Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-06-13

Desperate struggle with . B1rs3.rL3A0
Desperate Kklls Mr. Re<gNrs, . Pf0Dt.
| Asns Business MAn, and Fatally WOond0
His Wne-The Miserable Wretch So
DaEny Lynehs6 fsns
TORKKA Kan, June AT four O'Clock
gers, OF Rodgers + Stranahan, merchant
tailors, was fatally shot by . burglar, and
| his wife was shot and so badly hart that
| her recovery 10 doubtful
Mr.. and ArA Rodgers were awakened
| by the sudden entrance into the room OF .
man from the outside. Springing from
bed AE Rodgers found himself confront.
| I'd by stoutiy-built and despsrats-look-
ing man armed with q revolver. He knew
at glance the character Of the intruder
and started to grapple with him, followed
by Mrs. Rodger& The burglar fred a.
| they closed IN On him, the ball taking ef-
feet in Mr.. Rodgers groin.
| A fierce struggle ensued. IN which all
three took part. -SsysxAl shqsAHaxe- -AEsd
| by the desperado 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 with It Ths prisoner begged
piteously to be allowed to go and was at
| last permitted to escape, his capeors 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 trail Of
| blood.
| Mr.. Rodgers died in q few hours and his
| wife can not live. They have lived in To-
| peka for nineteen years and are promi-
| nent people.
| Within an hour 3, 900 people were scouF-
| ing the country for the robber. At six
| O'Clock a young man. about nineteen years
! of age, having q wound In his hand and
answering the description, was arrested
and taken to the prison Immediately
| 5000 people congregated 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 nams as Nat Oliphant,
and said he had just been put OF freight
train by the train hands. On the left side
OF his forehead were two fresh cuts as If
made with a blunt 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
| were found two watches, q number Of
| identified as the one taken from F. Cook
house at the corner Of 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 OF the train The brakeman
has been telegraphed at Kansas City re-
| gardiug the matter. The man first said
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 i'm
! 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, Juneh-During the after
noon the crowd in front OF the Jail in
creased, but no demonstrations were made.
/ The hood1um element was ntirely 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 &c
| hang. The idea that he might be inno-
| cent was secuted from tha moment the
servant girl identified Oliphans tn
murderer.
Seven O'Clock found Z 900 men in front
Of the Jail. An hour later this numbsz
| had doubled. Soon after eight O'Clock Q
large part of the crowd marched to Metro
politan hall, where speeches in favor d
| lynching the murderer were loudly aP-
| plauded.
Sledge hammers were brought and after
| some energetic pounding the jail VA
| forced open and the prisoner was in ths
| hands Of the mob.
Through the streets Oliphant wa
dragged the rope not yet encircling hia
neck. The First National Bank occupies
q commanding position on Kansas and
| Sixth avenues, aud to the entrance to this
| building the condemned man was led AL
along the route the shouting continued
and by the time the prisoner reached the
bank steps there must have been aoot
| people facing him 1t was the
most thrilling spectacle ever wit.
messed in the West A hush settled
over all as the prisoner straight
ened mp and faced his accusers. HI
| wants to pray" shouted a man. Oliphan,
did not pray, but to q reporter who stoot
At his side he said: Il am guilty. sho'
Mr.. Rodgers and his wife. but did it in
self defense. Ny name Is Nat c. Oiphant
came here from Newton had two ne.
complies last night. who were from Kan.
sas City. i am willing to die, but wisl
they would hang me from the State Hoas<
20 that my neck would be broken"
This was all the condemned man had e
say and the mob RECOMMENDED clamorini
for his blood
In a twinkIing the murderer was 5erke<
to tie ground The ever ready rope wa,
placed about his neck and the crowC
suPged toward electric light pol,
standing near. Two men climbed TO tn,
cross trees with the blight of the rope.
was adjusted moment later and befor'
they could deseend the body Of OlipAan
| shot upward and met them The1
scrambled to the ground and as the,
cleared the pole pistol shot was heard
OIiphant's arms swayed slightly ant
his legs drew up several times Then b
was quiet and the light shining in hi
face showed that he was dead. The me-
/ ment that his form Was seen against tn
| pole the crowd gave a cheer and then sub
sided into silence, and not until the bod,
had hung fifteen minutes did the 1proa
break out again
Three Hundred More Fo1n4
PITTSBURGH Pa, June S-Thrse hua
! l.