The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-05-31
a wANroN MuKpEK
John Bates, n Late Resident of Lyou
County, Killed at Fredonia.

John Bates, Late Resident of Lyon
County. Killed at Fredonia.
John Bates whose father Lafayette
Bates lived Tor many years on Eagle
creek, in this county, and who recently
moved to the southwest. was killed last
week at Fredonia m the most wanton
and cruel manner. The Wilson county
Citizen of the 18th gives the following
details OF the murder:
About z O'Clock last Saturday even
ing, John Bates, a young man about %
years of age, was struck on the head
with brick thrown by John Piers0n,
aged Is, and before morning Bates had
bTeathed his last. The affair, of course,
caused great deal of inquiry and com
ment, and as there were a great many
witnesses of the cowardlY deed, there
are many versions of the affair As
near as we can learn the attack was
wholly unprovoked. Jim Pierson, a
boy about IA years old, threw potato
at Bates, and the latter picked up the
potato and chased Jim into the hail OF
the building occupied by Hess Bros.
Those who witnessed this much of the
preliminary acts in the tragedy sup
posed the parties were just in sport.
Jim, addressed some iil-nalured remark
TO Bates and few words passed, the
parties at the time being ia front of
Meadows s. STATIONS store on the brick
pavement. Piers0n picked up q brick,
and seemed disposed To have a row.
Bates, who was a quiet, unoffending
man, said he did not want to fight, that
he was not mad al Pierson. The latter
accused Bates of having knife. Bates
said he hadn't anything and that the
man who would fight with anything but
his fists was a coward Pierson
said he could Tor would) knock
Bates head of, and almost at the same
instant, while standing at the furthest
not over six feet from Bates, he hurled
the brick with terrible force. Bates
dropped as if shot, his head striking
the pavement. PieIson when question
ed, said he hit Bates with his fist, but
was promptly contradicted by several
men, one of whom picked up the brick.
Bates was taken into Meadows s. STRAIT
tons store, and from there 10 Blass'
boarding house, where he died little
before 4 o'clock the next morning.
Pierson was at once placed in jail.
During the night Bates became con-
scious few times, but only for q very
short time. His body was packed In
ice, and a messenger was dispatched to
his parents at Eureka. On Monday q
post norton examination was made by
Drs. A. w. Cormack and A. N. Per
kins. The examination showed that the
brick must have struck Bates fiat, Just
above the left temple. A large piece OF
the skull was broken loose entirely and
crushed in, while the suturc on the side
of the skull was fractured clear around
to the back of the head. The brick
weighed SO ounces. The victim, John
Bates, had lived here but a short
time, about two months, and was con-
sidered an honest, industrious man,
not over bright, and certainly not
quarrelsome. Pierson has lived here
some time, and in some places he
would be called tough" He says
he did not mean to kill Bates, but
it certainly seems that youth of his age
| who would do such an unprovoked,
cowardiy and reckless act, should be put
where he could not repeat it. He is one
of the graduates of the might school" of
9Tedonia, and is no worse than are some
others who only need little time and
opportunity to reach the point he has
reached.
Pierson waived preliminary examI-
| nation, and Wednesday afternoon plead
ed guilty In the District court to the
charge of manslaughter in the first de-
gree. He has not yet been sentenced.
| The statute penalty for this crime is not
less than five nor more than twenty-one
years in the penitentiary.
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