The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-01

| headquarters and plead guilty to vioiat-
| ing the ordinance prohibiting the riding
OF wheels on the sidewalk and said that
| ne would call AT the station and pay MS
fine. CHIEF Burt said that he had made
! inquiry about the officer hurting the boy
and found that he was not seriously hurt
at all.
The city council was up against this
thing, Chief Burt declared, and It would
have to repeal the ordinance or he would
enforce it he declared that the letters
| coming to him from mothers whose little
children had been run over By these BIZ
cycle riders, were pathetic in the extreme
| He handed one TO a reporter for the
Eagle and said suppress the name, but
there is a sample Of the letters am get
ting. The letter follows:
| Mr.. Frank Burt, Chief Of Police, Wich-
tia, Kansas:
Dear SRI have complaint to enter
against using the sidewalks on Central
avenue for a bicycle path by the bicycle
riders without either -dismounting or
/ ringing a bell or giving any other signal
/ at all when meeting a person Last eEen-
/ ing my little hve-year-Old child was run
/ into right in front Of our gateway and
we feared she had one of her lower linn bs
| fractured for awhile. Her limb is badly
/ bruised and there is a big bruise or lump
on her forehead.
"A gentleman witnessing -he accident
said this morning that il was the most
brutal one he had ever seen and he would
! ike to see the young man horseWhip-
/ ped. I would have him arrested. but can
not appear against him, as I am suffering
from a recent nervous prostrati and
dare not excite myself. But can not some
thing be done 20 remedy this danger that
threatens the life and limbs of our little
ones If they step outside of the dooryard.
Even now as I am writing I can see
Z, ar1r r~lfd
the walk when the street is smooth, so 1
can see no excuse for them.
I pray you Will take some action IN
this matter and also consider this a pri-
vate letter not to be published"
Chief Burt said the people ought TO
know these things and what the officers
had TO meet. This woman who had writ
ten this letter was a most excellent lady
and he did not think he was betraying
confidence when suppressing her name.
He said such letters appealed very
strongly to him and he went and pulleG
the young man referred to and he was
fined. He plead guilty, showing that
the mother had written the exact truth
He said people made a roar about being
pulled, but he wanted TO know what the
police force was going to do when good
mothers were appealing 70 them to pro-
tect the lives of their little ones. It has
come to a pass when mothers are in
constant horror of seeing their little chill
dren killed by these people who persist
in riding on the sidewalks at a fearful
speed. He declared that q man riding
on bicycle at the rate of a mile in three
minutes, was liable TO kin whoever came
in his way.
While chief Burt was talking young
man came in walking like q man who had
made up his mind TO do something won
derful.
MY wheel is here he said to the
chief.
Wen, what do you want to do about
4 am going to take it; that is it right
there"
well, you can deposit IS for your ap-
pearance and take the wheel"
Sam Hill. I didn't know there was a
law in the city against riding on the side
walks. We rode on the walks at Deca-
tur, Illinois, and nobody ever kicked
about it. 1 want my wheel"
Eyes, Of course you are not to blame.
and If you can convince the police judge
of that you may get on, but you viii
have to leave the S. If you want your
Wheel
Then the young man took five big sill
yer dollars from his trousers pocket. He
looked at the wheel and then at the dol
lars of the dadies and then cooled down.
He said he would call in the afternoon
and see the judge. He said he did not
know about this thing and he had told
the officer that he would have to show
him, when a bystander remarked, he
will show you all right" The young man
looked puzzled and wondered if the whole
thing was joke.
The lobby at police headquarters looked
like a bicycle check stand at a big race
meet or a baseball game. Bikes of all
sizes, makes. shapes and patterns were
stacked in rows around the walls with
various small tags attached TO the handle
bars. The occasion of the large and IN
common storage of wheels is due to the
raid on bicyclsts who have violated the
city ordinance which says that anyone
riding wheel on a sidewalk in the city
of Wichita, must dismount when meeting
a pedestrian. Several complaints had
been made TO the chief that the violation
Of the ordinance was a common occur
renee every fifteen minutes in each day,
seven days in the week and have desired
him TO exert his influence to make the BIZ
cyclists comply with the law. Yesterday
morning he made plans to gather in any
one caught passing a pedestrian and not
dismounting. Eight special police were
sworn in and deputized to make arrests.
They were plain clothes men and two
were put on South Lawrence. Two on
East Central, two on North Lawrence
were instructed TO patrol their beats. one
man in front Of the other about half a
block apart, going in the same direc-
ton, and when q wneeIInan passed
either one OF them without dismOunting.
the next man was to arrest him and hold
his wheel for his appearance before
Judge Stanley. This plan evidently
worked, for Jim Howard was busy all
day hauling wheels to the police station.
Seventy-four arrests We're made and an
uniform fine of $ entered in each case.
Thirty-twO persons have appeared IN
court and settled and their wheels have
been checked out TO them
The officers met with a good many hum
orous situations during the day. Several
wheelmen wanted TO night and one ~
two prominent citizens were somewhat
chagrined at being stopped and their
wheels being taken away from then DIT
Shuts was among the number ard he
said that his salary Of 50 per year as
president OF the board OF health
still left him a credit Of so for the years
work and that was good for couple OF
more sidewalk rides. Il ne was IN hlsr-
~ TO get 10 the hospital. one lady who
was stopped by Officer George Dennis.
was determined that the gentemaniy
roundsman should not have her heel
and he had 10 use a good deal q persua-
sive eloqueuce 10 get IT, Judge STANLEY
asked her u she thought the Officer in
tended to keen her wheel. ard she sized
George up and said that she Old
II IS understood around police head
quarters that it is the chief iuten1i1u
10 make the bicyclists comply with the
law and that i complaints are made
again. that the riders VIII be taken Up
with The wheels next time
The following IS list 81 the unlucET
cyclists: Bert Hodsan. J. II Roe. J 81
Eennedv. J. j.. Lee. Geo. Hooson. bnos-
shaw. Perry Thomas. Frank Buck = J.
Ford. .. q. Bran. w. p Pord Isaac
80. r-.--.- --l..---.