THE NULL CASE
The Null case in Pratt County tried
at Kingman county recently attracted state wide attention. It was especially interesting to people in Butler county
because Mrs. Null was a daughter of a pioneer of Butler county. She was Rosie Childer's daughter of Levi Childers.
She was cleared of the charge of poisoning her husband. The times is indebted to Sylvester Marshall for a statement
of the case.
Harvey McPherson Null was a well known Pratt county farmer, who had resided in Cullison and vicinity ever since
his marriage to Rose Childers, some seventeen years ago. They were the parents of four living children, ranging
in age from 14 years to 14 months. The mother is a small woman, she testifying that her average weight is 95 pounds,
ranging from that down to 82 pounds. For the greater part of their married life Mr. Null had been agent for the
Rock Island at Cullison. In addition to this he had conducted farming operations and had also run a store at that
point. The evidence showed that Mrs. Null had assisted him in the conduct of his various business interests and
had worked hard. It also developed that something over a year ago one H. Clyde Kelley had been in the employ of
the Nulls as a farm hand and had made his home with them, eating and sleeping in the home. It also transpired that
the husband had been compelled to often remain at the depot at nights owning to the vast amount of traffic on the
railroad. The presence of Kelley in the household is thought by many to be the cause of the unsatisfactory condition
of Mrs. Null, as to his presence in the divorce proceedings.
Harvey Null sickened on the night of August 5 and died the next morning in great agony. Owing to suspicious circumstances
surrounding his death the Coroner of Pratt considered an investigation of Mr. Null's stomach as made by Professor
L. D. Haverhill of the Kansas University in which nearly 24 grains of arsenic was found.
Dr. McElwain, a Pratt druggist testified that he had previously sold Mrs. Null ten cents worth of arsenic, which
she claimed she wanted to poison rats with; this being about ten days previous to his death.
D. E. Graves, night operator at Cullison, testified to his being called to see Mr. Null early on the morning of
his death, suffering greatly with abdominal pains and severe cramps of the bowels. Mr. Null died while he was there,
and he further testified that Mrs. Null evidenced no genuine grief at his death.
A. E. Stotts, a near neighbor, testified having seen the deceased on the evening of his death, at work in his field,
harrowing, appearing to be in as good health as he had been for eighteen years he had known him.
H. Clyde Kelley, a young man who worked for Null and had been discharged from his employ and who it seems had been
suspected by Null of being too friendly with his wife, was arrested in connection with the alleged murder; but
was released at the preliminary hearing. Later he was re-arrested, because of newly discovered evidence and is
now being held under a charge of conspiracy. The State attempted to place him on the stand as a witness in this
trial but he refused to be sworn and was excused from testifying by Judge Gillet on constitutional grounds. (Walnut
Valley Times, January 5, 1906)
