'Clock.
When Undersheriff Mills located
Phillips he ordered the man to get
up and dress and come with him as
he was under arrest. Phillips did
ing any comment or even asking what
he was being arrested for. In the
opinion of the officers this lack of
surprise at being arrested goes long
guilt.
when searched thirty eight call
Ire revolver was found. No empty
shells were found by the officers at the
scene Of the murder nor in Phillips
room. However, the next morning the
empty, shells were found about a
block from the house where the wo-
man was murdered. The murderer
had stopped and reloaded his gun
tracks at the house and where the
shells were changed correspond ex-
actly with Phillips shoes.
Have clnch Case.
"The officers feel that they have q
cinch case against the man Iney have
arrested, but at the saele time all
other clues are being investigated.
Tuesday morning an autopsy was
held over the murdered woman by
Drs. Keil and jeffrey. The doctors
state that any one Of the three shots
the one that entered the abdomen
would have caused death.
"One theory of the crime that
the murderer went to the home Of
Mrs. Knapp and found the door lock-
ed. When he knocked the door was
opened slightly by Mrs. Knapp, who,
when she saw who was at the door,
attempted to hold 1t shut. The skin
en- the left forearm was broken. This
might have been caused by the door
being pushed open as she was at
tempting to hold 1t shut. One shoe
was bent downward over the instep
as II II had been caught under the
door as the woman fell backwards.
1t Is. believed that the first shot fred
entered the woman's abdomen After
she fell backwards and was lying on
the floor the revolver was probably
emptied into her head. One bullet
went clear through her head and
was lying In pool Of blood on the
floor.
aillips Is being held IN Jail. He
has refused to make any comments
on the crime at all and will do no
talking about anything.
The inquest IL being held this aft.
Iernoon at the Bennett Undertaking
parlors.