The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-02

Lenler Throwbridge, 1911 North Monroe
VIM. G. Sanders. 1877 North Polk street.
ILL.
Ray Busey. 1908 North Van Barren street.
PARTICIPANTS UNAFFECTED.
Harry Green. 1926 North Kansas avenue.
virgil Petree, 1929 North Monroe street.
A new variety of "coroners cock
tails" cost the lives of two Topeka
men Tuesday night. A third has been
seriously ILL., The beverage is believed
TO have been made from some kind of
BARRIERS preparation.
The dead are:
Lenier Throwbridge. 25, of 1911
North Monroe street.
William Galen Sanders. 21, of 1927
North Polk street.
Ray Busey, 1908 North Van Buren
street, was painfully i'll, but is i'm
proved today.
Harry Green. 1925 North Kansas
avenue and Virgil Petree. 1929 North
Monroe street. were apparently un-
injured by the liquor.
The stuff was drunk by all five men
Monday afternoon and night
Green told Chief of Detectives Clyde
Tresner that he had been to Lincoln,
Neb.. to visit his father. who runs a
barber supply house, and that he had
brought back with him five small
grape juice bottles full of the liquor,
which he said he stole from his
fathers store. He expressed the belief
that the dead men had gotten some
thing else to drink after he left them.
II drank four times as much as they,
and it didn't hurt me-" he stated.
After Hours of Agony.
Throwbridge and Sanders died Tues
day evening after hours of agony, it
was said. DR.. o. P. Davis, of North
Topeka. who was called to attend
them, said the men vomited several
hours before death came. The drink
had worked as a slow poison, he said.
Petree said he took only one drink.
Fear was felt that the poison might
vet result fatally for Green. and he
was hurried to a physician this morn
ing by police officers.
City and county authorities were in
vestigating the case this afternoon.
Made Test of It.. ,-.A.
Green told Tresner and Capt. Nor
ris Leonard. who made investigations
this motning. that he met Sanders
and Throwbridge Monday afternoon,
the day he came back from Lincoln,
and invited them to have a drink. He
said Sanders wanted to test the stuff
by writing his name on a paper, pour
ing the liquid over it and folding it.
II the writing showed thru, the test
would be satisfactory. When the 9TH
ers demanded a surer test, Green said
Throwbridge took a bottle and went
away, returning soon with the state
ment that 1t was all right
When he came back" said Green
he said these exact words: The fel-
low said you sure didn't get fooled
when you bought this stuff. He said
you sure got your moneys worth"
Tresner then interviewed the drug.
Eist. who said a man answerine
Throwbridge's description brought q
bottle to him with the statement:
Smelled Like Cologne.
Il have a good friend in the barber
supply business and this stuff is sup.
posed to be 100 per cent pure"
The druggist told him he could no
test it. but after smelling the bottle
advised him to be careful; that If thu
stuff contained cologne it was poison
Petree today showed Tresner whert
one of the bottles had been thrown
away. The detective found plain
three-ounce bottle and a pop bottle
They contained a few drops of color
less liquid that smelled like cologne
Tresner said.
Green said that after Throwbridg
returned with a favorable report, the,
drank some of the stuff. Green thei
went to the ball game and met hi
friends again on North Kansas avenu
about O'Clock, and all had anothe
drink. That was the last time he say
them, he said. Petree said he ioine
Throwbridge and Sanders; who hai
some of the drink in their possess or
about o'clock that night and too
one or two swallows
Made Them Sick.
Busey was with them at the time
Petree said. Petree said the stuff
made him slightly sick. but that other
wise ne experienced no evil effect.
Green stated that it made him fef
Ike a man who had been on a lon
drunk. He purchased some grap
Ju-ce from pool hall to mix with tn
stuff. he said
Petree is employed at the Morns