The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-21
SAVED FROM MOB
Officers Spirited ssSlick" Slater
Out of Town.
Determined Men Gathered at the
Jail.
FATHER OF VICTIM.
He Made Search of Jails For
Slater.
Satisfied He Was Gone and Dis
persed the Crowd.


Twice last night mobs gathered at the
county and city jails in hopes of secur-
ing Slick Slater. the man who as
sauited Lottie Goerbrick Monday night.
intent upon administering swift justice.
Slater was not in either place.
By seven o'clock the mob began to
gather and at eight O'Clock numbered
] 1900 people packed closely around the
city jail at Fifth and jackson streets.
/ The crowd was quiet and orderly but
determined. Men talked in excited
monotones Little knots of men stand
ing closely together and away from the
thick of the mob talked of the best
way to secure the prisoner and to carry
out the intent of the mob. A dozen po-
licemen stood guard in front of the little
Jail building and kept the crowd back.
Policemen and others mingled with the
mob telling the people that Slater was
not in the city jail. The mob paid no
attention to the stories. No decided
move was made until a party OF Santa
Fre shopmen arrived The crowd knew
| they meant business Some of the men
| had no hats nor coats surge was
made toward the front door of the Jail.
The police kept the crowd back.
Then Foreman Goerbrick or the Santa
Fe shops, father of Lott:e Goerbrick
who was assaulted by Slater Monday
night, stood on the railing in front of
the jail and called the attention of the
crowd Give me your attention a min
who are you?'' cried some one in the
crowd
I am the father of the girl replied
Goerbrick- Let me tell you that thank
you all for your interest in this matter.
have been through this Jail and he is
not here. He is not in the county jail
for have been there, too, but there win
be time when he will be brought here
and then God help him..
Where is hep, were the cries.
7 don't know" said the father.
Then Jessie Goerbriclx, sister of the
injured girl, mounted the railing to
speak.
That's JESSIE said score Of men in
Men shouted the girl, this is an
awful thing but have been with father
through the Jail and the man is not here.
/ saw him this afternoon. My home is
blighted but it viii do no good tonight
to batter down the JAIL
Send a committee inside was the
shout.
II kasow the brute" said a man from
Carbondale, ac5 he was placed at the
head OF the Committee with the father,
the sister and two determined men. The
committee was taken into the city Jail
and allowed to go through. When the
committee returned from the tour Of in
spection d man mounted the railing.
Gentlemen. shouted the man.
ssWhO are YOU 2''
I'm Whitcomb.'' was the reply. 1--WE
have been through the jail and he is not
here
ITO the county jail.'' was the cry.
At the county Jail the committee made
q tour OF inspection and returned to re-
port that the man was not there.
THE man is not here shouted the
father from the steps.
Give US Mrs. Nation" cried one.
Go to Cooks barn." shouted another.
and crowd of a hundred made a rush
for the stable.
man they warted was not there. and
within twenty minutes the mob had dis
persed and only a score or more re-
,nained talking over the events of the
evening. The members of the mob
seemed to go to their homes. They were
orderly and quiet.
About II O'Clock another mob gath
cred at the county Jail The second mob
was noisy and made up of more boys
and young men than the first. The
crowd was noisy and disorderly. A de-
mand was male for Slater. Sheriff
Cook spoke to Il e crowd from the steps
FIe repeated his assurance that Slater
was not there You can appoint a
committee of ten men to guard this jail
over night" said Cook. I'VE will take
them in and treat them the best we can
and will give them their suppers. BY
morning they can look and prove for
themselves that the man is not here"
Chief Stahl took a turn at pacifying
the crowd E5ys, the man was taken
away today. and tonight is in the Atchi-
son jail Hal Williams took him.
officer Carpenter said: Yes, boys, we
took him in a buggy to Merfden and Hal
Williams took him on the train to Atch-
ison-''
During the evening people in Carbon
dale were telephoning to the county jail
to know what had been done with Sla-
ter He has been identified beyond doubt
as the man who committed the assault
He has been identified by Miss Goer-
brick and James Turner He much
a
plead guilty if he could remain in Atch-
ison and not be brought back to Topeka
for trial
The capture of Slater is to the credit
of the police force. Monday night the
night the assault was committed, he was
seen at the police station where he came
in hopes of having Callie Williams ar
rested on the charge OF taking a small
amount of money from him. That was
early in the evening. When the police
arrived at the scene of the outrage after
the man had made his escape his hat
and belt were found and were identified
as belonging to the man who had called
at the station. He was traced by Ser
geant. Donovan and his assistants to the
Vegetarian restaurant where he had
been staying He had left there but it
was found he lived in Carbondale-
Tuesday morning Officers Carpenter and
Bundy went to CarbondaIe in buggy.
They found where Slater lived and went
to the house. He was lying on a cot in
the front ROOM His parents were in the
wanted as a witness in the Williams case
and he made preparations to go with
'AtsSATi Where is your hat?s asked Bundy
.Oh. round here, but this cap viii do
you know you lost your hat yester-
day. said his mother
They we're found on the porch ana the