The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-25
HUNGRY AND NO WORK.
Story of the Desperate Man Who
Broke the Plate Glass Window,


Peoule passing along Main near
Tenth street. shortly before IL O'Clock
Sunday night. saw a large man, with
heavy black beard, pause in front of
the King Tailoring company's store, 1902
Main street and throw a brick through
one of the large plate glass windows
The crash attracted a. crowd in q few
minutes. Every body was aStOnlShed
when the man made no effort to escape.
He stood still until Officer Hull came
up. Then he went to the officer and
said.
Il broke that window so that I would
be sent to jail. i want a place to sleep
and something to eat"
The brick thrower said his name was
John z. Kidd. He is AZ years old and
laborer. on the way to police head
quarters with the officer he told why
he broke the window. Six months ago
he was in Chicago driving a team He
lost his job and started west in search
Of work. Reaching ST. Joseph and
finding nothing to do he decided to
come to Kansas City. He arrived here
last Friday and after begging some
thing to eat he went to the Helping
Hand institute and slept in the free
room. Saturday he tried hard all day
to find work, but had failed to get any
thing and had been able to beg only
4 saw he said. that my condition
was getting worse and I knew that un-
less I got something to do soon / would
worry myself Insane Then i would
commit some terrible crime. I felt sure
OF that. The idea occurred to me that
if I could get i'm jail / would fare bet
ter. So I decided to break a window
and be sent to Jail. did it and now i
hope III be sent to jail until cold
weather is over"
Kidd talked in subdued tones and did
not appear in the least excited over
what he had done. After long silence
he said
I'm a Christian.I Joined the Method
ist church in Ohio. But don't consid-
er what / have done a sin. To commit
murder and robbery is q sin. Man
would hold me responsible for this, but
God wouldn't
Kidd slept in the police holdover last
night, and this morning he was taken
before Police Judge Clifford. He plead
ed guilty to the charge Of malicious de-
promptly fined Sl0O, which viii keep
him in the workhouse 200 days He eX-
planned TO the police judge that he had
smashed the window so that he could
be sent to Jail, where he knew he would
have place to sleep and something TO
eat
Are you an anarchist" asked city
Attorney Burnham.
No" said Kidd: but I don't think
I have. committed a sin"
What do YOU consider a sin?''
Murder and stealing"
.Of what faith are you2''
IT am a Methodist"
do you think a good Methodist
would do what you have dOne2"
i know I did it to get a place where
I could stay"
Judge Gifford said Kids excuse did
not give him the right to damage other
peoples property
That's thin story" said the judge,
and III have to send you to JAM
After being fined Kidd told the story
Of his misfortunes. He had faithfully
hunted for work. he said. but everyone
had turned him away. Everywhere he
had met with the same answer:
Il have no work for YOU
Kidd appeared to be pleased with his
sentence to the workhouse, and while
going back to jail he talked freely about
himself.
DO you drink or gambler he was
asked
I do not. and I don't smoke or
chew"
Kidd said he had been reared on a
farm near Philadelphia. He did not
know whether he had any relatives liv-
ing. He was never married