The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-21
THREE MEN
IN CHAINS
Went to Home of P. P. HerzIer
Last Night
ASKED FOR A RATCHET
Or an Ak to Cut Themselves
Loose.
ASKED FOR A RATCHET

Three men, chained together. went to
the home Of P. P Hertzler 1880 sher-
wood avenue, at twenty minutes to 10
o'clock last night and asked Mr.. Hertz
Ter for file or Ratchet with which to
cut off their shackles. Mrs. Hertzler
save the following account of the incl
cent TO the Eagle last night:
was in bed my husband was away
when the men came to the door and
raped At first 1 thought 1t was my
Ansoaiid trying TO play u joke on me-
hut 1 cid not hsar the wagon drive IN
50 when the knocking continued, 1 got
up and went u the door. There stO0O
Ahree men IL row and one asked me
Tor file or hatchet. They said that they
We're chained together and wanted some
thlng with which % cut themselves loose.
/ mad no Ratchet and told them So Then
one asked me for an axe, but 1 told them
i ola not have any. Then they went OF.
They showed re their chains around their
ankles They were chained 50 close to-
Eether that they could not take very
long steps In TACT they could not step
but two or three inches at time When
Trey walked they pus their hands ca each
others shoulders. The chains were not
more than I've or six inches long be-
tween each man.
The two men at the outside were about
I'VE feet, ten inches tau and eli were
sInooth Snaven. They were dark clothes.
me man IN the middle Of the trio was
much smaller than the others. ! 90 not
Know whether he had a hat or not, but
pc did not wcar It. lie had black shiny
oaIr and il was parted IN the middle
ne moon was Just coming Up and l
could not tell the color Of their clothes
Z zr-rlr T. RI -,
could not see them very plainly and 1
vas so badly scared that I hardly knew
what was doing and Gid not look very
much AZ them. i was all alone and tried
10 get away from the house as soon as
possible
From the home Of Mrs. Hert1ler the
trio went to the home Of Mr.. William
A2ilier at the corner OF Sherwood avenue
ana Fifteenth street Here they called
several times, but failed TO raise anyone.
SO they went 70 the home of J. W Jones
at oeS West Fifteenth street. They could
wake no one there. but evidently found
Ratchet or an axe. for they stood at the
rear porch and pounded for several
minutes
They procured some sort OF hammer. at !
this home. At i've northwest corner oC /
the yard stands Il big cottonwood tree !
and but few feet from this is the corner /
pest Of a fence
On the south side of the tree is evidence /
Of pounding a chain. Tor the bark IS
knocked of ard the tree skinned. on the T,
oak post the chain Of one Of the /
men was placed over one corner and I
hacked and pounded until the wood was
cut deeply into. 1t looked by the light /
o. lantern as if some animal with big
teeth had gnawed away al the corner
O. the post, but on closer inspection il
was found that the chain links We're in
oented into the wood The men pounded
on the post and tree for several minutes
and then went on east down Fifteenth
street.
soon after the men LEFT the home Of
hrs. Hertzier the husband came home
and was told the circumstances He i'm
mcdiately went to the home of his
father-in-law. IT. y. Borland. at 5e4 West
Fifteenth street. and told him Of what /
had happened. 1r Bo.land came down
10 the Murdock Avenue livery barn and
notified the police TWO officers were
sent to the scene in a carriage. They
questioned the people roundabout and
tracked the men Sast on Fifteenth street.
quite "A number Of the neighbors had /
been awakened and Joined in the search.
but until a late hour this morning
nothing had been heard Of the men. The
search was kept up an night
The men told Mrs Hertzler that they
OF her house and there were a good many
cockiebRrrs- They had picked some Of
them OF. but We're stil wearing good
many a. the burrs
The whole section OF the city where
the incident occurred was aroused by
the actions Of the police when the
good people heard what the trouble was
they very willing Joined in the search.
Who the men were is so far only
matter OF conjecture. They wanted to
get those chains off their legs. Moth
ing had been heard Of three men escap-
ing from a train last night while on tie
way 10 prison. although This IS possible
The chains were those used by sheriffs
as is evidenced by the dents made in the
oak post in Mr.. Jones yard. and AIRS
I4ertzler said that she could see them
glitter I'm the moonlight. Big locks fast
ened the chains To each mans foot. J
They showed these locks TO Mrs Herr
Ter and told her they wanted 30 break
them and get the shaclllcs OF. There is
no evidence of the locks or chains being
broken while the men were pounding
the post. and it would seem that they
were unsuccessful in their attempt TO
break their shacSles-
Mr. Jones lives in the rear of the house
and a family named Williams lives in
the front These people heard the pound
ing but at first thought * was some Of
their neiEhbovs After the men had gone
away and the police called. neither @
the families would set up for long
time They hsd seen The men and what
they were irving 10 do. and We're badly
scared. and thought it was the sS-nc men
coming back and wanting &c set into the
house.
The men were traced FOR sorle distance
east Of Sherwood avenue on Fifteenth
street. but the trail was lest IN the dust.
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