The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-06
FRANK STAHL'S CAREER.
New Chief of Police a Thoroughly
Western Man.

Frank M Stahl, who was appointed
chlef or police by Mayor Drew, is a
thoroughly western man, who has seen
this country develop and has had a
hand IN the making of it. Mr.. Stahl
came to Kansas in 1857 from western
Ohio, where he was born He landed
in Kansas City and walked from that
place to Topeka, arriving here during
March, 1851. He came alone, and was
but Is years old at that time. After
living here two years he went to Colo
RADIO, where he mined during 1861-'62
He returned to Topeka with the inten-
ton OF enl1St1ng to take part in the civil
war, but at that time it was reported
that the war was almost over, SO he
Joined wagon train bound for New
Mexico for the government, driving six
yoke of oxen to Fort Union, N. M. There
it was learned that the war was by no
means over, and he at once returned
and Joined the Second Kansas cavalry,
and served until the close of the war.
At the close of the war he worked at
digging stone and building stone fences
in Shawnee county for two years, and
when the Indian war broke out he
helped organize a company. in which he
was chosen second lieutenant. The COM
pany was made a part of the Eighteenth
Kansas and that regiment served until
the treaty of peace was signed with the
Indians. Mr.. Sta.hl was in the battle of
Beaver Greek, which was one of the
hardest fought and bloodiest Indian bat
ties on the records of the war depart
ment. 1t lasted three days, and occurred
shortly before the battle on the Rickaree
in which General Forsythe figured. In
speaking of the battle of the Rickaree
Mr.. Stahl said he should have been in
that battle and had always been sorry
that he missed it The Beaver Greek
battle was, however, almost as bloody
and as hard fought as the Custer fight,
but did not result as disastrously to
the whites.
Mr.. Stahl returned to Shawnee county
after the Indian war and settled down
to peaceful pursuits He was twice
elected county treasurer of this county
and filed the office acceptably. He has
for years been a worker in Sunday
schools and is at present president Of
the Shawnee County Sunday School as
sociation. He has lived on his farm
since his term as county treasurer ex-
pired.
During the winters following the In
dian war Mr.. Stahl hunted and trapped
wolves in the western part of the state
Speaking about the hunting and trap
ping trips Mr.. Stahl said:
Trapping wolves was really not trap
ping but poisoning them. We would kill
a buffalo and then put stryehnine in the
meat for the wolves to eat. We did
not poison the carcass of the buffalo, as
that was contrary to the code of the
plains and a man who would put poison
in a buffalo carcass would have been
shot without trial. This unwritten law
was observed because it was frequently
the case that a plainsman would want
something to eat and would be without
means Of getting it. If he CHANGED upon
a buffalo carcass he would be safe in
cutting out what he wanted to satisfy
his hunger You understand that this
was in the winter, and the meat would
keep a long time.
In order to poison the wolves we
would cut pieces of buffalo meat into
hunks just the size a wolf would take
at a mouthful. and would make a slit
in the meat and put in the strychnine.
We would then walk about 200 PAGES
from the carcass and start in a circle
around it dropping the meat one piece
at a time and far enough apart so that
the poison would get a chance to act
before one wolf could eat too many
pieces of the meat We would sometimes
make three circles around carcass,
the outer one being half a mile from it.
The wolves would find the trail and
would follow it around We killed as
many as 40 wolves in a night They
were not coyotes, but gray wolves, and
their pelts were worth $3.50 EACH