The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-24
DIR. FISHERS STORY.
He Won a Prize of $50 by Telling of
Soaking of Lawrence.


The New Voice, published in New
York, offered a prize of $50 for the best
story of heroism, written by a minister
or a minister's wife. Rev. H D. Fisher,
of Topeka, won the prize for July for
his story of how his wife save his life
during the sackir of Lawrence The
story appeared as follows:
On the beautiful morning of August
q, 1868, the lOng-delayed storm OF pro-
slavery hatred broke in fire and ven
geance upon Lawrence, Kan, leaving
the city in ashes, with near 200 citizens
murdered-with so widows and 25O or
phans. was living in Lawrence. was
a Methodist preacher and an intimate
friend of General Lane, and having
helped hundreds of slaves to freedom,
Quantrells guerrillas had determined to
kill me. They knew I was at home, and
that the town was unprotected.
Just as twilight streaked the horizon,
Mrs. Fisher had risen, and looking east
ward, saw the murderous band, 300
strong, stealing like death into town,
with QuantrelPs black flag in the lead.
She called: Pa, there is a company
of soldiers coming; L believe 1t IS
QuantrelFs murderous band"
I opened the door in time to see them
kill Rev. Snider. 1 left the house with
our two older boys. leaving Joseph
and the baby with their mother After
running a little way 1 returned to hide
on a bank of earth in the cellar. My
wife, hearing me, came and said: Il
fear they Will find you and kill you;
but pray, and III try to save you"
Returning to the room, she was met
by a posse led by the notorious bank
and train robber, Jesse James, who
asked: Madam, is your husband about
the house?" She answered calmly:
He left with the boys when you came
into town" He swore that he knew
I was in the cellar. Wife replied: 1T
is not genteel to doubt a Iady's word;
go look for yourselves" He ordered a
light. She gave him a lamp; but he
failed to light it, and ordered another.
She gave the babe to one to hold while
she lighted another lamp. The leader
ordered the others to follow him and
| to kill at sight. Entering the cellar
ready to shoot, they had to stoop, while
the leader held the lamp down and close
to the bank on which lay. The shadow
of the bank covered me, so they did not
see me.
They looted the house, searching
every closet for me, and then fired it
| in five places, and left it burning fur
| iously.
Ny wife extinguished the fire and
came to me, saying; Il fear other will
I replied: Yes" She encouraged me
to pray and to trust God for deliver
aEce.
Another posse. drunk and more des-
| perate, came ard demanded: Madam,
| are you a widow?' She replied: mot
unless your men have found my hus-
| band outside. party of your men
were here and hunted everywhere, but
I
| house should burn, and fired it in a
J dozen places. She prepared again tic
| fight the fire. The woodwork, burning,
! fell into the cellar and burned above
] ard close to me.
/ The kitchen roof caught fire, and if
! it were not extinguished my escape
would be impossible. Placing a table
! by the wall and a stand upon it, she
| climbed to the roof and extinguished
/ the fire, thus preserving a way for my
| escape.
| Single handed and alone, her strug-
| gle became desperate. Fire in front
/ above, and around her and creeping
/ toward me, with murderers laughing
! her to scorn, the little woman fought
/ to save her husband. Finally she came
and said: Pa, come out; but I fear
| they will see and kill you, after all,
! for they are watching for you. You
! crawl under this carpet, III drag it tC
( a bush; you hide under that. and I'll
/ cover it" Just then Mrs. Sugaran, a
! neighbOr, came, and the women drag
ged me and the carpet to the bush.
| craWled under it, and they threw the
carpet over it, and threw chairs, saved
from the house. on top of the carpet
! while the murdererS stood near, gun ir
| hand, watching for the hated chaplain
This unparalleled contest with noted
| guerrillas and fire, with a babe in arms
and a husband to save, lasting five
| dreadful hours, exhibits self-pOssessiOr
and moral heroism equal in sublimity
to anything recorded of revolution
| airy or savage encounter.
The home and it's contents were
| burned, but QuantrelIS noted guerrillas
| were foiled, and the husband of the
! heroine of the Lawrence massacre was
saved.