The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-19
THEY FIGHT
HIGH IN AIR.
Two Timers Pick the Roof of
the State House
For a Fisticuffs at the Risk OF
Their Lives.
NEITHER FALLS OFF,
Although Spectators Ho1dTheir
Breaths While Watching.
One Man Knocked Down With a
Bar of Solder.

It was a startling sight that was wit
messed by the people around the state
house square.
Two timers by the name of Hunter
and Hobbs were fighting on the roof
of the state house.
The copper roof has been badly dam
aged by the hail stones and by small
boys carrying stones to the top OF the
dome and throwing them down on the
copper roofing. For three weeks sever
al timers under the direction of State
Architect Lescher have been working
repairing the damage. Timer Hobbs
was assigned the west wing and Hun
ter and another timer the east wing.
The trouble started over the fact that
some of the secrets of the Bryan ana
Leedy f1ambeau club have leaked out.
Hunter, it is said, accused Hobbs or
telling tales out of school, and Hobbs
said it was Hunter that was playing
into the enemy's hands.
During the noon hour the fuss COM
menced in the way of an argument.
When the men went to work at one
o'clock the matter had not been salts
factorily settled in Hobbs mind, and
after working a short time he went
over to the east roof where Hunter was
working and renewed the argument.
Hunter ordered him to go back to work
and he went, but very soon he returned
and then the battle began.
A sharp pointed, smooth copper roof
a hundred feet in the air is not the
best place to pick for fight. but the
air was fresh and Hobbs thought that
if Fitz and Corbett could fight at
high altitude, he could stand a hundred
feet above the level of the Kaw, so
he invited Hunter tO"knock off chip.
Hunter refused to do so, and told him
unless he went back to work and quit
bothering him, he would call on Su-
perintendent Lescher to discharge him.
I dare you to fight Now Hunter
wasn't exactly a coward but the wave
of prosperity is late and jobs are hard
to find, so he declined the invitation.
This did not suit Hobbs so he started
for him and commenced calling him
names. He struck at Hunter and in
return got a pretty smart box on the
ears.
It was the last playful box he got, the
rest were aimed at his polar plexis and
they came fast and heavy. Hunter got
heap when Hobbs said ''Nuf'' and
promised to go back to work. Hunter
let him up and he went back to his side
9f With the roa6 Ssnmer armed so1deriaf hims9lf
iron and went back with the
intention of fighting it out on the ridge
of the roof ''if it took all summer
When Hunter saw him coming he
grabbed his hammer and some bars of
solder and then the air for a few min
utes was full of flying hammers and
other improvised implements of war
fare. H unter got a badly sprained
wrist and one of the bars of solder,
Weighing 21s pounds hit him on the leg
fare. Hunter got a badly sprained
little distance but not off the roof
Hobbs was badly bruised and the battle
was called off for the day and the prin-
ciples retreated in good order to their
respective roofs to nurse their pride and
wounds.
In speaking of the affair Hunter said:
81 did not want to fight and told Hobbs
so but when he commenced calling me
names it was too much and
when he struck at me
was forced to defend myself
I am sorry this happened, because I
am afraid I will have to lose my job
During the fight he tried to get out his
knife. I am sure I can whip him, but
do not want to have to do it''
Uncle Herington, who runs the cigar
stand in the rotunda OF the state house,
said: 1T was lively little scrap, and
Hobbs meant to cripple Hunter. If
they had fallen they would have been
crippled sure. They were not in fun,
but in dead earnest, and it is wonder
| one or both was not killed. There has
been bad feeling between them for some
time and this is the only time they have
come to blows, but they were both
badly bruised up and guess neither of
them will try it again soon.''
Some of the clerks in the Santa Fe Of
fees were witnesses to the affair and
held their breaths for fear that one
would fall and be killed on the road
way a hundred feet below.