The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-19
HBANK IS CLOSED"
VandaIs Leave a Note in the
Little Iron Safe
OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH
Will Offer Reward for Arrest
of the CuIprits.

No clue 10 the perpetrators OF the das-
tardly work done at the Emporia Avenue
Baptist church Thursday has as yet been
found The police arrested two boys and
brought them to the police station yegter-
day, and after a rigid examination by the
police officials it was decided to let them
CO. as they told a story that proved they
knew nothing about the depreciation COM
mitted in the church edifice.
The church members are at a loss 70
know who could have had any cause for
even feeling of revenge toward the
church or its members. When a reporter
for the Eagle called at the church yester-
day the janitor and two assistants were
there Strengthening UP the furniture and
replacing the much damaged condition Of
everything in general so as to have the
church in some kind of presentabie con-
dition for services this morning. The water
in the baptismal tank was about half run
out and the broken furniture had been
gathered UP, also the many leaves of the
song books which were destroyed, along
with the Sunday school ,iterat ure which
had been strewn all over the floor. Car
pets were being replaced and swept. On
the wall still hung the wooden frame of
an old-fashioned clock with the rim of the
door hanging outward. exposing the va
cancy that once held the brass works The
organ which was destroyed had the ap-
pearance Of having passed through an aw-
full ordeal; the keys were broken off and
the celluloid tops were all slit off the KEYS.
those who did the work, no doubt, thinking
the pieces were ivory and worth something.
The wire pedals were separated and bent
and the instrument was a total wreck
Among the destroyed articles which were
picked up by one of the members who came
after the news Of the devastation had been
discovered, was a small bank. The money
was taken and in its place was a slip OF
paper left by the culprits written thereon
the words This bank IS closed" The
electric switchboard was removed and is
missing and many of the electric wires
were found several in numerous places
The cellar of the church had several inches
of water in It and no one could venture
downfhere to make any search for further
destruction IF any should exist.
The janitor when questioned said: at
have found evidences on several occasions
of there having been someone in the church
after had locked it up ad returned the
next day. Sometimes I would notice
kindling in front of the stove in the Sun
day school room and coal in the big shovel
that used down stairs. On other occa-
sions I have found the water turned on in
the baptismal tank; but could not find out
who the perpetrators were. The members
have been keeping a close watch to learn
who was the ones doing the work but have
always given up in despair. On this last
occasion it is thought the fellows must
have been drunk, as bottles were found ly-
ing around, playing cards were in evidence
and smoking tobacco was left on the small
table in the Sunday school room. besides
that discovered that the persons who did
the work must have stayed quite late, as
the stove was yet warm when 7 reached
the church,
The church people have talked some of
offering reward for the arrest and con-
viction of the vandals and the police are
working diligently on the case. The place
where the culprits entered was a window
in the southwest corner of the church. A
cellar door on the outside made it vsry
handy to stand on, and somene must have
slipped the catch back with the thin blade
Of a knife, as evidences are left of the
vandals' work. There IS additional evil
dence to determine where the entrance was
made by the scratched woodwork on the
window sill. as If made by the nails in the
shoes of the person entering, Once man
or boy IS inside he can open the big front
door from Tho egDSi5a ae n iS only eaoy,ra5 |
by a snap or Yale lock.
Services will be held in the church this |
but it is thought on account OF |
the light wires being cut and the damp |
ness of the air, from the large amount of |
water standing in the cellar that the even
ing service will have to be suspended.