The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-22
IRON CLAD is GONE
HISTORICAL HOUSE IN WICHI Z
REMOVED YESTERDAY.

1t was the Scene of Many Stories Which
ton, and has Been the Location of Sew
eraI Dime NoveIs-Wichita's First and
Last Beer Garden was Here-MemOries
Called to Mind by c. A. PhilIips-It Will
be Used as stabIe-It Figured in Many
Criminal Cases.
Another old landmark was removed
yesterday and its historical sight will
have a different appearance in the fu-
ture.
The building is what has been the ii
tie for over twenty years of the ''Old
Iron Clad" The building has been
the scene Of many startling events in
the history Of Wichita, and its remov-
al yesterday was watched by many old
settlers all Of whom had startling sto-
ries toptell locating the romance at the
spot where now stood the "Old Iron
Clad" which had been purchased of
William Polk by o. B. Stocker and was
being removed to his lots for the pur-
pose of making a stable.
Charley Phillips in speaking Of the
old building said: 81 can recollect
this spot when it did not figure in the
criminal history of Wichita, but was
the place selected by one Of Wichita's
leading business men a s the residence
for his bride. Yes. on May 3, 1871, Geo.
Simmons, who was then a partner of
Ben Aldrich, brought his bride, nee
Miss Emma King, and myself and wife
attended the reception given by Mr..
Simmons to his friends at that time.
In a short time after that the house
became a resort and the headuarters
for cowboys, and it is reported that
many persons entered that house whose
spirits took their eternal flight
'NOf course, many Of these stories may
have been exaggerated, but l know Of
the one Mexican who was killed here,
and a cowboy sent to the penitentiary
who claimed that he was innocent at the
time, and 1 understand that on his re-
turn from the penitentiary after thir-
teen years Of confinement that he still
made the same claim
1.-The spot was also the location OF
Wichita's first and best beer garden.
Emil Werner had a small brewery on
the corner Of the lot, and also had cree
ted a small dancing platform in the
yard which was often the scenes Of
hilarious times. Oh, when you come
TO look at a place like this it recalls to
mind many instances which person
had almost forgotten.
The other day when riding about
the city, myself and wife tried to pick
out the old historical portions, and
found they had almost disappeared en-
tirely, and with the removal of the old
Iron Clad" another important histori-
cal point is gone.
at was in this building that Winner
and McNutt made their fash of money
on the night they killed Will SEWERS
and which came near clearing Winner
of the charge, and would have done
so had not McNutt been captured.
AZ see that one of the proprietors Of
the old house has become heir to a large
amount of money by a late decision, and
I should think she should have a pho
tograph Of the old place.
The fremont is gone. The Iron Clad
is gone, and yet there are plenty of men
today in Wichita who can remember
when these places were the main objects
Of attraction in Wichita 1 expect I
could tell you enough old stories cor
corning the old Iron Clad to fill a page
in the Eagle, but there has been many
scenes enacted there that are better
to remain untold, and Wichita can lose
nothing by the removal Of such build
fngs to the back alleys. 1t has had It's
day, and 1t will be known no more ex-
cent in the history of Wichita