The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-24
Three Tramps Have a Sorry
Experience at Winfield.
Nearly Murdered by a Band of
Unknown Parties.
HOBOES' VENDETTA.
Thought to Have Been RespOn-
sibIe For a Murder
And Friends of the Murdered
Man Did the Work.

Winfield, Dec 24.-Three OF the sor-
| REST looking buns that ever sWiped a
sandwich or begged a hand out are
now lying on cots in the jury room at
the court house, all Of them bruised
and bleeding and some of them with
broken bones. Two of the men are
! Smith and Morgan, the two tramps
held for the murder of A w. Burton,
but who were released by order OF the
district court Thursday afternoon. Inc
other man says his name is Frank
Martin and that he never saw Smlth
| OF Morgan until that night.
They tell a strange story, but until
it is diSprOVed there is no reason to
lease from jail Thursday, he and smith
got a bottle of whisky and proceeded to
get drunk. They made up their minds
to go to Wichita and for that purpose
went to the Santa F'e bridge across the
Walnut at Baden's mill to catch
a. train. While waiting for a train they
noticed a fire down under the bank in
the brush and they went down there
BY the fire they found the man Martin
who was fixing to camp there for the
night. While they were sitting around
the fire some men, how many he had no
idea, suddenly plunged down the bank
and commenced to beat the buns. Two
ticks on the head laid Morgan out and
he did not recover consciousness until
after midnight.
Martin says he was also struck on
the head and knocked SenSelesS but re-
covered in time to see the invaders as
they left crossing the railroad bridge
going toward the junction and he
counted six of them. Smith was in a
stupOr and his version was not learned
but the story he told when first found
tailed with those of the other two.
Martin was badly bruised on the left
leg between the thigh and the knee
and could scarcely walk but he man
aged to make up the fire and roll his
companions close to it or they would
beyond doubt have died from cold.
The attack occurred about nine o'clock
and the men were there uncared for
until some time yesterday morning.
The man Mcfarland who makes shell
novelties and who was a witness at the
Burton inquest discovered them and
carried them one at time to his
shanty some distance away. He then
notified the officers and Marshal
Wooden went down after them with a
dray and brought them to the county
jail where DR.. Jacobus examined them.
He found that Smiths left arm was
broken below the elbow and there was
a hole that looked like a bullet wound.
He was badly wounded also on the left
ankle and this also looked like bullet
wound but they all say there was no
shooting done.
Morgan was hurt worst on the head
and complained of his side hurting
him, but he said he thought no bones
We're broken.
Martin, unless his leg was hurt worse
than he thought, was not badly injured.
Smiths injuries it is feared may prove
serious.
None Of the injured men have any
idea, they claim, who the attacking
parties were or what prompted them
to make the murderous assault. If
they had an enemy here they say they
did not know it and they also claim to
be on good terms with all the hobo
fraternity
The theory that it was some of the
friends of the murdered man Burton,
who believed Smith and Morgan had
something to do with the killing is the
one principally adopted by the officers.