The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-06
Farm Hand Is EnvelOped in
Web of Evidence.
Charged With Setting Fire to
Home of Aged Couple.
COMMITTED TO COUNTY JAIL
Deputy Sheriff Testifies That
BOlin Agreed to Confess.
Much Damaging Evidence In
trOduced in Hearing.

Enveloped in the web of circum-
stantial evidence woven around him
by the state, James Bolin, farm hand.
was bound over to the district court
today for trial on a charge of arson,
following his preliminary hearing be-
fore Judge Paul Heinz of the city
court. He was committed to the
county Jail again in default of $1,000
bond.
Bolin is alleged to have set fire to
the farm home of Mr.. and Mrs.
Charles Owens, an aged couple living
near Berryton, early in the morning
of February 21. The charred bodies
of the aged couple were found in the
ashes a few hours later. Evidence in
troduced at the preliminary showed
that holes were found in the skulls of
both parties, and a hammer was
found in the smouldering bed clothes
on the cot occupied by the aged lady.
PendIeton Testfies.
Robert Pendleton, deputy sheriff,
dealt a crushing blow to the defense
this morning when he testified that
while taking Bolin back to the jail
from the court house the farm hand
had agreed to come thru" the next
morning and take a plea of guilty.
81 asked him why he didn't come
thru and clear up the mystery" said
Pendleton. He said: Well, I guess
I might as well. That woman is 60
ing back on me anyway But I'm
tired and nervous tonight. I'll do IL
tomorrow morning. Next morning he
said he wanted to wait until noon be-
cause he wanted to see two more
parties. So 1 called Sheriff Miller in
who told him he wanted to have q
car ready to take him out of the
county the moment he confessed. Then
| Do1 6o rtn and S9i6 he W0nldn
do it,
The Evidence Against Him. 4.
Briefly, the evidence against Bolir
| is: He had worked for Owens at diff
ferent times. He had stated thai
some~day someone would kill the ageo
| couple and rob them of the money
| which they had the reputation fol
keeping about the premises. He Dor
| rowed small sums from certain TO
| pekans Sunday afternoon. February
1g0, indicating that he was broke
| His story of being with woman IRON
f7:3O o'clock Sunday evening until l. ~
| clock Monday morning IS denleu pa
4 the woman. He had a considerable
sum of money Monday afternoon. HI
| is thought to have been recognized a.
| a man seen walking across a field II
the direction of Berryton few hours
before the fire was discovered Iht
| footprints made by this man CORES
1
/ of BoIin's shoes He formerly owned
a hammer with a hexagon head like
that found in Mrs. Owens's bed. H'
told Pendleton that he would come
thru" next morning.
Blow To Defense.
The testimony of Mrs Kate WIS
combe, 431 jefferson street, was alst
| a damaging blow to the defense
! This is the woman whom Bolin claim
ed to have met at the Missouri Paclfi'
depot at 1880 o'clock Sunday eve
| ming. February 90. He claimed tina
they walked south along the railroad
tracks as far as Eleventh street, Wher'
they remained in some vacant lot
until 1890 o'clock in the morning. IL
said he then went to Tony Click
place at 222 East Fourth street am
retired. Clicks testimony was to tn
effect that he came in about an hou
later than this.
Mrs. Wiscombe, Whlle adnhlItlii'
that she had known Bolin for thre
years. denied that she had seen hin
that night. She said she had been a
home and named three other person
whom she visited with that evening
CLYDE Cowgirl, Bolin's attorney
asked her on cross examination II sh
did not write a letter to HoWar'
| Hutehins in the fall of 1918 mention
ling Bolin. She at first denied knowl
edge of Hutchins.
"Didn't you write a letter to Howar'
Hutchins in which you said you woul'
send Jim Bolin to the pen if you eve
cot a chance ?" asked Cowgirl. Tink
ham Veale, county attorney, objecte'
to the question, which she hesitated t
answer -
you've had immoral relations wit
Bolin. have you not?" asked Cowgirl
81 object to that" exclaimed Veale
"and ask the court to instruct this wit
nose that she NAV refuse to anSwe
questions that might incriminate her
4 self" The court gave the instructor
Mrs. Wiscombe refused to answer
She admitted that she might hav
written a letter to Hutchins. but di
not remember mentioning Bohn-
Bolfn Was Disturbed.
David r. Wiscombe, the woman
, husband, and night clerk at the Holli
day hotel, said he formerly lived nea
Berryton and had known Bolin 70
five years. He said the farm han
lfcame into the hotel Monday and tha
he asked him:
WHY did you burn up those oil
folks?"
He assorted that Bolin's face gre'
red and that he turned and wake
away without a word. Wiscombe sal
he did not himself know why he aske
; such a question. He identified tn
: hammer as one similar to one he sal
he saw Bolin purchase in Berryton
few years before. He said he ha
heard Bolin state that some day som
; one would kill the aged couple an
7 rob them.
George Good. 1923 Harrison stree
said he met Bolin about $50 o'cloc
Sunday evening. and that the farl
. hand borrowed 81 from him. Harla
Jones. 4o2 Quincy street. and Ere
= Hughes. S11 West Seventh stree