The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-07
HE is BLACK.
First One of the Burglars to be
Captured
Is Joe Coats, Negro Who En-
tered f. C. Gays House
ON SUNDAY MORNING.
Heroic Struggle of Anna Dalhen
With Him.
She Screams and ChOkes Him
Afterward He is Caught.
IN SUNDAY MORNING.
IF you move IN kill you!"

''If you move III kill you!"
Anna Dalhen, a domestic in the en-
ploy of F. C. Gay at ia Harrison
street, awoke Sunday morning at three
o'clock. A man was standing over her
as she lay in bed and as she opened
her eyes he uttered the threat.
Anna Dalhen is but five feet six and
weighs 12O pounds, but she is strong
and brave. She jumped from her bed
and as her feet touched the floor the
man seized her around the throat with
both his hands in a vice like grip and
tried to choke her.
She struggled in vain. His finger
pressed deep into her throat.
If you cry I'll kill you'll whispered
the man. He was colored and wore no
mask.
Anna Dalhen seized his throat in her
choke her assailant- She hung on IN
til he fell to the floor. AS soon as she
fully regained her breath she COM
menced to scream.
The man renewed his struggles and
finally broke away from her grasp and
ran towards the back stairs with Anna
Dahlen following him. He started down
the stairs and before he had taken more
than two steps he fell headlong to the
bottom. Anna turned on the switch to
the electric light in hopes that she could
follow him. The light did not come on
and she heard the man rush across the
kitchen floor and open the door and
could hear him running down the alley.
The man had made good his escape
and the girl had sunk exhausted to the
floor before Mr.. Gay was awakened by
her screams. As the man was running
from the room the girl seized his hat
and that act alone will land Joe Coats
in the penitentiary.
Sunday morning the hat was given to
the police and Sergeant Owens and Ser
geant Donovan started in search of the
burglar. The hat was of a military
n tnF.T1 and Ia6 Vafn 1R III o1Ir
| crepe. The police had seen Coats wear
ing that hat on Saturday night and this
morning at 4 o'clock Chief Strauss, Ser
geants Owens and Donovan, Patrolmen
Lucas, Mayes and Mccoy took the pa
troll wagon and drove to the house oc-
cupied by Coats on the Gage farm four
miles west OF town. The house was
surrounded and Coats ordered to dress
and come out. He is now in the city
! jail and will be turned over to the
! state. He has served one term in the
penltentiary.
Coats worked for Mrs. P. G. Noel
last winter in the house now occupied
by Mr.. Gay and he knew the house
| thoroughly. He gained entrance through
! q kitchen window and had secured SO
! from Anna Dalhen's pOcketbOok before
| she awakened. He would have I'M
doubtedly gone through the front
| part of the house had not the brave
! girl driven him from the place. In the
! bureau drawer of Mr.. Gays bed room
was large sum of money.
was awakened by the noise the
man made in going through the bu-
! reau," said Anna Dalhen, land when I
| turned he said, IF you move I'll kill
you I did not stop to think of any
thing, but just jumped at him. He
started to choke me and then I choked
! him. The marks of his fingers were on
my neck all day yesterday and my arm
! is black and blue. I could not tell what
| he looked like except that he was col
! Ored and had a mUstache. I guess ran
/ a great risk in trying to choke him, but
/ I did not stop to think when saw him
/ but grabbed him.
| This is one of the best captures the
police have made. The only clue was
! the hat and within "a hours of the
| time of the burglary the man was ar
! rested.