The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-11
EXCITEMENT AT CAMP LEEDY
Volunteers Deeply Stirred Up Over
the Assault on MORGAN.

The news of the affray as it reached
Camp Leedy was, that Frank Morgan
of the Usage company had been killed
The news was received at the head
quarters tent by Gen. McCrum, who
Immediately called an orderly and sent
him to Capt. Stackhouse with the word
that Frank Morgan had been murder
ed
The orderly arrived at the tent occu-
pied by Capt. StackhOuSe, called for the
captain, Saluted, and said: Zone of
your men, by the name of Frank Nor
gan, had his throat cut by a colored
man, and is dead.''
Morgan was a great favorite with his
company, and with Capt. Stackhouse,
and although the news was a shock to
all, there was no disorder. The orderly
saluted, and withdrew, and Captain
Stackhouse followed him to headquar-
ters.
1.-The message is,'' said Gen. McCrum,
that Frank Morgan, a member of your
company, has been murdered by a col
ored man.
THAT seems queer, for he is not
quarrelsome man, and never drinks
said Capt. Stackhouse.
Ed Little was sitting in the tent, and
said he saw a crowd in front of STAINS
fields drug store just he started for
the camp. Telephone and see if it
happened there said Gen. McCrum.
The answer was that the affair took
place near there, and that after the
wounded man had been brought into
the drug store and his wounds dressed,
he had been taken to Christ hospital in
an ambulance. The hospital was call
ed up, and the report was that the man
was not dead, and that his wounds
would not prove fatal, but that it was
quite serious and an operation would
be performed right away.
Gen. McCrum called for the officer of
the guard, Lieut.. Huddleson, and sent
him, with a provost guard, to march
through town and bring back all men
IaJa 70 17n
squad returned after a half hour with
about 20 volunteers they had found.
By this time the news of the cutting
of Morgan had spread through the
camp and the soldiers came focking
from every direction and crowded
around the headquarters tent. Capt.
Watson and Sergt. Major Parker quiet
ly dispersed them, but while one crowd
was being sent to their quarters, an
other would form, and but for the cool
ness of the officers at headquarters, the
crowd, which mum bered several hum
dred, would have become unmanagea-
BILE AS the news of the wounding of
the soldier reached the companies in the
fair grounds, there was rush for head
quarters to hear the news, and for an
hour there was a steady stream of men
coming and going between their tents
and headquarters.
Chief of Police Steele had been to
Nick ChiIes' place on East Seventh
street, and had told the colored people
had become so enraged over the
wounding of their comrade that they
had broken camp and that mob of
them, seeking vengeance, was on its
way to the city to satisfy their VEN
geance on all colored people they could
find
It was not a minute before every col
ored person had left the place. Chief
Steele then rode out to camp and held a
consultation with Gen. McCrum. After
Chief Steele left, NIcCrum quietly called
Capt Towers of the Topeka company
and Lieut. Walker, in charge of the
Kansas City company, and gave them
orders to hold their men in readiness
for any trouble that might arise. There
was so 900 rounds of fixed ammunition
in camp. and the Kansas City and To-
peka companies, numbering 40 men,
were issued 20 rounds to the man. Ev-
erything was done SO quietly that no
one in camp, except the staff officers
and the members of the two companies,
knew that there were two companies
under arms waiting in their tents for a
call Call to quarters had sounded and
the men were discussing the affair in
the different tents, but there was no
loud talk, and a visitor would not have
known that the whole camp was stirred
up over the news of a would be muir
der.
The soldiers in the tents were discuss
ing. the affair and all were anxious for
vengeance to be dealt to the colored
man that did the cutting. About ten
O'Clock a telephone message was re-
CContinued on Sixth Fage.1