The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-23


Fiusters the Defsnse-nark AIiusions TO
aDebt Due the Public Prosecutor. with
Offers of Payment-Thomas Cooper
Fills Up on Shooting whisly-Amoog
the swindIers-Crime News In General
Kansas City. Oct. 22-The state today
caused a sensation n The trial OF John
Schlegel for numbering Dr.. a. L Berger
las. July, when il introduced the follow
ing letter addressed to County Prosecu-
]. VI. Lowe:
Kansas City, No, February 4. 1897
am in a great debt 10 you and 1 will
pay it as soon as l make a se,tlemen.
with Dr.. Berger. AS il was private
matter you done for US and in time
you could not spare a moment. will pay
you 20 per cent IL .ha, Is sufficient 1;
not, all you have TO do is 10 say so. Al
the same time, would Ike 10 ask you
how much would be appropriate TO ask
for such an infamy? Enclosed you will
find envelope and slip TO mark the apro-
pirate sum.
Il am sincerely yours.
(Signed) JOHN SCHLEGEL."
"P. S.-You can ask any OF the Mesers.
Shannon about my honesty. as they
know me about fifteen years"
The letter took the defense complete
ly by surprise and Schlegel's lawyer i'm
mediately asked that a postponement OF
the case be had till he could prepare 20
rebut the evidence. SchlegeNs banker
was placed on the stand and testified
that the signature was genuine.
Schlegel shot Berger. who was one o:
the most prominent local physicians in
his profession, on the street at midday
on the allegation OF Mrs. Schlegel ihs;
Berger had criminally assaulted her.
DRANK SHOOTING BOOZE.
Pittsburg. Pa, Oct. 22-While frenzied
with liquor, Thomas Cooper. Of Baldwin,
fired his house about o'clock this morn
ing and afterwards shot three men who
were fighting the flames. He then took
TO the woods and a posse was organized
10 capture him but without success,
This morning he was reported TO be
roaming about the country and shooting
al everyone in sight. At one place ne
ordered a telegraph operator from the
railroad tower at the point Of a gun and
blocked the trains. AT another place
he fired at an unknown man ana wound
ed him. The man is still at large. The
names of the three men shot were ia
cob Reno, Joseph Morgan and John
Barrows. The wounds are serious buI
not fatal.
MURDER OR SUICIDE.
Spokane, Wash, Oct. 22.-When Mrs.
A. J. Lynch entered the residence of c.
W. Kessler last evening a shocking
scene was presented Mrs. Kesler was
dead from a CHASTITY wound in the throat
and near by lay her four-year-old son
with a bullet through his head. The
husband and father is in the city prison
half insane and under suspicion of 4lav-
ing killed his wife and child. He claims
his wife killed their child and commit
ted suicide. Physicians think the child
may recover.
FOR WIFE DISCRETION.
Chicago, Oct. 22-Francis Pratt, a
wealthy hotel proprietor Of Toronto On
tario. is under arrest on the charge Of
having abandoned his wife. Pratt is 70
years old. while his wife is So. Al the
time OF their marriage about three years
ago. Mr.. Pratt was conducting the Duf-
FERN hotel in Toronto. Shortly after
their marriage, Mrs. Pratt says, her nus
band fed with $4,000. She traced him
throughout the country and finally dis
covered that ne was in Chicago, followed
him mere and caused his arrest. Nj.
Pratt, WHO has been making his home
here with a son, declares that ne is
without means.
A BICYCLE SWINDLER.
Chicago. Oct pa. c. McCauley. an
alleged swindler. who. the police claim,
has through various methods during the
last few years secured nearly $4,000,
has been arrested by Central station de-
tectives McCauley operated what is
called the Empress Bicycle company. a.
Twenty-second street and Cottage Grove
avenue. He advertised 70 give a 800
wheel for $40. and the police claim many
persons sent the money, but are etill
waiting for their wheels. A Pi;tsburg
firm. II is said, lost over $4,000 through
McCauley, who ordered $50 bicycles and
failed to meet the bills. A Peoria bicy-
Gle company also lost a number OF
wheels in this way.
CLEARED BY THE JUDGE
Chicago. Oct. 22.-Short work mas been
made by Judge Ewing Of the charges
against Angus D. Mcpherson, the CHI
cago manager for the New York Linen
firm o; o. Jaffa and Pinkus. Mcpherson
was accused OF emoezzling thousands OF
dollars. When the evidence OF the pros
ecution was all in Judge Ewing instruct
ed the jury % return a verdict ot not
guilty. According 10 the testimony the
claim agains; the defendant had OWN
died 70 81 .500. The Judge said The evi-
dence was entirely insufficient 20 sup
port the charge. Mcpherson on his dis
charge was surrounded By friends and
saowe-ed with c0ngra,ula
FOR EMREZZLEMENT.
Pierre, s. D, Oc; 23.-S;ate Auditor
Mayhem. ex-AuditOr HiPle and Clerk
Anderson we're arrested on an smbezz,e-
men: charge late las; nigh, and taken
before a committing magistrate aad
their presence IN court no.ei- Taei. for
nal appearance vas set for O'clock
this afternoon.
REPORT on POSTAL MATTERS
FIRST Assistant Heath GA Pr-~idsntiaI Of
a nsA