People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-06-16

stairs, followed him under his bed and
killed the murderer, although he lost
lis own life in the effort. Since that
occasion not a single disturbance of
my magnitude has occurred in "Hells
Cotton" A number of splendid resi-
lences have been built there and it is
growing rapidly in value because it is
growing in responsibility and favor.
Just about that time in section to
the north of "Helrs Bottom" which
was almost equally as bad, young
merchant, named Philip S. Hirth, who
was on the way home from his store,
was assaulted upon an open square of
ground through which he was passing,
and killed. He had scarcely time to
utter feeble cry before he was strick-
en- into insensibility, and death But
that feeble cry had been heard and
assistance came to him. He was car
ried to drug store about block and
a half away, but life was extinct. The
officers of the city were unable to find
any enemies of the young man or any
cause for his murder other than rob-
berry. They did not know what amount
of money he had about his person or
whether he wore a watch and chain or
other jewelry, and hence they knew
not where to look for the murderer.
The case was finally given into the
hands of colored officer named West,
and he, by reason of his wide acquaint,
ance among the criminal classes of his
own race in that section, discovered
the murderers of Philip Hirth and
brought them all to Justice.
There were four of them, and three
Of them were hanged while another
died in the penitentiary. One of the
murderers, great big negro named
Bedford, had been employed in the
store Of Philip Hirth, and knew that
he was carrying home with him an I'M
Usually large amount of money that
night. He took the other three negroes
with him and they were ali engaged in
che murder. Bedford struck the first
GLOW, and unfortunately Hirth recog-
nized him and begged not to be killed.
That recognition was his death knell.
The brutal aSsailant killed him with
stone. Officer West found a young
negro spending more money than he
could possibly have honestly, arrested
aim on suspicion, and induced him to
confess his completely in the Hirth
murder. With all these experiences
before them, and the assurance that
rhine will be detected and punished,
our criminal classes fear to violate the
aw. Therefore, if you come to Wash
ngton and see our policemen walking
he streets-apparently as ornaments
% the city, without anything to do; or
+ you read in books or newspapers
that the policemen of Washington
nave an easy life of it, You must under
stand that this life of comparative
ease, because of our comparative free
iom from crime, comes to the city by
'eason of the fact that our officers
nave been brave and true to their
duty, and have brought about whole
some fear among the criminal classes,
so that they do not dare to violate the
law as frequently and openly as they
do in some other cities. | think it is
rather to our credit and rather to
their credit that the policemen Of the
city of Washington have, comparative
ly, little to do. 1t is well, however, to
have them all on duty and it is only to
be regretted that the police force is
not larger by at least a hundred, in
order that our great parks may be
better guarded. SMITH D. FRY.