The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-18
WHO WERE THEY?


\ j Reported D.
sonic Building.
People living in the vicinity of the Ma
sonic building on jackson street were
aroused last night by a series Of cries of
murder" "help" and "Oh, my God,
you're killing me-" The cries continued
at various intervals from 1 o'clock until
after 3. and finally three ladies living
across the street dressed and went into
the street to investigate the cause Of the
trouble.
They say the cries were plaintive
and piercing at times, and at other
times sounded smOthered is though
an effort were made TO suppress
the Outcries. The voice was that of
woman The suspicious circumstances
which they saw give the neigh borhood
gossips plenty to talk about today.
One OF the women who went into the
street said to JOURNAL reporter today:
IVY had not been on the sidewalk long
before u hack drove up to the front en-
trance of the building. The driver cried
out, Hurry up. thereP and somebody up
stairs said, All right Well be down in a
minute Then two men, carrying form,
which we could not see distinctly, but
suppose was woman came down.
l rushed across the street to try to get
the number of the hack. but
the driver saw me coming and drove
up the alley before l could get to see
anything. TIL en- | went back to the side
decided that the hack would be back be-
fore long, so we waited. 1 suppose we
waited nearly three quarters of an hour,
but it came. or at least a hack we sup
posed was the same one.
'.We all crossed the street again and
saw by the lamps that it was No. 20. L
asked:
"'Where is that woman you hauled
away while ago?'
".What woman
s''The one they carried out Of this build
ing while ago. Aren't you the same
hackman?'
~'No, and I don't know anything
about it. simply got tele-
phone message that woman
was badly hurt down here, so 1 came
here after her.
81 asked the hackman what his name
was, but he wouldn't tell Then a big
fat colored policeman came up and we
told him all we knew about the case
Thehackman started to drive off but the
officer stopped him. The policeman says
the drivers name was Lucas. The officer
and Lucas then held a whispered con-
versation and the officer then told US he
would investigate the case and walked
Off"
The policeman in question is learned
to be Officer Hicks.
The other women were present when
this interview was given and they gave
their assent frequently to its relia bility.
They were so alarmed and excited by
the occurrence at the time that it did not
occur to them to arouse their husbands
and have them enter the building
The Masonic building IS taken up
largely with the Masons rooms, the Elks,
the Modocs, WetherelPs dancing acade-
my, a school of physical culture and the
Ath. etc club. There are three or four
rooms rented as gentlemen's sleeping
apartments.
Neither Mr.. nor Mrs. J. II. Wetherell
heard any noises after the AIasons went
home at about o'clock. The noises re-
ported by the neighbors, however, were
kept up as late as o'clock this morn
ing.
The possible sequel to this statement
is given by we'll known Topeka physi-
clan this morning. He says that two
business men and two women rot drunk
in a public building" last night, declin-
ing to say where. He adds that one of
the women was badly hurt, aud among
her other injuries had her foot
"nearly cut off," or at least badly in
jured.
There is a mystery about the whole
affair that time may develop. The hack
man has nothing to say and the police
man is mum. The women across the
street say such occurrences are a dis
grace to respectable neig borhOod and
they want the case forfeited out The
people in the Masonic building are
equally as anxious to find out the truth