Part Nine: Justice Served
Timothy J. Lyons, a Kansas City, Kansas, politician, was growing increasingly concerned. Over two years had passed since he first put up a $20,000 bond for his friend, Dr. Kenneth Uhls. Convicted of second- degree murder in June of 1924, the disgraced doctor was still a free man two years later, awaiting his appeal to be heard by the state supreme court. Lyons had good reason to be concerned, as Uhls was taking increasing liberties with the terms of his bail. Although required to notify Lyons of any intentions of leaving the area for any period, Uhls was causing distress among Lyons and his own legal team, seemingly disappearing for days or even weeks, without notice. After a series of delays, the Kansas Supreme Court finally announced they would hear Uhls’ appeal on June 7. This pending date motivated Lyons to begin his own search for Uhls, ultimately locating him six weeks later in Cincinnati, working as a salesman under an assumed name.
On May 12, 1926, Uhls walked into the office of the Reno County Sheriff, Jesse Langford, accompanied by Lyons. Uhls was then committed to the county jail and Lyons secured his release from the $20,000 bond, which he admitted he was afraid to continue to hold because of the risk of endangering his credit. Both Mr. Lyons and Uhls denied that Uhls had been arrested after the six-week search, as reported in the Kansas City Star newspaper. Lyons stated that Uhls had treated him very fairly. He explained that Uhls had kept him informed of his whereabouts and had continued to agree to return and give himself up at any time that Lyons should request it. When Sheriff Langford questioned Lyons as to why he had gone to Cincinnati seeking Uhls instead of allowing him to return voluntarily, Lyons stated that he had made the trip to Cincinnati because of the death of one of his wife’s relatives. He stated that while he was there, Uhls called him up and offered to come back if Lyons wanted him to. Sheriff Langford had his doubts about Lyons’ story, but he chose not to question it further. He now finally had Uhls right where we wanted him - in a jail cell. At least for the next three weeks.
Dr. Uhls did not appear worried in the slightest degree over being re-committed to jail. He stated that since his conviction two years ago he had visited every state in the country. He was forced to take an assumed name because no matter where he went if he introduced himself as Dr. Uhls he was immediately piled with questions regarding his connection with the murder in Hutchinson. Uhls declared that he had worked as a salesman and had sold everything from shoestrings to drugs. From his appearance he seemed to have prospered, and he stated that he made enough to send his attorneys $1000 on three different occasions.
One person who was not impressed by Uhls’ confidence was Reno County Attorney, Martin Aelmore, who declared that since Uhls was convicted of second-degree murder in Reno County, every means has been used to delay the appeal of the case. Aelmore all but accused Uhls’ legal team of dilatory tactics to keep their client a free man as long as possible. He also stated that the request for a new trial by Uhls’ attorneys is based on several alleged mistakes made by the prosecution in the original trial. However, he also believes the legal brief which he and assistant attorney Leo Erksine Wyman have prepared will negate any charges of error and that Uhls will finally be sent immediately to the penitentiary to begin his sentence of ten to twenty-five years.
Over the course of the next three weeks, Uhls was paid a series of visits by his wife, Charlotte, and his five-year-old daughter, who were now living with Charlotte’s parents in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Appeal is Finally Heard
The appeal was heard in Topeka on June 7th. Over the course of two hours Uhls’ attorney, J. R. Beeching, laid out his case that his client was the victim of circumstantial evidence combined with prosecutorial errors in the original trial. The chief argument was that the trial court erred in denying Uhls a separate preliminary hearing, and in permitting the introduction of testimony about the financial affairs of the Uhls Clinic in Overland Park. “What was the purpose of this mass of testimony, relating to the embarrassed financial condition of the corporation and its mismanagement under the appellant and his father?” Beeching asked in arguing the case before the supreme court. “Its purpose was the very effect that it had – to prejudice the jury against Dr. Uhls. Approximately half of the preferred stock of the Uhls Clinics corporation was sold to residents of Hutchinson and the vicinity. These stockholders were in constant attendance at the trial. We are unable to understand on what theory the court permitted the introduction of this evidence?” Uhls’ attorney also tried to point the finger of blame back on the now-exonerated Frank Leonard. Aelmore and Wyman took less than thirty minutes to provide their arguments, primarily stating that the court made no error and that the introduction of the dire financial condition of the Uhls Clinic provided the motive for the murder – to reclaim over $100,000 of preferred stock from the slain William Gibbs and have it transferred back to Uhls through the forged signature of a “mystery man” who has never been located. Both sides wrapped up their arguments and left the courtroom.
A Supreme Rejection
Over a month later, on July 10, the Kansas Supreme Court released their decision: the court affirmed the lower court’s guilty verdict and ordered Uhls to immediately be sent to prison in Lansing. “Well, that’s that!” exclaimed Uhls after two reporters visited his jail cell to tell him the decision of the supreme court. He bit his lip after making the exclamation and then said: “Well I am going to fight it on up through the higher courts. That’s all I have got to say, except that I wish you would go and talk to my attorney as to the next move that is to be made.” Uhls’ attorney was out of the city when the decision was received.
Four days later, on July 14, Dr. Uhls arrived at the prison, bitter in the fact that he had been handcuffed to Weir Heir, an Algerian negro convicted of burglary, for the entire transport from Reno County to Lansing. He would have preferred to have been coupled to Bill Little, a bootlegger who also had a date with the prison. But Sheriff Jesse Langford allowed Little to walk alongside as a free man, as he wasn’t going to take any chances with Dr. Kenneth Uhls. “I have never been so anxious to secure the conviction of any criminal as I was Dr. Uhls,” exclaimed Langford.
A Model “Trusty”
Upon his arrival at the penitentiary in Lansing, Uhls was sent to labor in the coal mines like any other prisoner. Soon, however, he impressed warden W. H. Mackey with his exemplary conduct. His undoubted skill as a medical practitioner won him a place in the prison hospital. Within a year, he became a prison “trusty”, someone garnered special favor by the warden and staff. This “trusty” status became extremely important to Uhls, as his mother, Mrs. Anna Uhls, began to develop a series of serious health setbacks in 1927. Mrs. Uhls, who was residing with her daughter at a home at 4327 Charlotte Street in the Hyde Park area of Kansas City, Missouri, had sent messages of her declining health to her son at the prison. After he was denied a request for temporary parole by Kansas Governor Ben Paulen, Dr. Uhls sought permission from Warden Mackey to have a series of accompanied visits to his mother’s home. Mackey granted permission for these visits, the first of which occurred in December. The routine visits would take place monthly without any incident, and Uhls would return to his duties in the prison hospital after a day-long visit with his ailing mother.
His sixth visit, however, would be different. Taking place on April Fool’s Day, the visit would prove to be his last excused leave from the prison. It would also be the last time anyone involved with Dr. Uhls over the past five years would ever see him again. The headlines the next day in the newspapers would sum up the situation quite succinctly:
“DR. KENN UHLS FLEES”
Chapter 10 - The series finale. Click here
Timothy J. Lyons, a Kansas City, Kansas, politician, was growing increasingly concerned. Over two years had passed since he first put up a $20,000 bond for his friend, Dr. Kenneth Uhls. Convicted of second- degree murder in June of 1924, the disgraced doctor was still a free man two years later, awaiting his appeal to be heard by the state supreme court. Lyons had good reason to be concerned, as Uhls was taking increasing liberties with the terms of his bail. Although required to notify Lyons of any intentions of leaving the area for any period, Uhls was causing distress among Lyons and his own legal team, seemingly disappearing for days or even weeks, without notice. After a series of delays, the Kansas Supreme Court finally announced they would hear Uhls’ appeal on June 7. This pending date motivated Lyons to begin his own search for Uhls, ultimately locating him six weeks later in Cincinnati, working as a salesman under an assumed name.
On May 12, 1926, Uhls walked into the office of the Reno County Sheriff, Jesse Langford, accompanied by Lyons. Uhls was then committed to the county jail and Lyons secured his release from the $20,000 bond, which he admitted he was afraid to continue to hold because of the risk of endangering his credit. Both Mr. Lyons and Uhls denied that Uhls had been arrested after the six-week search, as reported in the Kansas City Star newspaper. Lyons stated that Uhls had treated him very fairly. He explained that Uhls had kept him informed of his whereabouts and had continued to agree to return and give himself up at any time that Lyons should request it. When Sheriff Langford questioned Lyons as to why he had gone to Cincinnati seeking Uhls instead of allowing him to return voluntarily, Lyons stated that he had made the trip to Cincinnati because of the death of one of his wife’s relatives. He stated that while he was there, Uhls called him up and offered to come back if Lyons wanted him to. Sheriff Langford had his doubts about Lyons’ story, but he chose not to question it further. He now finally had Uhls right where we wanted him - in a jail cell. At least for the next three weeks.
Dr. Uhls did not appear worried in the slightest degree over being re-committed to jail. He stated that since his conviction two years ago he had visited every state in the country. He was forced to take an assumed name because no matter where he went if he introduced himself as Dr. Uhls he was immediately piled with questions regarding his connection with the murder in Hutchinson. Uhls declared that he had worked as a salesman and had sold everything from shoestrings to drugs. From his appearance he seemed to have prospered, and he stated that he made enough to send his attorneys $1000 on three different occasions.
One person who was not impressed by Uhls’ confidence was Reno County Attorney, Martin Aelmore, who declared that since Uhls was convicted of second-degree murder in Reno County, every means has been used to delay the appeal of the case. Aelmore all but accused Uhls’ legal team of dilatory tactics to keep their client a free man as long as possible. He also stated that the request for a new trial by Uhls’ attorneys is based on several alleged mistakes made by the prosecution in the original trial. However, he also believes the legal brief which he and assistant attorney Leo Erksine Wyman have prepared will negate any charges of error and that Uhls will finally be sent immediately to the penitentiary to begin his sentence of ten to twenty-five years.
Over the course of the next three weeks, Uhls was paid a series of visits by his wife, Charlotte, and his five-year-old daughter, who were now living with Charlotte’s parents in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Appeal is Finally Heard
The appeal was heard in Topeka on June 7th. Over the course of two hours Uhls’ attorney, J. R. Beeching, laid out his case that his client was the victim of circumstantial evidence combined with prosecutorial errors in the original trial. The chief argument was that the trial court erred in denying Uhls a separate preliminary hearing, and in permitting the introduction of testimony about the financial affairs of the Uhls Clinic in Overland Park. “What was the purpose of this mass of testimony, relating to the embarrassed financial condition of the corporation and its mismanagement under the appellant and his father?” Beeching asked in arguing the case before the supreme court. “Its purpose was the very effect that it had – to prejudice the jury against Dr. Uhls. Approximately half of the preferred stock of the Uhls Clinics corporation was sold to residents of Hutchinson and the vicinity. These stockholders were in constant attendance at the trial. We are unable to understand on what theory the court permitted the introduction of this evidence?” Uhls’ attorney also tried to point the finger of blame back on the now-exonerated Frank Leonard. Aelmore and Wyman took less than thirty minutes to provide their arguments, primarily stating that the court made no error and that the introduction of the dire financial condition of the Uhls Clinic provided the motive for the murder – to reclaim over $100,000 of preferred stock from the slain William Gibbs and have it transferred back to Uhls through the forged signature of a “mystery man” who has never been located. Both sides wrapped up their arguments and left the courtroom.
A Supreme Rejection
Over a month later, on July 10, the Kansas Supreme Court released their decision: the court affirmed the lower court’s guilty verdict and ordered Uhls to immediately be sent to prison in Lansing. “Well, that’s that!” exclaimed Uhls after two reporters visited his jail cell to tell him the decision of the supreme court. He bit his lip after making the exclamation and then said: “Well I am going to fight it on up through the higher courts. That’s all I have got to say, except that I wish you would go and talk to my attorney as to the next move that is to be made.” Uhls’ attorney was out of the city when the decision was received.
Four days later, on July 14, Dr. Uhls arrived at the prison, bitter in the fact that he had been handcuffed to Weir Heir, an Algerian negro convicted of burglary, for the entire transport from Reno County to Lansing. He would have preferred to have been coupled to Bill Little, a bootlegger who also had a date with the prison. But Sheriff Jesse Langford allowed Little to walk alongside as a free man, as he wasn’t going to take any chances with Dr. Kenneth Uhls. “I have never been so anxious to secure the conviction of any criminal as I was Dr. Uhls,” exclaimed Langford.
A Model “Trusty”
Upon his arrival at the penitentiary in Lansing, Uhls was sent to labor in the coal mines like any other prisoner. Soon, however, he impressed warden W. H. Mackey with his exemplary conduct. His undoubted skill as a medical practitioner won him a place in the prison hospital. Within a year, he became a prison “trusty”, someone garnered special favor by the warden and staff. This “trusty” status became extremely important to Uhls, as his mother, Mrs. Anna Uhls, began to develop a series of serious health setbacks in 1927. Mrs. Uhls, who was residing with her daughter at a home at 4327 Charlotte Street in the Hyde Park area of Kansas City, Missouri, had sent messages of her declining health to her son at the prison. After he was denied a request for temporary parole by Kansas Governor Ben Paulen, Dr. Uhls sought permission from Warden Mackey to have a series of accompanied visits to his mother’s home. Mackey granted permission for these visits, the first of which occurred in December. The routine visits would take place monthly without any incident, and Uhls would return to his duties in the prison hospital after a day-long visit with his ailing mother.
His sixth visit, however, would be different. Taking place on April Fool’s Day, the visit would prove to be his last excused leave from the prison. It would also be the last time anyone involved with Dr. Uhls over the past five years would ever see him again. The headlines the next day in the newspapers would sum up the situation quite succinctly:
“DR. KENN UHLS FLEES”
Chapter 10 - The series finale. Click here
