The Topeka state journal., 1901-08-19
REIGN OF TERROR.
East Side Is in Possession of
Young. TOughs.
Shoot at w. III. Pratt and Smash
His Door
NO POLICE ARE THERE.
Urgent Telephone Message An-
swered "They Are Busy
Twenty-fOur Hours Later Of
ficer Arrives.
COMPLAINT IS FILED.
Formal Charges Submitted to
the Police Board.
No Protection Afforded the
abiding Victims.
John Burgess Suffering From
Blow With Brick.
COMPLAINT IS FILED
Formal Charges Submitted to
the Police Board.
No Protection Afforded the
Law-abiding Victims.
John Burgess Suffering From
Blow With Brick.

Three Parkdale tougns started
reign of terror on East Fourth street
Saturday night, assaulted a man
named John Burgess, shot at w. H.
Pratt, and We're shot at by Pratt.
threw bricks and smashed sign boards.
The police We're notified while the
trouble was at its height, and by
wonderful burst of speed policeman
arrived on the scene at $50 Sunday
evening, almost "A hours after the
trouble occurred.
AS a result of this criminal neglect
on the part of the police, charges were
filed this morning against the chief of
police and his deputies before the po-
lice committee of the council. James
A Troutman is chairman of the COM
mittee. The charges were fled by
Councilman Joseph Griley, who lives
within block of where the disturb
ance occurred
W. H. Pratt runs a candy store and
ice cream par1or at SO East Fourth,
two blocks beyond the Santa F'e depot
Just as he was about to close his store
at II O'Clock Saturday night Fred
Briggs, John Haml1n and third man
whose name is not known, came past
his store and picked up an ice cream
sign which stands in front of the door,
They hurled it at the door and smashed
it. Mr.. Pratt rushed outside and said:
You fellows pick that sign up and
put it where it was
Go to -,' said Briggs. DO you
know who we are2 We're from Park
dale, and amt going to be bosSed
around by anybody.
one Of the young men picked up
brick.
You better move on said Mr.. Pratt.
Il don't want to have any trouble with
you. Get out Of here, and leave me
alone"
Come out mere in the alley and we'll
hammer -- out of you,'' said Ham
7 don't have to go out in the alley.
I shall stay here and protect my
store.
pulled off his coat, and started toward
Pratt. Pratt lodged inside of his store,
and shut the door. He went to get his
rifle, and his wife tried to stop him.
The rife was kept in the back room
of the store. where the Pratt family
lives. Pratt was obliged to pick his
wife up and carry her out of his way
to get into the back rom He loaded
his rife, Remington q calibre, and
started for the front door. AS ne
stepped outside one of the three young
men, all of whom had gone little
further east on the street. fired three
shots at him. Mr. Pratt thinks it was
Mr.. Pratt raised his rifle to return the
fire, and pulled the trigger, just as Mrs
Pratt threw her arms around him and
tried to drag him inside the door. In
the struggle the stock of the rife was
broken.
only one of the three toughs had a
revolver. The other two threw rocks,
and this morning pieces of brick and
rock We're scattered all about the front
of the place.
Briggs, Hamlin and the third young
man went down the street, firing their
revolver several times through the
awnings of the little stores which are
located at intervals along the street.
A a f7ea1- n
John Burgess, Santa. Fe man who
lives near by He had just come out Of
Collins barber shop. Without any no
tice whatever one of the three men
a fighter, and he returned the blows
Finally one of the young tOughs struck
him over the eye with a brick, and he
took TO flight he went to his home
a short distance away, and got a base
ball bat Then he started out in search
of his assailants.
together in front of a grocery store
near Hancock street and Burgess
pitched in with his baseball bat, raped
two of the members of the gang over
the heads, and chased all three off the
street
At the time Mr. Pratt had his en-
counter with the toughs, DR.. r. E. Mas
sey, who lives just across the alley
from where the shooting took place,
telephoned to the police station of what
was going on.
Send some OfTlcerS out mere f1gHt
away was DR. Massey's appeal.
I'll send somebody out as soon as [
can find somebody who isn't busy
was the reply the night Jailor gave him.
A Apparently everybody was busy for
the next twenty-four hours
There is a policeman stationed over
in that part of town, but he is known
by the inhabitants as Seldom Seen
He is supposed to cover everything
east Of the Santa Fe tracks, and is
never where his services are needed.
W. H Pratt was seen this morning
by a reporter for the State Journal He
said.
II am well acquainted with this
gang of toughs which tried to do me UP
Saturday night Briggs and Hamlin
have been in here frequently, and have
often tried to make trouble for me.
The other fellow / don't know so well.
/ think they had been drinking Satur-.
day night. 7 can't afford to close up
my store and spend my time prosecul-
ing these young men. What I want is
protection from the police. Three diff
ferent times-I nave tried to get the po-
lice down here to help, but never have