The Red Cloud chief., 1889-06-14
a Topeka TRAGEDY.

Wo3o D@o-s0A-
Oesperad0 ktlls AH. R0AgeH, . Rr00i-
neas BusiDeas Man, and R0eally Woasds
HE Wiss-The Miserable Wretch Sa0-
AaFily LynehoA
ToPEKA EaA, June AT four o'clock
yestsIday moeninG the Hon. A. !. Rod.
gers of Rodgsrs & S~tranahan, merchant
tailor. VA fatally shot By . burglar. and
his wife Was shot md % badly hurt that
her recovery ID doubtful
NJ. and Nh Rodgers were awakened
BY the sudden entrance int the room Of .
man from the outside Springing from
bed M. Rodgers found himself confront.
ID BY . stoutiy.built and desperate-look.
ing man armed With . revolver. He knew
At . glance the character Of b intruder
and started 10 gr.pple with him, followed
BY Mrs. RodgsrA Tia burglar fred -
they closed in on him, the ball taking ct.
fecs in Mr.. Rodgers' groin.
A 6srcs struggle ensued. in which all
three o o part Several shots were fred
BY the desperate a. his wrist Was held
tightly by Mr.. Rodgers One Of these took
eject in Rogers left arm and another in
b center of the abdomen. A third bull
let entered the burglars left han
Rodgers got b revolver away from
the bur glar and struck him
over the head with it The prisoner begged
piteously to be allowed to 60 and was At
last permitted to escape, his cap,ors 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 . trail OF
blood.
Mr.. Rodgers died in q few hours and his
wife can not live. They have lived n To-
peka for nineteen years and are promi.
nent people.
Within an hour :. 900 people were scour-
ing the country for the robber. At six
O'Clock . young man. about nineteen years
OF age, having . wound in his hand and
answering :he description, WAS arrested
and taken to the prison. Immediately
900 people c~ongregated about the
prison, and but for the fac: 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 ave his name as Nat Oiiphant,
and said he mad just been pu, OF q freight
train b. the train bands On the left side
Of his forehead were two fresh cuts as il
made with Q hunt instrument. He wore
A-S . . eooS ~ "ooAAS W.
until il was removed. HIS RICH, rand
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
rings and . breastpin which has been
identified Is the one taken from F. Cooks
house at the corner q Fifth and Buchanan
streets Monday night The Cook house is
near the Rod GERS homestead
The prisoner said the wounds he lore
were inflicted by a brakeman who helped
to put him Of the train The brakeman
has been telegra2hed at Kansas City re.
garding the matter. The man first said
he ived in Colorado. but told others that
Indiana was his home. He vas 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 vas conducted
into the Jail and the man OIiphant was
trough: before her. That's he man."
she said emphatically and without the
slightest sign Of doubt
LYNCdLD
TOPEKA. Kan, June5-During the after
noon the crowd in front of the jail in.
creased, but no g demonstrations were made.
The hooilum 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 on ght to
hang. The idea that be might be limo.
cent was secuted from the the
servant gil identified Oiiphant IS the
murderer.
Seven O'Clock found 2 OD0 men in front
of the Jail An hour later this number
had doubled. Soon after eight O'Clock q
large part of the crowd marched to Metro
politan hall, where speeches in favor Of
iynching the murderer were loudly ap.
rlauded.
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 Oiiphant was
dragged. the rope no: vet encircling his
neck The First National Bank occupies
q commanding position on Kansas and
Six b venues aud to the entrance TO this
building the condemned man was led. All
along the route the shouting continued
and by the time the prisoner reached the
steps there must have been S.0cG
people facing him 1t was the
most thrilling spectacle ever wit
messed in tae West A hush settled
owe all as the prisoner straight
ened up and faced his accusers. He
to pray" shoute q man. Oliphans
did not pray, but to a reporter who stood
at mis- side he said: Il am guilty. Isbot
Mr.. Rodgers and his wife. hut / did il IN
self defense. Ny name is Nat C.. Oliphant
/ came here from Newton / had vs. &c.
completes last night who were from Kan.
sas City. I am willing to de, but ! ~ish
they would hang NE from the State House
SO hat my neck would be brok
This was all the condemned man had to
say and the mob recommended clamorinR
for mis- blood
In a ~twinkling the murderer was jerked
20 tie ground The ever ready rope was
placed about his neck and the crowd
surged coward An electric light pole
standing near. Two men climbed to the
cross trees with the blight of the o II
adjusted . moment later and before
they couldd descend the body of Oliphant
upward and met them. They
to the ground and - they
cleared the mile n piStoI shaf waa heard