The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-22
Investigations in Foley Case
Reveal No Developments.
Weaknesses in Both Murder
and Suicide Theories. e
NO ANALYSIS OF STOMACH
Ten Days to Complete Test at
the State University.
ICorOner's Inquest To Be Con
tinued Tomorrow.
BY. WALT MARKLEY.

=
! Investigations into the death of Miss
Kathleen Foley, who died. mysterious
| ly Friday night at her home. 1878
Lane street, brought no further de-
-veiopments today. The ceroner's in
quest. which began Monday morning,
| was continued Monday afternoon UNI
! til o O'Clock Wednesday morning.
It was stated by DR.. F. B. Dams,
professor of chemistry at Kansas uni
versity, this morning that the analysis
of the stomach had not yet been made
and that it might take ten days to
complete it,
| The cause of Miss Foley's death re-
mains as much mystery as ever In
the solution, two main Questions pre-
sent themselves: Was she murdered,
or did she take her own life? And.
| in turn, these two questions each re-
solve themselves into many ranifica-
| lions that must be taken up and con-
sidered separately. There are many
strong arguments for and against both
! questions.
Consider first the suicide theory.
If poison caused her death, what was
the motive? That she was desperately
in love with George Cruise there was no
doubt That she was terribly shocked
and disappointed when she found out
that he was married and charged with
numbering his wife is also certain.
Her apparent light heartedness cannot
be taken as a true barometer of her
emotions. She may have considered
herself disgrace or she may have
considered that life was no longer
worth living. In both instances she
would probably have planned carefully
to kill herself. Granting that she took
poison with her to the Whitcomb
home and swallowed it before retiring,
disposing of the container in the bath
room or elsewhere, why did she run
barefooted to her own home at IL
fo1% I'll Tiki IL a-TL u.
poison begin to take effect? 1t might
have been either because her instinct
led her to her mothers arms in those
last moments, or with a design to-
cover up her own act by creating the
impression of murder. The advocates
of the last theory could easily suggest
many other arrangements that might
have been made to make this. theory
more acceptable. If she contemplated
suicide, why did she buy the new
gloves that Friday afternoon with the
statement that she was going to wear
them to Wichita?
Now the Murder Theory.
Considering the murder theory
who possessed the incentive to take
the life of the girl? George Cruise had
repeated often that if she. testified
against him, it would mean ninety
nine years in the pen for him." But
If Cruise did take the life of his own
wife, was it not to free himself so he
could wed the girl of his choice?
Therefore. why should he, in turn
take Miss Foley's life?
In response to the Wichita mans
entreatieS to leave the country, Miss
Foley, according to all testimony, had
made no promises. To all appearances
it was her intent to abide by the
chance of fate and testify against her
lover. She had often repeated to
friends and officers that when she
took the witness stand, she would tell
the truth and the whole truth Fur
thermore, she had thrust Cruise from
her life. according to statements to
her mother and her girl chum, Cath
erin Longaker. 1t was therefore evil
dent that she was going to testify
against Cruise at all events and Cruise
himself had repeatedly declared that
her testimony would mean ninety
! nine years in the pen for me-" It was
Friday. His preliminary hearing was
| to be held Monday. There was no
| time to lose.
If this is the theory, how did the
lassassins enter the house2 Not by the
windows, for they were all locked. Not
| by the front door, for it was locked
latter Miss Foley came in following her
\ talk with Miss Longaker in front of
i the house. There seems to be some
doubt about the rear door being
Hooked, but granting that it was, there
us no dispute concerning the key not
jbeing in the door. Mrs. Whitcomb al
ways removed the key so that her hus-
band, when he came home, could I'M
lock the door with his own key. There
| fore skeleton key would easily have
unlocked this door. If the possibility
\ of this is accepted, we have the muir
derer crawling stealthily to the girls
bedside. Mrs. Whitcomb is rather deaf
and one must speak loudly to make
| her hear.
| No Indications of Struggle.
| There were no indications that there
had been a struggle. Had the girl
| been sleeping on her back, with her
mouth open, the deed would have been
com paratively simple. On the other
Inland. a firm grip on her throat-her
Imouth open, gasping for breath, and
1.-THE poison could have been admins
tered easily enough. From that time
until the arrival of officers, probabl
1.-The first to look for marks on her
Throat, the marks might easily have
disa ppeared.
| Granting that the murder theory IS
correct, why was it not accomplished
in q simpler, easier mann err? By
stabbing, or shooting, or cfloroform-
ing? In this connection it must be
remembered that possible assassins
had a hundred times more reason for
concealing their deed than Miss Foley
had if she committed suicide Any
thing pointing toward murder might
have led to dire results for possibly
interested parties. If the deed could
be made to look indisputab1y like sui
eide, the murderers would stand a
practically certain chance of escape.
The rear door of the Whiteemb
home stood ajar when Mrs. Foley went
to the Whitcomb home following her
daughters declaration that Poor Mrs.
Whitcomb is there all alone. They
will kill her" The keys to the door,
it seems certain, where hanging on a
/ nail by the door, where they always
hung. If Miss Foley, if she had taken
the poison, and with death imminent,
reached up. obtained a key, unlocked
the door, hung the key up again and