The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-08

The Bolin trial is one of the biggest
and most spectacular criminal cases
placed on the Shawnee county district
court dockets in many years. Because
no living person, perhaps with the ex-
ception of their alleged murderer, wit
messed the tragic death of the aged
couple, the evidence against Bolin is
entirely circumstantiaI and in this re-
spect resembles the case against Rufe
King. alleged proprietor of the Maple
Hill murder farm
A Big Legal Battle.
That the case will be a tremendous
legal battle is evidenced by the array
of attorneys on both sides and their
declarations that they have some real
surprises in store for each other when
the evidence is finally laid before the
jury.%
Otis Hungate, well known Topeka
attorney, who, with A. &. Crane,
welded the principal legal weapons
in the prosecution of Rufe King at
Lyndon last fall, has been retained by
relatives of the murdered couple to
assist the state in the prosecution of
Bolin. He will cooperate with Tink-
ham Veale. county attorney, and Paul
Edgar, assistant county attorney.
Defend Him Without Pay.
Edward Rooney, young Topeka
criminal lawyer. and John Waters will
defend the farmland in the coming
battle. These men declare they have
taken the case "at the urgent request
of several Topeka club women who
believe Bolin innocent" They are de-
Tending him without pay, they assert.
1t is common comment among officials
that Bolin has little or no mony.
John Ixaster to Assist Defense.
John Kaster, a young Topeka attor-
ney and the son of J. P. Kaster,
chief surgeon for the Santa Fe hos
in the defense. Kaster has a knowl-
edge of medicine and was drawn into
the fray when it was discovered that
the state has summoned dozen
prominent physicians to testify in the
trial next week. Kaster's presence it
cross examine the states witnesses
with greater certainty.
/ Attorneys on both sides refused to
/ divulge any new evidence they have
discovered since the farm hands pre-
liminary hearing last April, asserting
that to divulge the secrets now might
T embarrass their case.
/ Sixty Witnesses Called.
! Approximately sixty witnesses have
been called for Monday morning.
Judge Whitcomb said today that he
IS not yet certain whether extra Jurors
will be called. There are now only
about twenty jurors in the second de
]
them it will probably be necessary to
! call a special venire. Owing to the
fact that they can be obtained quick
! ly, however. this question may be left
, open until Monday
| Bolin has been in Jail since last Feb
ruary. He was arrested for investiga-
/ ton a few days following the finding
I of the bodies of the aged couple in the
ashes of their farm home. Marks on
the bodies ind d.cated that they had met
violent deaths, probably from some
blunt instrument. A hammer head
declared in testimony at the prelimi-
nary to correspond to one owned by
Bolin, was found in Mrs. Owens's bed.
The fact that Owens was reputed to
keep consid derable sums OF money
around his place; that Boiin oncs
worked for him and that man
thought to be him was seen walking
across a field toward the Owens home
a short time before the fire started
are part of the circumstances that
combined to sharpen the suspicious OF
authorities against the farm hand and
| which resulted in his arrest.
Bolin is technically charged with
arson.