The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-24
Wesley Spidle is Dead and His Memory
Abused. But What Has Become of
His Partner in Crime-The
Chief Witness in Favor
Of the Police
Force

the moutbpiecs of the Metropolitan police
| force OF Wichita. A kickers column i,
generally gotten up for the purpose OF
having soma imaginary person Say
what the paper itself has
not the nerve or honesty to say
hence the above article was written
in the Beacon Office. In the very same
issue of the paper, in the account of the
preliminary hearing before Justice Red
| field the following paragraph is found:
County Attorney Boone closed in a
speech of nearly an hour in which he eio-
quenJly presented the states side of the
case. He said he didn't believe any officer
had right to go out and murder r man
for taking coal for his poor, sick wife, F"
And thus it IS that the evening Fusion
organ intimates that the EAGLE is an
Anarchist and Communist for regret
ting the fate of poor Spidle, while it says
that County Attorney Boone's statement
that be did not believe any officer had a
right to go out and murder a man for
taking coal for Lis poor, sick wife," was
an eloquent presentation of the states
side of the case. County Attorney Boone
is FuSionist, whom the Beacon support
ed earnestly for the Office which he fills
This statement is not made to throw any
discredit on Willard Boone. by any means;
1t is made to show the Inconsistency and
dishonesty Of the Fusion organ. 1t is
also made as a suggestion to the editor of
the Beacon that he ought to be careful
when he writes anything for the "Kickers'
Column" not to let his reporter contradict
him in another part of the same issue.
Now. then, according to the standard of
the Demo Pop organ, the Demo-Pop coun.
ty attorney is convicted of being an Anar-
chist and a Communist. Are there any
more Demo-Pops guilty! Let US see.
On the night of the fatal shooting of
Wesley Spidle two officers were detailed to
act as private watchmen for the Santa Fe
road at the public expense. 1t is rather
hard to say that they were private watch
men, perhaps, but they were seat there for
that particular purpose and did not wear
the uniform of the city. They met there.
as the evidence shows, two men with sacks
of coal on their shoulders. Scully arrested
Spidie and turned him over to Irish. and
then arrested William Mitchell Spidle
ran and was shot and killed; Mitchell was
brought down to the city prison and lock-
Su uP. 40 hc LA jail Ao"s A>S. - AS
under bond? No. Has be been fined or
punished in any way? No. This being
the case it is not impertinent to ask the
question "Why shall one man be killed
for stealing coal for his sick wife to keep
her from being frozen" while another
man charged with the same offense with
no evidence that he had a sick wife to
keep from freezing) be at liberty9 Is
giving a man liberty after being arrested
for stealing coal anarchy and COM
munism according to the Beacon's stand
ard? If so Rufus Cone, the Demo-Pop
chief of police, is guilty.
A little light on this subject will not
hurt the honest people of this city.
When Mitchell was arrested by Officer
Scully he was brought down to the
city building and locked up in
the city Jail. When Information came
that Spidle's wound was fatal q
pollcema thought it good idea to go
down to the prison cell and interview
Mitchell. and ascertain the facts relative
to the shooting. In short time he came
up to police headquarters, painting for
breath, and said
"J-C@, it will never do to keep
that man in Jail. He tells terrible story,
and we must keep on the good side Of him.
Ii he is kept in Jail all night he will be as
hot as b tomorrow, and will give us the
worst of it."
In five minutes he was released and
wendell his way homeward, whistliug
happy tune. He was arrested for stealing
coal, but the officers felt so good towards
him that they did not even enter his right
name on the book. Oh, no, they rather
tried to throw the disgrace of the affair on
the Irish race, by putting him down as
William Murphy. He slept soundly all
night in his own bed, beside his
wife and child, while poor Spidle WAS
bleeding to death in the City hospital,
away from his four children and the sick
wife, for whom he stole the coal TO pre-
vent her from freezing. Next day
gave in testimony that was very favorable
to the man who shot Spidle. Oh. how diff
ferent it was from the story he told in his
cell the previous night, and which caused
the policeman to See the necessity for re-
leasing him. Does anybody suppose for a
moment that Justics Redfield did not
have an intimatiou Of these facts; il so, let
him read the Beacon of Wednesday even
ing. this organ which knows so much
about anarchy and communism. That
paper said, in quoting Justice Redfeld's
remarks: He said that MitchelPs testi-
mony was practically worthless" Why
did Mr.. Redfield say that "Mitchells tes-
timony was practically worthlessf" Sim
l. a. hav t-nNrn fha inf In
ence that existed over him. What Influence
that was is hardly necessary to mention.
A man who is SO poor as to be compelled
to steal coal and too poor to give bond for
his appearance at the next term Of the dis
trict court, usually does not like 10 remain
three or four months in prison with wife
and couple of children depending on his
DAYS work too keep the raving wolf OF
hunger from the door.
Then again the way the police have
mixed one another up in this connection is
a dead give away. A few days ago re-
porter asked one officer what had become
of the Mitchell case He said that he was
charged with grand larceny. When asked
said it was locked up in Judge Babb's
desk Chief Cone was asked the same
question, but the answer WAS evasivs and
Another officer was asked
the same question last night and he said
the case was passed over. Finally Mr.
clerk o: the police court, was
seen last night and the question was asked
him He opened up the book and there
before the name of William Murphy was
the word. released
What does that word released" mean.
asked the reporter
1T means that he was turned loose"
replied Mr. Carney.