The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-20
WAKARUSA WHITECAPS
Send a Skull and Cross Bones
MissiYe to Doctor,
Warning Him to Desist From
Maltreating His Wife.
Some Exciting Scenes That Have
Been Witnessed in Wakarusa Of
Late, One ofThem on the Depot
Platform Yesterday.

ElaEIOEn eSI6rQeYs
The inhabitants Of the little town Of
Wakarusa and the vicinity were
thrown into a state of intense excite
ment last week by threats and rumors
of white Gaping. Some of the best
known people were connected with the
affair.
The excitement has not yet subsidized
by any menas. White Gaping is the
sole subject of conversation on the
streets at the railway station, in the
postof6ce and in the homes. Threats
are thrown broadcast and people make
no secret Of it that if certain citizens
do not take the advice offered them
that they viii be taken out and whip
ped. or tarred and feathered.
The whole thing has started over
drink. Drink caused a physician to
beat his wife. The beating caused a
kuklux band to spring into existence.
The lzuklux caused letters to be writ
ten The letters caused the widest
kind of excitement.
A Journal reporter who allighted
from a west bound passenger train at
Wakarusa, yesterday was surprised to
see a man and woman struggling on
the depot platform The man was evil
IDENTIFY trying to get upon the cars, and
she was holding him to prevent it. See
ing that he could not get away the
fellow turned and grasped the woman
by the arms. 1t looked as if he We're
going to hurI her underneath the
wheels, now moving.
A half dozen of the men whe always
meet the trains at small country places
started forward with explanations of
horror. But the scene was not further
enacted. for the man released his hold
and turned away. He did 50 just il
time to catch the toe of small shoe,
worn by a 7-year-old boy, just beneath
the small of his back. The boy con
tinued to kick him until he started
from the end of the platform where the
actors of the scene had stood alone. The
woman still tried to hold his arm, fear
ing that he would jump on the moving
train. but he jerlzed away.
AS he passed the crowd the man said
to one of the loafers NOW that didn't
set away on that train I'll put UP that
medicine for you if you viii come over
to the Office
'"Who is that man2'' was asked
"That is DR.. j. L. Heller" replied one
of the men. "He wanted to get on the
train to go to Carbonate to buy alcO-
hol, but his wife followed him here, and
prevented his boarding the cars. We
are going to white cap him if he doesn't
mend his ways"
DR.. Heller is a middle aged man with
a short beard. His wife, who was hold
ing to him, is a frail woman With the
lines of suffering upon her face. The
small boy who was kicking him was
one of his sons.
When DR. Heller opened his door one
day last week he found a letter which
had been showed under it. 1T was an
uninviting looking envelope with his
name scrawled across it, When he tore
off one end of it a small piece of paper
fell out with a skull and cross bones
upon the top of it.
DR.. Heller is not a man easily fright
ened, as the result shows. but he has
tened to read the missive with more
than ordinary interest. He glanced
down to the signature and saw the
name white Caps" written in bold
letters across the bottom. The epistIe
told him that unless he ceased beating
his wife he would be taken out at night
by a force of resOlute men and whip
ped DR.. Heller has said that he tore
the letter into bits. Whether he did
or not he is getting the signatures ana
samples of writing Of people about the
town.
The physician is not the only one whom
the citizens thought to brighten by
white cap letter, for the same morning
I'D Rudolph a farmer living a mile
from town. found a similar note under
his door. His punishment was to be
tar and feathers. He is a married man
and has two children and is said to
furnish DIR. Heller with that that in
ebriates whether it cheers or not. At
least, when the doctor returns from
visits to RudOlDh's home he is in a
pretty bad condition as to sobriety.
The citizens say that RudOlph's brother
keeps a joint at Carbonate, where
there is a joint for every one of the four
miles between the two towns and a
jag is thus made easy for DR.. Heller.
There lis popular feeling against Ru-
dolph. He ought to have a rope around
his neck" exclaimed one venerable citi-
zen yesterday as they saw Rudolph
leaving Dr. He1ler's house. yes, and
I shall be there if it's done, too" re
piled another with emphasis.
If a stranger asks how many people
were in the white cap band most of
the citizens look wise, shake their
heads, nod at each other and reply
tWeu, that's what we don't know. 1t
might have been one man, or perhaps
/ it was the whole town"
But they do know. They know that
a band of all those who could be trust
ed was organized and sent the white
cap letters to DIT. Heller and Ed Ru-
dOlph. They know that they are only
waiting for the men to transgress
again to take them out and make the
threats good.
Dame Rumor has it that the next
4 day after the white cap notices were
I served Ed Rudolph was at Walkarusa
/ station inQuiring about the fare to
I Missouri The station agent, however.
nails this rumor as a lie.
What caused the letters to be written