The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-14
wHITECAPPING IN KANSAS.
The Neighbors' Way of Criticizing the
Conduct of Man Who Married
a. Divorced Woman.

|
Conduct of Man Who Married
q, Divorced Woman.
Edgar Plato, piano tuner and sales
man was the victim of Whitecappers
last night between 10 and IL O'CLOCK
He was subjected to the most OUT
rageous treatment and given forty
eight hours to leave the country AS a
result of the outrage warrants We're Is
sued today for Peter Hamilton, his son
William. and John Wendell, brother
of Mrs. Plato Peter Hamilton IS the
divorced husband Of Mrs. Plato and
| William Hamilton is his son, Mr.
Plato was able to come to Topeka ana
report the circumstances of the out
rage, but is suffering greatly from the
shock His face is bruised ana sWolien
and he is greatly agitated.
| According to the reports Mr. and MRS.
! Plato were in Topeka last night TO 90
some shopping, and did not start nome
until quite late. They live about three
miles south of Topeka, on the Central
avenue road. When they reached the
top of the hill in front of the residence
| of Frank Babcock they came upon an
obstruction in the road. wagon with
| one wheel off was in the road and
| there was a lantern on it. Several men
were moving about.
Mr.. Plato shouted to the men and
asked them what was the trouble.
Eve have broken down." replied one
Of them.
Mr.. Plato refined his horses and three
men with handkerchiefs tied over the
lower portions of their faces approached
the buggy. One of the men grabbed
Mr.. Plato while another dealt him a
terrific blow In the face with heavy
instrument Two other men held Mrs.
Plato.
Mr.. Plato was then lifted from the We
hicle and walked about a hundred
yards to the barn Of Frank Babcock.
He was then. taken into the barn by
three men and one of them tore his
clothes from his body In the meantime
he was struck several times by one of
the masked men. One of the men had
a pot of tar and he attempted to smear
this upon Mr.. Plato's body He was
only partially successful, for in the
dark the men did not notice that their
victim wore two suits Of underclothing,
They tore off the outer suit, but when
they applied the tar it was applied to
the surface Of the Undertaking he
still Wore, and consequently but little
Of 1t reached the bare skin.
After perpetrating other outrages,
the whitecappers led their victim to the
residence of Mr.. Babcock, only short
NJ Al Isl,
unless he was out Of the state in forty
eight hours he might expect something
much more severe They pounded upon
Mr.. Babcock's door until he was
aroused, and as he opened the door they
pushed the helpless man into the house,
at the same sine exclaiming, Here Is
your neighbor, take care of him.
During all this time Mrs. Plato was
under guard of three men at the buggy.
When the men who had misused her
husband returned she was asked where
she wanted to CO. and she said that
she wanted to go to her home, which
was half mile distant, They asked
her If she wanted to ride, and she said,
mo" that she could walk, and she got
out and started home, and was not mo-
Tested further. The vigilants tied the
horse to Mr.. Babcock's fence, and when
the three men returned from the house |
they disappeared. Mr.. Plato Is salts |
fed as to the identity Of the three men, |
for whom warrants were issued. He |
said:
Il had no warning that I was to be
in any way. l married Mr..
Peter Hamiltons divorced wife on Nov.
5 had received frequent warnings
before the marriage, but l paid no at
ention to them. My horse was cut loose
IN several occasions when / was visit
ng Mrs, Hamilton, and on one occa-
sion she hitehed up her buggy and
brought me to town after my horse had
,een turned loose. When we were
about half a mile from the house two
shots were fired at us, but neither of
IS was hit A letter was showed under
he door at the place where I was
warning me unless 1 desisted
n my attention to Mrs. Hamilton [
would be killed 1t was not signed
paid no attention to these warnings
md on the date mentioned we were
married.
/
and [ have lived happily with
ny wife, supposing that the persecu-
ions were over, and consequently I was
lot prepared for the attack last night.
When the men stopped our buggy [
vas struck in the face by a club or
of the kind and then dragged
rom the buggy. While the men dragged
he to the barn | was struck repeatedly,
ut the blow in the face was the most
erious one l received. l had no idea
thatever as to the intentions of my
aptors until they began to tear the
lothes from my body. L then noticed
hat they had some tar, and supposed ]
hat they expected to apply it to me-
hey did not have any feathers, and
onsequently it cannot be said that L
as tarred and feathered. l was able
} offer very little resistance, because
lere were three men, and they were
Lrge. strong men, and my efforts to
revent their assaults amounted to but
ttlp