The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-10-16
KILBOURNE's STATEMENT.
He Defends the Action of the Kansas
National Guard During Fes-
tiVaI Week
ID Id Emo ID u SAC Journal:

To the Editor OF the state journal:
Gentlemen:-I think it about time
that some one calls a halt in the abuse
that has been and is being heaped up
on the Kansas National Guard in con-
nectiOn with the late fall festivities
there. AS a rule the officers did not
approve of going to Topeka for their
annual encampment. These camps are
intended for q camp of instruction
where men and boys may be instructed
in the maneuVers and duties of a sold
Ter. in order that should they be called
iGtO active service they may be eff
Gent and competent soldiers but in
stead they are taken to Topeka for q
Slde-ShOW. q tail Tor somebody's kite
and not a military kite at that; last
year the Guards were very well treat
ed at Topeka and there was no kick
from the civil authorities. This year
Topeka got the i'll will of the National
Guard on the start by neElectinS to see
that they were properly fed. Company
"a 80 of the First Regiment We're order
ed to so to Topeka on the $50 a. m
Santa Fe train, which they did, arriV-
ing in Topeka at 5 clock a. m. they
were taken to camp and were allowed
to lay there and even asked to do
guard duty without rations all day
Monday. and did not draw a ration IN
tt o'clock in the evening, and then
only u loaves of bread for 80 men; not
enough for u hungry men; no meat,
vegetables or other food. just 10 loaves
of bread not even the proVerbial, Three
small fishes" to help out the meager
days food, and not this company alone
but all that come in on the early Mon
day trains were treated in the same
way; do you wonder that men become
disguised. desperate and mutinOus2
Then to cap the pillar, a lot of depu-
ty police were appointed from class
of people not desirable on such an OC-
casiOn; men irresponsible, whom a lit
tie brief authority made mighty great,
and instead of the peoples servants,
they became in their own estimation
the rulers of the universe, and they eX-
plotted their greatness by jumping on
TO the National Guardsman. In a con-
tTOVersy between d GuardSman and a
citizen. no matter what the merits of
the case We're. the Guardsman was
trundled or dragged off to prison and
the citizen was shielded and permitted
to escape. In the especial case of
Thomas Mcfarland of Co. "A" LIST
Regt-. who was shut up for about 40
hours in a vile pen too filthy and I'M
clean FOR the Stabllng OF a blind mule,
FOR What2 for mildly demonstrating
with a half dozen deputies who per
sisted in abusing an unTesiSting
Guardsman while taking him to prison
whom they had arrested for no worse
crime than trying to maintain his man
hood when attacked by a drunken citi-
zen And this Thomas Mcfarland. a
quiet country boy of 16 was designated
as the leader of q mob, and after being
shut up in that vile pen for 16 hours
when the police judge and city attor-
ney kindly and humanely consented to
his release on the word of his COM
mandirg officer that beautiful. buster
ing, Chief Steele, demanded his reten-
ton, as the leader of a mob" and a
dangerous citizen.
That desperate mob at the camp was
another piece of uucalIed for interfer-
ence by an oficious policeman, unwar-
Tauted in every particular An IS
year-Old boy went to stand and call
ed for a five cent package of cigarettes.
The dealer laid on the counter several
lunches, the boy took one and threw
down a dime which the dealer took and
refused to return the change. and the
boy made his own change by taking
another five cent package of the cigar
cites. The dealer raised a cry. the DO
lice jumped the boy. and the citizen
dealer laughed. and the riot commence
ed for the boys did not propose to see
their cOmrade led away to prison for
simply taking his own Now I do