The Topeka state journal., 1900-02-20
YOUNG OUTLAWS.
NeighbOrhoOd Scandalized by
DepredatiOnS of Boys.
Have Organized a Society ON
Blood Curdling Lines.
HOW THEY INITIATE.
Member Must Be Able to Smoke
Six Cigars.
A Refractory Youth Is Hung
Up by the Thumbs.
HOW THEY INITIATE.
Mysterious Disappearance of a
st. Bernard Dog.

The upper circles of society have been
scandalized and several families living
on Topeka avenue and Harrison street
in the neighborhood of Fifth, estranged
by the depredations of a crowd of boys
called the Phoenix club
The club is made up of boys living on
the two streets and ranging from IL to
II years of age The members are.
sworn to the utmost secrecy. No one
can become a member until he has
shown that he is worthy of the honor
by doing some daring act. Then he is
duly initiated into the mysteries. One
of the requirements is that he must
smoke six cigars without becoming sick.
If he tries and fails he is barred from
membership until he has educated his
system to Withstand the terrors of the
half dozen black cigars. Every member
is armed with a revolver and a dirk
knife. The meetings are held in a barn
and underneath the floor is a secret
cave where the arms and ammunition
and secret paraphernalia of the club
are slowed away. The members boast
that they have been arrested by the
police.
The secretary keeps a record of the
daring feats committed by the mem
DerS. Every one must cudgel his brain
to plan and carry out some exploit that
is more hazardous than the deeds shown
on the record. Some time ago during a
meeting of the club the barn was burn
ed and part of the record destroyed The
quarters of the club were moved from
the burned building to another barn
and a new cave dug and a new record
started Craps, poker, tobacco, slot
machine ana blood and thunder novels
furnish the members with enjoyment
during club hours. The dime novels are
read and If some particularly daring
feat has been performed by the hero
member of the club is ordered to en-
act the feat as nearly as possible as it
is described in the story. Among the
daring escapadeS of a nilder sort was
the ybombarding of Topeka avenue
residence with eggs and the adorning of
another with tobacco and other signs.
To bee aught is a disgrace and if a
member gets into trouble the members
are sworn not to tell on him." Last
summer a raid was made on a store
keepers pigeon loft and several pigeons
shot. The daring member who shot
them carried the birds to the store of
the man they belonged to and sold
them.
Not long ago the enameled letters on
the window of a grocery store were
pried off during the night, twisted out
of shape and thrown in the gutter. The
next night some more letters were
pried off. The chance to join the club
was offered 13 year old boy. He re-
fused The humiliation heaped upon
the members of the organization by the
refusal had to be atoned for. The boy
refused to atone. Vengeance was sworn
upon him. A few days later valuable
st. Bernard dog, belonging to the boy
was missing. That was three weeks ago
and no trace of the dog has been found.
The police were hunting for the cul-
prits who pried the letters off the store
window and for the missing dog. One
of the members of the Phoenix club
was heard to say that "the copper in
the letters was only worth 20 cents and
another said that the dogs hide is only
worth 40 cents" The police waited for
the boys and when Harrison school was
dismissed in the afternoon four boys
We're taken to the station and put
through the sweating process. They
would divulge nothing. The police ex-
erted every means to find out what they
believed the boys knew but were baf-
fled in every attempt.
1t was reported that the dog or the
dogs hide would be found in the cave
but as the officers had no search war
rant the cave has not been investigated
The grOceryman has given the boys un-
til tonight to pay for the letters and
unless that is done he threatens to
swear out a warrant for their arrest.
Several Indian arrows have been
missed from the rooms of the State
Historical society and it was reported
TO the officers of the society that mem
bers of the club were responsible An
other story is that a member of the
club induced a nine-year-oId boy to go
WIN MIN TO the river. lleQ 10 the Dank
was a new sail boat. The boys had
rifle and the club members asked the
boy to see how close he could shoot to
the water line of the boat. The boy
tried and after several shots found that
he had been shooting holes in the boat.
The water ran in and the craft was
soon submerged. The owner of the
boat found out the names of the cul-
prits and demanded that they pay for
the damage on threat of exposing them.
He demanded $50. The older boy told
his pupil that he could raise but a few
dollars and that unless the younger
boy wished to go to the penitentiary
he would have to raise the rest of the
amount. He instructed the boy to lay
awake until his parents were asleep
and then find the money in the pocket
books. 1t took several nights to raise
the $50. After the damage in the boat
was paid for the club member used his
catspaw to raise spending money.
The scheme devised and carried out
would do justice to older heads A boy,
who was not a member of the club.
went to the loft of a barn with a club
member. The two sat in the doorway
and the club member proposed that
they shoot at the first dog that came
along. A dog appeared and the boys
shot at it. Just then a man appeared.
The boys fed to the seclusion of the
cave The man was another member
of the club dressed in mans clothes
He stamped around in the barn but did
not venture into the cave. The next
day the club member told the boy Who
clared that they were shooting at him
and demanded money or he would have
them arrested. The novice at the busi-
ness was told to get a chunk of lead
from his home that belonged in a col
lection of minerals. The boy secured
l1a lead mr. n Of