The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-23
A HORSE ON HIM.
A Rather Curious Accident in
John f. McManus' Basement.

There was a horse on the Duke of
Paris in Topeka today.
The above is not a fin de steele ex-
preston in any sense of the word. The
identity of the Duke of Paris can be
ascertained in a moment by recalling
the fact that during the time of antici-
patton and also realization of LOrena'S S
coming Mr.. John f. McManus. Topeka
genteel tailor, occupied that position of
nobility.
In other words there was a horse on
Mr.. McManuS today That is, the
horse was on Mr. McManuS' hands or
more properly speaking in the base
ment of his tailoring establishment on
Kansas avenue, and it was a real, live
animal up to the time that policeman
ended It's existence with the aid OF a re-
VOiVer and cartridge this afternoon. 1t
was not Mr.. McManuS' fault that there
was horse on him today, for the horse
played a surprise party and entered
the basement under the cover of night.
To be brief, a horse fell down the area
way in the rear of Mr.. McManuS' tai
lOr tabliShment between the hours
discovered a few minutes past ten
o'clock by one of TOpeka's efficient pO-
lIcemen. The animal was owned by a
man named Cooper residing in North
Topeka, and had been hitched to
post at the edge of the area way ear
ly in the evening by one of COOper's
sons. The boy went to the minstrel
show, and the horse fell into the hole.
When discovered by the policeman
the animal was doubled up at the bot
tom of the flight of stairs leading to
the basement. He secured help in the
persons of other officers, and after
struggling with the horse for several
minutes they finally succeeded in get
ging him upon his feet. Then the
bright thought struck the party that if
the door to the basement was opened
the animal could be led in and turned
around, and afterward rescued from
the predicament by being assisted up
the flight of stairs. All conceded in
the opinion that the horse couldn't
walk up stairs backward.
Each of the officers having express
ed himself, the basement door was fore
ed, and the horse led into the vacant
room by the light of a buIPs-eye Ian
tern. This far the scheme worked beau
tifully, but it quit working at this eX-
act juncture. The horse had no sooner
gained an entrance to the basement
room than he fell down.
In falling down the areaway the
horse had broken one of his foreIegs,
and injured his spine, and once on the
floor of the basement he was unable to
rise.After several Intellectual attempts
to get the animal up, the officers shut
the basement door and left the unfort-
unate beast. There Mr.. McManus
found him this morning, and he is yet
unable to speak calmly of the occur
renee.
Il came near falling over the blamed
thing said Mr.. McManus today as he
wiped the perspiration caused by the
head. THE door of the base
rnent was shut, and the room was dark
and if [ hadn't slipped on his tail I
would have stepped on him sure. When
I recovered sufficiently to see anything
I look around the room. and the only
way that saw that he could have
gained an entrance was a small hole
in one of the basement windows I tell
you, this thing of having a horse on
you without any prior explanations is
perplexing."
The horse was shot under instruc-
tions from Veterinary Surgeon Hap
good who said that he was fatally in
iured.