The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-11
.HEAvRD OUT THE WINDOW
A Sensational Affair at 'sThe Nation
al'' Charged on the Wrong Man.

C
af'' Charged on the Wrong Mau.
The broken erocl1ery which adorns
the pavement in front of the National
hotel on Seventh street, was not re-
dueed to its present condition during
the excitement of a fire in that popular
hostelry 1t came to its present rest
ing place from a room on the parlor
floor yesterday morning at O'Clock. A
Topeka man and a Chicago friend had
occupied the room during the night but
the presence of 20. r. c. Taylor and
Oscar Pepper" had engaged their at
tention and prevented them from Sc
curing any sleep. Room was what they
needed and the Topeka man proceeded
to make as much as possible by dis
placing a portion of the fittings.
The crockery thrower first observed
the tooth brush holder Up went the
window, out went the holder. It crash
ed to pieces on the cobblestones. The
next in point of size was the ice water
pitcher.
The water pitcher followed the Ice
water pitcher to an untimely end.
Then came the slop jar. 1t was very
large and made a terrible noise as it
was dashed to pieces, this time on the
sidewalk.
Two young women passing had mar
row escape and as the neaVy jar grazed
their heads and was broken into hun
dred pieces at their feet they screamed
and shrieked in terror. This, for the
moment, brought the author of the dis
turbance and fnisher of the crockery-
ware to his senses.
This is the first incident of the kind
that has occurred at the National hotel
in this city. When Mr.. J. r. HankIa
was awakened by the noise he hastened
to investigate it, discovering what has
been detailed in the foregoing. 1t is
needless to say that the management of
the house was and is still indignant.
The Kansas City Journal this morn
ing prints the following editorial refer
ence to the incident:
Yesterday morning a crowd of men
might have been seen on the Seventh
street side of the National hotel in To-
peka, gazing curiouSiy upon the re-
mains OF a lot of crOckery that had
been broken in the street, together with
one or two pieces of chamber furniture
that had become a total wreck. Invest
igatiOn discovered that all of this stuff
had been thrown from a third story
bedroom window in the hotel by Ger
tain members of the state board of
charities who had spent the night in a
high cid jamboree. According to all ac-
counts several of the reformers got
bowling drunk. Some time after mid
night people who were in the Office of
the hotel on the ground floor were at
tracted to the street by the sound of
smashing crOckery. Looking al0ft they
discovered a man who bore a close re-
semblance to W. L. Brown, of Kingman
county, who is president of the board
busily engaged in pitching crockery out
CT his bedroom window, while from be-
hind him came a medley of shouts and
laughter which showed that his guests
were heartily enjoying the perform
ance
First came a pitcher, then a wash
bowl, then a soapdiSh, then a SpittOOn,
etc The member of the state board
of charities have been staying at the
National for several days while engag-
ed in the business of letting contracts
for supplies for the state institutions.
In their jam boree on Thursday night
they were Joined by several travelling
men who have been attending the meet
ing for the purpose of bidding on con-
tracts. Yesterday vigorous attempts
were made to hush UP public accounts
of the affair, but all day the wreck of
the bedroom furniture was left lying in
the street to attract the attention of the
curious. Such pile Of broken crock
cry was in sight that it might be seen
at the distance of a block. and it is
probable that the furnishings of two or
more rooms were pitched out of the
window.
And this is Reform with a big r.
But Mr.. w. L Browns skirts are
clear
The members of the board of charities
have not spent a night at the National
hotel this week. They have slept at
the asylum. At the time the crockery-
ware was pitched out of the window,
Mr.. w. L. Brown and his fellow mem
bers were asleep at the asylum and
knew nothing of the affair until the pa
per containing the charges was shown
to him by a friend this morning
Mr.. Brown was greatly surprised at
the misrepresentation and will demand
a retraction.