The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-26
CAN THIS BE TRUE!
WHITEOAPPING POLITICS ALLEGED
IN KINGMAN COUNTY.

| Openly Charged that the Whitmer Family
Who were First Robbed and Afterward
Burned Out, are Prosecuted Because
They are Republicans-CheneyS Sentinel
Gives a Full Account of the TrouDIe-It
Politics in It-subscrsption Asked for
the Family.
An astonishing state Of affairs exists
| a few miles west of Wichita just across
| the Kingman county line. The Whit
mer family, who were removed with
violence by a masked mob from their
farm some months ago. have been burn
ed out. The Kingman Republican pa
pers claim there is politics in it and
| the KingTnan Leader-Courier, Repub-
iican paper, declares that there is poll
tics in it and that the Whjtmers are
prosecuted because they are Republi-
cans.
The Cheney Sentinel, which takes a
more conservative view of the mater,
says:
''On last Friday night, shortly after
midnight, the family of Mr.. William
Whrmer, vino resides four miles west
of here in Kingman county, were awak-
ened by the roaring flames Of very
destructive fire on their premises.
Scantily clad they ran from their house
TO the barn some four or five rods south
east, only TO find the grainery and sew
eral large hayStacks enveloped in
flames.
In the grainary loft was stored some
ten tons of hay, while the lower portion
contained 1856 bushels Of rent wheat,
fifty bushels of wheat, all he had left
TO bread his family, belonging to Mr..
Nihitmer, besides two gasoline cooking
stoves, one cook stove, one sewing ma
chine, a lot of new carpet, a barrel of
pickles, two listers, two sod plows, one
stirring plow, a quantity of chop feed,
wagon covers, two header canvasSes.
and many other articles, all of which
We're totally destroyed.
Near the haystacks stood two wag-
ons, one a new Balm, which also burn
ed. Near by were two header boxes
loaded with corn, which We're also burn
ed with their contents. A few feet
from the haystacks sat a new wagon
box that was also burned, and in. this
box was found the evidencesof the IN
=
mer says there WAS nothing in The box
In the evening when they went TO bed,
but the ashes found on the scraps of
iron plainly slow-that the guilty parties
put hay into the box and then put
fire ITO lit in order to be sure of its de-
struction.
Besides this evidence of incendiarism
those who first arrived at the fire state
that the stacks of hay were fired at
both ends and burning furiously while
the centerS We're not yet on fire. Mr..
Whitmer says that as near as he can
estimate There was about forty tons
of hay burned, and was all he had for
winter use. He estimates his individual
loss at $500, and that of the company
$500.
1T will be remembered that some
months ago, in his absence, Mr.. Whit
mers family were bounced upon by a
band of masked men and taken off the
farm one dark night, the result of
which caused the arrest of some fifteen
or twenty. also resulting in several
trials. These cases have been poStpon-
ed from time 10 time and are yet in
the courts of Kingman county. Nat
urally it leaves the impression upon the
members of the family that if the fire
was by incendiary origin some of the
same fellows that took part IN the evic-
ton are the ones who set fire to his
property. If this proves to be true the
guilty ones should suffer the full pen
atty of the law.
1.-The loss falls heavily upon Mr. Whit
mer, as winter is coming on and every
article burned was to have been put
into Immediate use. Mr.. Whitmer is
old and in poor health and in no con-
dftion ito replace the property destroyed.
Those who know Mr.. Whitmer's fam
lily say they are the best of neighbors,
kind-hearted and always ready TO help
their neighborS in the time of need.
This loss OF wheat, hay, corn and other
necessary articles, which includes near
ly all their winter clothing is a loss
more keenly felt by the family than can
possibly be known to the outside world
who have not had a similar experience.
Charity, broad charity, should unfold
the hearts of his neighbors and some
steps be taken to make good his loss
because they are now left in need. The
Sentinel therefore, suggests that some
one head a subscription and give the
people a chance to donate such articles
as they can spare, such as corn, wheat,
ana tay,g VIII ich iss1fow needed by them
TO- This soy WAS Snort
-VuEl
John shanfon Finds 81 ZOO but it Proves
to he Worthless.