The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-29
KANSAS STATE NEWS.

Railroad Commissioners that since the
Missouri Pacific railway has secured con-
troll of the st. Louis & Emporia railroad
the charge for hauling lumber in car lots
! from Fieasanton TO Mound City is 61l cents
| per hundred pounds while formerly it was
| but three cents; also that the Missouri Pa
cific Company will not make a JOINT rate
with the Gulf Company to Mound City,
| the board claims that it is beyond its power
I or that of the State to compel two rail-
road companies to make joint rate upon
! a pro rata or mileage basis. Such an act
would create q partnership, which can
only be created by the consent of the two
railroad companies.
A TOPEKA special says: Several weeks
! ago dispatch was sent out from Cincin-
natl, o., stating that r. II. Lawton had
committed suicide while in a hospital in
| that city. The cause of the suicide was at
the time generally attributed to the fact
that Lawton was on trial in the District
Court in Cherokee County, which in all
probability would send him to the peniten-
tiary. During the period that has elapsed
since the time Of his reported death there
has been a growing opinion to the effect
that Lawton neither died nor committed
suicide, except in the eyes of the public.
| So thoroughly convinced of this was At
torney General Bradford that he went to
Columbus, where Lawton was to have been
tried, with the view of compelling LAW
toms bondsmen to produce positive proof
/ of his death. Lawton himself, or forfeit che
| $4,000 bonds in which Lawton was held.
Lawton was the principal offender in the
Cherokee Court house and bond fraud.
JOHN D. DAVIS, of Prescott, Ark, wants
to know the whereabouts of his brother,
Andrew S. Davis, who was born in Jeffer-
son County, Tenn, and served in the Mex
lean war. He also served in the Union
army during the late war, after which he
moved to Missouri and then to Kansas. He
has two sons, B. n. l., and j. R. II. Davis.
HEAVY rains recently fell over the west
ern two-thirds of the State; at NickersOn a
heavy wind prevailed also and eighteen
houses were blown down. The rain ex-
| tended from Denver to Manhattan, and on
the Santa Fe road from the west line of
the State east 800 miles. These rains were
heavy enough to save the corn crop and
make a fair yield.
LOUIE, a three year old son of Thomas
Laughlin, of Topeka, died the other even
| ing from the effects of eating Rough on
Rats. The parents of the child had gone
away from home, leaving the little fellow
in charge of his grandmother. His grand
mother took him with her to one of the
neighbors to spend few minutes, and
while there the child got hold of a quantity
of Rough on Rats which had been placed
in a saucer to kill flies.
HEAVY rains recently fell in Western and
Southwestern Kansas, while the eastern
part of the State remained as dry as pow
der house, and crops were suffering.
THE Topeka & Lincoln Railway Company
! filed its charter recently, with q capital
stock of S1,5O0,O00. The contemplated
length, in Kansas, is given as seventy-five
miles. The road is to start from Topeka
and run through the counties of Shawnee,
Jackson and Nemaha, to the north line of
the State.
IL a region exclusively agricultural,
within square of sixty miles, there are
eight Kansas cities aggregating a popula-
ton of 10000. Where only few years ago
the buffalo hunter was the only inhabitant
are now the cities of Wichita, Wellington,
Augusta and Douglas.
Hon. T. P. FENLoN, of Leavenworth, has
been engaged as leading counsel for the
Wyandotte train wreckers.
AT the election next fall proposition
will be submitted to the voters to amend
the constitution to increase the number of
Justices of the Supreme Court to five, three
of whom shall constitute a quorum, and a
concurrence of three shall be necessary to
every decision of the court. Provision
may be made by law for the increase of the
number of justices of the Supreme Court
to seven, whenever two-thirds OF the mem
bers of each house of the Legislature shall
concur, when four justices shall constitute
a quorum, and concurrence of four shall
be necessary to every decision of the court.
The term Of Office of justice of the Supreme
Court shall be ten years, one justice to be
elected at the general election every two
years, whose term of Office shall commence
on the second Monday of January next
after his election. The salary of each JUS
tice is fixed at not less than 5000.
THE charter of the Kansas City & Ar.
kansas Valley Short Line Company, the
purpose of which is to construct line Of
railroad from Yates Center, Woodson
County, through the Counties of Green
wood, Elk, Butler and Cowley, to the city
of Winfield, was filed the other day.
A LATE Topeka dispatch says: Among
the cases which will be considered by the
Board of Pardons, now in session. is that
| of W. B. Leonard, who is under sentence
! of death for robbing the Santa Fe express
| car and numbering Engineer Hilton at
Coolidge in September, 1883. The con
demned man on his trial contended that he
was in Jail at Yankton, Oak, at the time
of the murder, and the sheriff, deputy
sheriff, jailer aud clerk of that institution
have made sworn affidavits supporting
his statement Against this is the testi-
mony of prominent citizens of Coolidge,
who swear that they saw Leonard upon TIE
streets of that city upon the day of the
murder. The board will have some diff
Guilty in deciding between this conflict of
testimony and it is believed that respite
will be granted and the case laid over for
a searching investigation.
A LUNATIC was recently found running at
large at North Topeka. He was young
man, apparently not more than twenty
two years of age. Who be was or where
he came from no one knew. Being taken
to jail he became violent and raving. He
stripped himself of his clothing. and his
clothes could not be kept on him until he
was handcuffed. The unfortunate was
taken to the asylum.
MAPLE worms are destructive.
THE following Kansas postmastere were
recently appointed: J. d. Scott, Airing.
ton, Reno County: o. F. Leachman, Avil
la, Comanche County; Thomas Flemming
Baine. Potta watcmie County; J. H. Hur
ley, Fonda, Ford County: G. ". Smith.