The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-06-14
A TOPEKA TRAGEDY.

| 0ent business Man, and Fatally Wounds
His Wife-The Miserable Wretch SUM
narily Lynched.
TOPEKA. Kan, June 6-At four O'Clock
yesterday morning the Hon. A. 7. Rod.
gers, of Rodgers & Stranahan. merchant
;ailors, was fatally shot by burglar. and
his wife was snot and SO badly hurt that
aer recovery is doubtful
Mr.. and Mrs Rodgers were awakened
by the sudden entrance into the room OF a
man from the outside. Sprnging from
bed Mr.. Rodgers found himself confront
I'd by . stoutly- built and desperate-look.
ing man armed with a revolver. He knew
ut glance The character Of the intruder
and started to grapple with him, followed
by Mrs. Rodgers. Ths burglar fired as
they closed in on him, the ball taking eff.
feet in Mr.. Rodgers groin.
| Alderce struggle ensued. in which all
three took part. Several shots were fred
by the desperate as his wrist was held
tightly by Mr.. Rodgers. One Of these took
effect in Rogers left arm and another in
the center of the abdomen. A third bull.
let entered the burglars left hand.
Rodgers got the revolver away from
the burglar and struck him
over the head withiit The prisoner'begged
piteously to be allowed to go and was at
last permitted to escape, his captors being
to weak to continue the struggle longer.
He jumped to the porch, slid down one Of
the pillars. leaving blood stains on the
wood, and ran for life, leaving q trai. of
blood.
| Mr.. Rodgers died in few hours and his
wife can not live. They have lived in To-
pekaifor nineteen years and are promi-
nent people.
Within an hour 1000 people were scour-
| ing the country for the robber. At six
O'Clock young man. about nineteen years
of age, having a wound in his hand and
answering the description, was arrested
and taken TO the prison. Immediately
500 people .cougregated about the
prison, and but for the fact that there was
some uncertainty about the identity of
| the prisoner the officer could not have held
| HIM. There is little doubt however, that
he is the right man.
The man gave his nam, as Natt0liphant,
and said he had just been put(off a freight
train bv the train hands. On the left side
of his forehead were two fresh cuts as if
made with a lluut instrument. He wore
his hat so that the wounds were not visible
until it was removed. His right hand
showed evidence of having been lately
bitten, and there were the imprints of
teeth on two of his fingers. In his pockets
4 were found two watches. a number Of
rings and a breastpin which has been
| identified as the one taken from F. Cooks
house at the corner cf Fifth and Buchanan
streets Monday night. The Cook house is
near the Rodgers homestead
The prisoner said the wounds he lore
were inflicted by brakeman who helped
to put him off the train. The brakeman
has been telegraohed at Kansas City re-
| garding the matter. The man first sail
he lived in Colorado but told others that
Indiana was his home. He was taken to
the county Jail and Mary Klinkerman. the
servant at the Rodgers house, was sent for.
In the meantime news of the tragedy
had spread through the city and an inn
mense crowd gathered in front of the Jail.
When the Swedish girl drove up in COM
pany with the sheriff the excitement be-
came intense. The girl was conducted
into the Jail and the man Oliphant was
brought before her. That's the man."
she said emphatically and without the
slightest sign of doubt
LYNcHED.
TOPEKA, Kan, Jnne5-During the after
noon the crowd in front of the Jail in.
The hoodlum element was entirely absent.
Lawyers, merchants, bankers and other
business men gathered in knots and dis
cussed the situation and the unanimous
opinion was that the wretch ought to
hang. The idea that he might be inno-
cent was secuted from the moment the
servant girl identified Oliphant as the
murderer.
Seven o'clock found 1900 men in front
of the Jail. An hour later this number
had doubled. Soon after eight O'Clock a
large part of the crowd marched to Metro
politan hall, where speeches in favor of
lynching the murderer were loudly ap.
plauded.
Sledge hammers were brought and after
some energetic pounding the Jail was
forced open and the prisoner was in the
hands of the mob.
Through the streets Oliphant was
dragged the rope MOI yet encircling his
neck. The First National Bank occupies
a commanding position on Kansas and
SIKH avenues, aud to the entrance 10 this
building the condemned man was led. All
along the route the shouting continued.
and by the time the prisoner reached the
bank steps there must have been 5000
people facing him. 1t was the
most thrilling spectacle ever wit
messed in tne West A hush settled
over all as the prisoner straight.
eped up and faced his accusers. "He
wants to pray" shouted man. Oliphant
did not pray, but to a reporter who stood
at his side he said: Il am guilty. / shot
Mr. Rodgers and his wife, but did it in
self defense. NY name is Nat C. Oliphant
/ came here from Newton. had two &C.
completes last night who were from Kan
sas City. l am willing to die, but wish
they would hang me from the State House
SO that my neck would be brok en-"
This was all the condemned man had to
say and the mob recommended clamoring
for his blood.
In twinkling the mnrderer was ierked |
to tie ground. The ever ready rope was |
placed about his neck and the crowd |
surged toward an electric light pole |
standing near. Two men climbed to the |
cross trees with the blight of the rope 1t |
was adjusted moment later and before |
they could descend the body of Oliphant !
shot upward and met them They !
scrambled to the ground and as they |
cleared the pole a pistol shot was heard. |
ELEPHANTS arms swayed slightly and |
his legs drew up several times. Then he
was quiet anu Tue ilRne snlnlng IN MS
face showed that he was dead. The mo-
ment that his form was seen against the
pole the crowd gave a cheer and then sub
sided into silence, aud not until the body
had hung fifteen minutes did the uproar
break out again.
Three Hundred More Found.
PITTSBURGH. Pa, June 5-Three hun.
dred more bodies were found yesterday
afternoon opposite Nineveh. This makes
hmm 10 Ac.li .