The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-27
ITS HISTORY LIKE A NOVEL.

AiOlAtT Oid LANDMARK Of WiChira'S Dris-
tine glory IS being removed and soon its
history and early stirring associations viii
be but memory TO be related in the
cleaning by the oldest inhabitant. The
Old fremont Hotel, in its day the bon ton
hostelry Of the boom period. has been sold
Tor the brick and other material in II. In
the early seventies, it stood up on North
Nam street near Third street, acd vas
then known as the Empire House. Later
II was removed to the northeast corner
OF Emporia and Douglas avenues. During
the boom, z. c. and L. r Cole bought
the frame building and moved it again.
this time to South Fourth avenue, second
block down. The Cole brothers then. sent
TO Detroit, Michigan. for an expert master
builder to come out and superintend the
erection of a three story brick addition
70 join on the frame part It was. leased
TO the Fisher Sisters, successful hotel
managers at several good towns in Kan
sas. There were four maiden sisters in
TINS family, who early inherited large and
valuable estates, mostly n hotel property.
Ihey, years ago, drew up d contract to
Getner, legally signed and attested 10 the
eject that no one OF them should ever
marry, but would remain single and keep
together, the better to conduct the bus
mess OF their inhcritances. At lola. Wich-
tia and Galveston. they were managing
successfully paying hotels, when in an
evil hour one Of the sisters fell victim TO
the suave and polished manners of a CAV
travelling man from the aesthetic east,
and they were secretly married, after
news from reaching the three 9th
er sisters and parties to the irJn-cIad
contract which plainly set forth that such
a step should at once disinherit the
offending sister. For nearly a year no one
mistrusted the truth, until one morning
the Oldest sister, while hunting through
little used bureau drawer in her sisters
room. came across the fatal marriage IL
cense- She swoOned, of course. with the
shock, and then and there The game was
up. Prolonged litigation followed among
the Misses Fisher, which i.naily resulted
in the courts sustaining The compact. ard
practically disinheritiag the marrying
lady who broke over the compact and
asserted her marital PR eyes N a fee
country. The other sisters tlsew W their
lease and went south and started another
hotel. In the summer of 1892 the Ire
mont was the headquarters for the Pop
ulist state and congressional conventions,
and in its main parlor Governor Lewell-
ing was first appraised Of The Gc;iCn Of
the convention which had nominated MIN
to lead their ticket, and the result of
which made him the first Pop governor on
earth-and the next TO the last. When
this convention had finished their labors
and gone home. the hotel closed it's doors,
and the owner went TO Chicago. 1t was
never reOpened permanently again, and
only once, the following Autumn, 10 ac-
commodate the delegates TO the G. A. r.
reunion. In the early spring of 1896, the
frame portion was torn down by tie
Sheppard Mortgage company, who had
come into possession of it. Shortly after,
the city engineer condemned the brick
part and Fate closed her Nemesis hunt
ing fury. and since then, the lone brick
three-story has stood there, a gloomy.
melancholy monument to too much boom
and too little patience. Two weeks ago
J. w. Laidlaw. the dealer in second hand
building material bought the lonesome
pile for a mere fraction of the $1,000 Il
cost to build il. and commenced at ouce
to tear it down for the old brick. 1t is
down 20 the first floor now and soon only
a vacant lot will wOeful!v cape forth 20
the world us mute and luCubnous appeal
for the story not TO be forgotten. In this
old historic cafe, VIII Dewy, well known
and remembered by many people now
here, was nearly assassinated one morn
ing in the dining room with his wife
l..
with him. He was then landlord Of the
hotel, and that morning had hal trouble
with a big treacherous chef. VINO was the
French chief cook. Dewy's back was
turned toward the kitchen door as he
sereneIy ate his breakfast. All lncun-
scious Of his impending fate, he CHARGED
10 glance up at his wire as lie addressed
some remark to her. He VAS horriGej to
see her face ashen pale and sic EasTing
for breath, at the same time pointing With
fearful and ominous Inea uns directly
over the shoulder OF her nus5a nj. she
was unable 10 speak and was gsspir =
forth a hoarse whisper o. terrible warn
ing Quick as the aeile spring Il q cat,
and without stopping u even look b1Ck.
Mr. Dewy seized the bottom of ;se chair
III winch ne was StAtEl anu ia = ltf ~ =
hurled it straight back ara over Il head.
without stopping 20 sec Who or where he
struck This presence o. mind al-d Ceft
action saved his life. 70" the bury ara
drink-Crazed Fra1Clman had steuthily
crept IN behind his victim With q long
thin roast carving kntfc a3d was ju-:
about to strike it into the neck and throat
Of the unsuspecting proprietor, when
crash came the chair straight into his
face before he was aware he was dis
covered y struggle followed. which was
heard from the Office by Col 7. =. Cole.
who rushed ont into the dining hail with
a drawn 45-calibre revolver, which he lost
no time in planting against me tempe Of
;he PROSTATE and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Partisan Tom Mcnamara. then chief OF
police. and George Dennis, now fireman
then patrolman. arrested the man ard
he was sent up. Laser ne AM pcwA ret
in Denver and the Freaa hmm could rot
be courteous enough 10 his former enc my
He escorted him over the city and sEcV q
him the sights of the ;8w,J. paying J the
bills and earnestly apolcsIznE Tor his
wild temper in the years gone. i Fac
workneu in tearing cut The interior q
the old hotel noticed in Jhe door ot so1n
thirteen. the big frpr1 room Of the brick
a large three-cor7ercd hole carefuily
filed Up with putty. There is a history
co: aected with This also. Col Cole had
reserved this ~oDm f0- his private use
and had IT elegantly urted up. one riEft
while he was sauully sleeping = low
knock came on his door lie called lut
| to know who was there and The TepIs
was three shots trom 4 large cal,bre re-
| rnINar- one shot huried tse.t n tbs