The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-05
SHOT A BURGLAR.
Brave Woman Puts a Bullet
Into One on Fifth Street.

This morning at 1920 o'clock Mrs.
Anna Cunningham of 3O9 West Fifth
street shot a burglar who was in the
act of entering a second story window
to her bedroom. The wounded burg
lar leaped off the porch roof and es-
capped, leaving behind several clots of
blood which indicate that he received
a dangerous wound from Mrs. Cum
ningham's revolver.
Mrs. Cunningham is the widow of J.
c. Cunningham, who was a member of
the Topeka police force under the Lew
elling administration. She rents the
house at 309 West Fifth street and Oc-
cupies the upper rooms, renting the
lower rooms to r. M. WassOn of the
Wasson Art company, and General H
N. Boyd, assistant adjutant general.
Mrs. Cunningham occupies the front
room on the second floor as bedroom
and the second as a dining room and
kitchen. Last evening about $3.50
o'clock as she was clearing her dining
table she heard someone coming up
stairs, and presently large colored
man thrust his head in at the door and
demanded something to eat
Il haven't anything baked" said
Mrs. Cunningham. but you can have
some bread and butter
The man looked around the room ana
then said: 'Aint you got any pleE
Mrs. Cunningham said that she had
not, and at this the negro started down
stairs and walked toward the Engllsn
lIltneTan II.
frightened the lady greatly, on account
of the rough appearance of the man.
and Of his impudence in ascending the
stairs without first knocking at the
lower door.
About 9 o'clock Mrs. Cunningham re-
tired. She started the large clock on
the bureau, placed a revolver on
stand near the bed and went to sleep
In the night she was startled to near
footsteps about the house. She mas
been in i'll health some time and was
especially nervous. Immediately aIIeI
hearing the noises there was the Sound
side of the west front window rms
is the only screen in the house Whlch
is on hinges. The burglar had cut the
wires opposite the hook which held II
closed. 7 a..
revolver and aiming 1t at the Point ~ ~
the front window where she had heaIu
the emitting fired. The noise OF the dlS-
cbo,lTe dea fened her and she heard no
more noises She ran down stars ana
called Gen. Boyd. The Whole nous
hold was aroused and Gen. BoyQ anu
Mr. WATSON began Searcn lot IIe III
tr1lder They found that he had climb
ed on the roof of the porch from tne
east side and had broken pieces OH the
niIIars in so doing. On the roof OF the
norch a razor blade lay, which was
probably used in cutting the slit IN the
screen wires. On the west corner OF
tbe norch roof there were two large
c1ots of blood and below two foot prints
which looked as if a man had jumped
off the roof and alighted heavily, We're
found. Near this there was plooo a
Blood spots could be traced nearly TO
Van Buren, street on Fifth street.
The police were notified and Acting
Sergeant Jenkins began a search for the
burglar All night patrolmen were or
dered to keep a close watch for him
Immediately upon calling Gen. Boyd,
Mrs Cunningham was seized with
nervous chill. In speaking of the oc-
currence she said to State Journal re-
porter today: ''I sleep very lightly, and
when 1 heard those noises outside my
window I knew someone was trying TO
get in. The screen was hooked, the WIN
dow down and the curtain drawn.I was
not fully awake when I fired, and after
the noise couldn't near anything Ihat
revolver was one of the last things my
husband bought before he died. he
loaded it and gave it to me. l have
kept it there for two years and this is
the first time il has been discharged
Yesterday nv sister and I went to the
bank and drew some money. 1 think
that colOred man who was here last
evening saw US do 1t and was going to
rob me last night
MT. r. NJ Wasson said: I heard
some one prowling around the
house and went out to see about it. The
man must have been on the roof of the
porch when I went out. We found
blood on the roof and over there where
he jumped off.
Mrs Cunningham described the man
who demanded 1000 OF hef laSI even
ing as being very black, dressed shah
billy. would weigh about 170 pounds
was about feet 10 inches in height and
had a desperate looking face. She said
he had a gruff way of talking and was
q dangerous man
There is a large bullet hole in the
lower sash glass in her bedroom The
screen is also pierced near the place
the cut was made in it, and the roller
curtain, which was drawn at the time,
has a bullet hole in it. Judging from
the height through which the bullet
went the burglar must have received
it. somewhere about the head or neck.
A peculiar incident in connection
with the affair is that the large clock
on the bureau stopped at the instant
the shot was fired. 1t indicated 1:21-
Not how cheap but how good is the