The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-21
JUMPED HIS BOND
GEORGE SHIRLEY FAILS TO APPEAR
FOR TRIAL YESTERDAY.
His Bond was Declared Forfeited
and Bench Warrant Issued for
His Arrest--Farmer Doolittle
and other Citizens Left
to Hold the Sack.
Where is George Shirley?

avenue IN tnlS Guy, OUT ne Was uot az hoi's
last night; nor has he been seen on the
streets since last Monday.
Yesterday WAS the day set for his trial
10 the district court of Harvey county.
He should have been there at O'Clock, but
he was not. The court was accommodate
ing and waited for him till 2 O'Clock, but
at shat hour he was still absent Judge
Wall, one of his attorneys, then addressed
the court, saying that he expected Shirley
would appear on time, and was astonished
because he did not. That is all Judge
Shirley.
Mr.. Shirley was out on bond OF 5000,
and failing to appear the bond was de
clared forfeited. In addition to this the
court ordered a bench warrant issued foi
his arrest. and also ordered that if arrested
his bond should be increased to $4,000.
There are several Wichita men on the
bond, among them Shirley's neighbour
Farmer Doolittle.
Farmer Doolittle's kind heart ran away
with his Judgment, when he thought ne
could not have neighbor who was not an
honest man. He took up for Shirley
through thick and thin, and was one OF
the few men WHO considered him innocent
of the charge This is what he gets in re,
turn. 1t will cost the Farmer many a
days hard work rustling after the festive
item, to pay for his misplaced confidence
In his neighbor.
The charge against Shirley is arson.
To be more specific he is charged with
burning the records Of Harvey county
some time ago.
By his alleged crime the evidence OF
title to nearly every piece of property III
Harvey county was destroyed.
One morning last winter when the jan
itor of the Harvey county court house
went to the building be smelt smoke. He
went directly into the register of deeds
room and as he opened the door volume
of smoke rushed out and nearly Knocked
him insensible. He gave the alarm at once,
the vault door was opened and there in
the middle of the floor the records Of the
county were found piled up and almost
burned to ashes.
An examination was made and it was
found that the criminals had drilled
through the brick wall Of the safe, piled
the books on the floor, saturated them
with coal oil and ignited them with
lighted match.
The excitement that followed this was
terrible, and no wonder. The entire county
was affected by the loss.
The county commissioners at once en-
ployed one of the shrewdest detectives In
Pinkerton's agency to hunt down the
criminals, but in the course of two or three
months they discharged him and looked
around for other sleuth hounds to run
down the game they were after. Chief
Cone and Detective Wood Of this oity took
the job and in two weeks had Wash
Rogers Of Newton and George Shirley OF
this city under arrest.
Previous to the burning of the records
there was an abstracter at Newton who
had the only set of abstract books in the
county These books were bought by
Rogers & Shirley. They had young
lady in the Office who attended to the
books, and for two weeks before the fire
she was kept busy during Office hours. to
the neglect of everything else,
bringing the books mp TO date. The
evening before the fire she had instruc-
lions not to return to her Office till she
had the last entry recorded in her books.
Next morning after the fire business
was rushing in Shirley & Rogers
Office 1t was given out that they
had the only records in the county aud
the price of abstracts went
I'D to so cents for each transfer, which
brought the Office an immense revenue.
The county commissioners wanted to buy
the books. but they were not fbr sale. 1t
is even said that $4,000 was offered for
them to no purpose Rogers & Shirley
thought they had gold mine and that it
would last for ever.
"Who could have burned the books:"
said one.
"Oh somebody who had an object" said
another.
"Who could have an object in destroy
ing the records except Rogers & Shirley"
said third.
This is how they came to be suspected.
The officers soon found where the coal oil
can found at the fire came from: they also
sooa found that Shirley, who was
then running joint on the side,
had limited to some fellows that he had
Job to do in which there was some money.
Iu short, they found men with whom he
had made deaf to burn the records. and
at last found the man who did the job He
confessed the whole thing.
When the trial WAS called yesterday sat
sfactory evidence was furnished that
Rogers was too sick to attend and his trial
was postponed till the next term of court.
&c in ha III
hide Shirley from the hands OF the law"
said man closely connected with the case
10 reporter for the EAGLE last night,
and that is the bottom of the ocean.
Harvey county will spend $4,000 il neces--
,ary to bring him TO trial and to send him
o the penitentisry. We are onto his
scheme, | think, however. | think
c is the intention to prolong the
,ase until all the witnesses are
lead or scattered. j will say. however,
hat twenty-five years from low Harvey
ouuty will be as hot on his trail as it is
oday, If he can't be brought to justice
ooner. Ii is possible that Shirley may
ome into court on the last day of the
ERIN. and give himself UP, aud in that
vent be could not be tried before Febru-
ry. IL he does this he will probably say
hat he was taken sick at some out Of the
vay place. and get some scallawag to
wear TO IL. IL at the next term the wit
esses are still at hand he viii probably |
ave some other excuse TO prolong the |
ase The court is onto his racket, and so |
everybod else concerned in the case,
nd let me predict, right here, that if he is |
sptured or gives himself up he will never
gain breathe the air of freedom till after !
lie crime is explated in the state peniten |
iary."
DAY OF PRAYER.
The members of the First NJ. f church |
re earnestly requested TO set apart today |