davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07

| day that she ought to be real good and
| try to make him stay with her, but she
| refused. She said she had made up her
mind that she could not live with him.
L don't think Mr.. Kay drank. But
| he had a very high temper. I never
heard him abuse his wife, and 1 know
that he provided well for her and the
children.
Last night when Mr.. and Mrs. Kay
came home it was just IL o'clock. The
little boy Locksley came running to his
father, and Mr.. Kay picked him up and
said:
You dear little fellow! How do
love that child. God bless him
PRAY FOR Me-" BEGGED SHE.
Then Mr.. Kay offered to walk home
with me, and we went away together.
Mr.. and Mrs. Kay seemed to be in ex-
cellent spirits, but just as 1 was go
ing away, Mrs. Kay said to nae in Il
low tone:
Pray for me, Mrs. Laurence. I am
afraid something is going to happen.
Pray to God for me-
Il told her that I always prayed for
her, and told her not to be afraid
thought she was just a little excited
and nervous. Mr.. Kay walked nearly
all the way home with me, and seemed
to be all right when L left him. 1 was
terribly shocked when I heard what
had happened. Mrs. Kay was lovely
woman, and just good as she could
be. Mr.. Kay had no reason to be jea1-
Gus of her, for she never did anything
wrong
NOTES WRITTEN BY KAY.
The notes which Kay left, thinking
them to be his last messages on earth,
are very badly spelled and written. One
is written on the back of an old photo
graph, and the other is on a card
printed for ]. H. Gates, state deputy
for the Ancient Order of the Red Cross.
There are several words omitted from
the notes, but as nearly as they can be
deciphered the following is what Kay
intended to write:
''She went to a lawyer and applied
for a. divorce, and I begged of her to
live with me and she wCRld not, so
this is what took place. Goodbye.
am gone to hell for ever"
On the card was written the follow
ing:
"This commenced at 11:2O-11:5O was
ended.
MIR. James C. Kay, please take these
little ones to 61S Lawrence street, to
Mary E. Kay and H. T. Kay"
CONFLICTING STORIES.
There are conflicting stories concern
ing several points in the account of the
murder. Some say that Kay was a
heavy drinker. Others are sure that
he never touched a drop.
Some say that Mrs. Kay was largely
to blame for the family trouble. be-
cause she INDUCED in questionable ac-
tions, and because she made life unen-
durable for Mr.. Kay. 1t is stated that
she went away last summer and left
her husband with the care of the two
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
File an Indignant Protest With
the President.
Oppose Method OF Inspecting
Baggage at New York.
OATH is DISREGARDED.
Custom Officials Insult and Per-
secute Them.
Old Clothing Frequently AS
sessed For Duty.

Washington, Feb. President Roose-
velt today received the petition from
thousand indignant women, protesting
against the methods employed by tho
officials of the New York custom-hcuss
in the matter of baggage inspection.
These women say they travel for pleas
ure and not for business and upon re-
turning home from abroad are subject
ed to a system that amounts to insult
and persecution. Their oath as to the
value of their goods they say, avails
nothing. Notwithstanding what they
swear to, the inspectors turn their
trunks inside out. The women even
charge that old clothing is frequently
assessed for duty. The system in
vogue at the New York dock, they de-
clare, leads to falsehoods that are toll
in self defense.
The petition bears the names of
prominent women from all over the
country. The president has promised
to give the matter his attention and
will confer with Secretary of the Treas
ury Shaw
Mr.. Shaw says he will investigate the
system, but that thus far he has not
sufficient knowledge of the facts to be-
able to promise the relief sought by
the women travellers.
Independently of the petition some of
the women who have had ez perlence
with the baggage inspection at New
York declare that it is the manner in
which the law is applied and not the
law that causes the trouble.
The petitioners are in earnest and will
vigorously press the issue until ths
president and the secretary of the
treasury either take action or place
themselves on record. Other petitions
will be circulated that the pressure on
the president may be increased.
Ninety of Chicagos best known wo-
men are signers of the petition which
urges President Roosevelt to repeal
the personal baggage search regulation
of the treasury department.. The reg
ulations which the women CON plain of
as causing annoyance. irritation and
humiliation, were esta bliShed by former
Secretary Gage and enforced under his
personal direction.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
BIGGER FORTS.
Gen. Otis Says All Will Be Made
Larger.
To Accommodate an Increased
Standing Army.
A WORLD POWER NOW.
And the Military Establishment
Must Be Kept Up
In Accordance With the COun-
try's New Position.

Chicago, Feb. 7.-Major General Otis,
commander of the department of the
lakes, has returned from Washington
where he was in attendance on the ses-
sions of the board called by the secre-
tary of war to consider the needs of
the different army posts. This was the
second session of the board, the first in
December having been adjourned in or
der to enable the department commando
ers to report on the needs of their re-
spective departments, particularly the
partment of California. The second ses-
sion lasted only four days.
AS to the recommendations of the
board General Otis said it would not be
proper to speak in advance of the re-
port to the secretary of war.
1t is understood, however, says the
Chronicle, that the barracks at Fort
Sheridan will be enlarged and made
modern in every respect.
Since the United States became a
world power and troops are required for
work abroad the posts throughout the
country have been found too small for
the accommodation of the regiments
and batteries recruited to fighting
strength. In addition to Fort Sheridan,
many of the other army posts will be
That the work at the fort will be un-
dertaken at once, is said to be assured.
Owing to orders from headquarters the
troops now quartered at the fort will
leave shortly for the Philippines Their
places will not be taken until the sol
diers ordered from the far east have re-
turned. In the interim the carpenters
and masons will have undisputed
possession of the place.
THE movement of troops is at present of
most pressing Importance in this depart
ment," said the general. "All of the
Twenty ninth infantry is to be sent to the
Philippines very shortly. Part of the reg
iment is at Fort Sheridan, the remainder
at Columbus barracks, that Fort Sher-
idan will be denuded of troops
1.-The place of the present garrison is to
be filled by the Twentieth which is now
on it's way home from the Philippines, one
battalion having sailed about the end of
December and two others January 16
1.-THE post must have accommodations
for a larger number of men than it can
now take care of properly When it was
built the companies had an average of
So men each. Now they are filled up to
the full 104. Besides, we have two light
batteries there. On a peace footing bat
terry has S5 men; now it has 150. So it will
be necessary to increase the accommoda-
tions at the fort, and it must be done at
once
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07

| The bed stands in the northeast corner
! of the room.
FATHER SAYS HE ISN'T INSANE.
Henry T. Kay, the father of James G.
Kay, said today: II do not know what
could have caused the tragedy. I do
not think my son and his wife had any
serious trouble. If they did have not
heard of it. James never touches Ii
quor, so that could not have been the
cause of the trouble. I do not believe
it possible that he could be insane. He
has never shown any signs of insanity.
OF course James and his wife had some
little troubles such as are likely to oc-
cur in any family. James was 26 years
old. He had lived in Topeka 13 years,
and came here from Usage City,
Mrs. Laurence, of us Hancock street,
who was the last person to see Mr.. and
Mrs Kay before the tragedy, says:
Il know that Mr. and Mrs. Kay have
been having a good deal of trouble. I
know that Mr. Kay has been telling
his wife she would have to leave him
L do not know why. 1 was not ac-
Quainted with all the family secrets
1 don't know why he should be jealous
of her. Mr. Kay told her that she
could have all the household furniture,
provided she would go to her brothers
in North Carolina or Georgia. So Mrs.
Kay arranged to sell the furniture for
$75 to a man who is coming here to
live. The man was to have possession
Monday by paying $40 down. Mrs. Kay
had arranged to go to live with a fam
lily by the name of Miller in the west
part of town, and do sewing until she
could earn enough money to go to her
brothers.
"Wednesday I stayed there at Mrs.
Kays and she went away in the m morn-
ing. She said she was going to see her
sister, Mrs. Ballew, who lives on EN-
NETT street in Oakland, and find out the
exact address of her brothers in the
south. But when she came home, she
said that she had been to see Attorney
Balm about getting a divorce from her
husband.
Are you going to tell him?' I
asked.
Yes she said, everything is going
to be fair and above board.
TELLS OF THE DIVORCE.
''She told her husband on Thursday
morning that she was going to get a
divorce, from him. He begged her not
to get a divorce, but to go away and
stay for a year or two, and then come
back. She would not do this. 1 think
she did not want him running around
with other women. 1 don't know what
were the grounds upon which she was
going to ask for a divorce.
We'll, I was at Mrs. Kay's yesterday
doing her ironing. Mr.. and Mrs. Kay
went to lodge in the evening, leaving
me with the children 1t seemed to me
that Mr.. Kay was unusually good ma
tured all day. 1 spoke about it to my
son when 1 came home last night. I
thought that possibly he night yet live
with his wife. I told Mrs. Kay yester-
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07

children: For. several weeks he did not
know where she was
On the other hand, the neighbors of
the Kays claim that Mrs Kay was a
dutiful wife, and that she was entirely
beyond reDroach.
Mrs Geo. W. Fisher, who lives just
across the street says: Mrs. Kay al
ways seemed to be such a kind, mother
ly woman, and took such good care of
her two children. She was good house
keeper, and it has grieved US all very
much to see that things were not going
smoothly with her family. I think that
Mr.. Kay has been drinking considera-
bly, recently
The foreman of the night shift at
Crosby's mill says: 81 don't think that
Kay ever drank a drop. 1 never knew
of his drinking"
F. NJ. Clark, one of the neighbors.
says: Il don't know what was the
trouble between Mr.. and Mrs. Kay.
They have had more or less trouble.
There will be enough people to criticise
their family relations without me-
The Kay family is related by mar
riage to the family of D. o. Crane, and
James Kay was at one time employed
by Mr.. Crane at the Topeka cemetery.
Henry T. Kay is in the tombstone bus
mess
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
Mardi-Gras Begins.

New Orleans, La, Feb. THE carni-
val of 1902 opened with the pageant of
the knights of Comus last night. The
subject was Byron and there were IS
moving tableauX based upon we'll known
poems. The parade was followed by a
brilliant ball at the French opera house.
The Austrian cruiser Sziegelvar and the
auxiliary cruiser Buffalo head the visit
ing fleet, and the crowd is already i'm
mense. The annual arrival of Rex oc-
ours on Monday. Pretus has his page
ant on Monday evening. The Rex pro-
cession takes place on Tuesday. The
Comus pageant on that evening and
balls by Comus and Rex will close the
carnival Many distinguished people
from various parts of the country Will
be here to enjoy the festivities.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
KAYs VIOLENT TEMPER.
T. B. Jennings Tells of an Exhibition
at Lodge Meeting.

Mr. and Mrs. James Kay attended the
Red Cross lodge meeting at III West
Sixth avenue last night.
T. B. Jennings, the president of the
lodge. said this morning: Mr.. and Mrs.
Kay were at the lodge meeting last
night. 1 noticed nothing out of the
usually jolly and cheerful. I remem-
Der once at a lodge meeting that Kay
became enraged about something but
his i'll feeling did not seem to be di-
rected toward his wife. He was sort
of glum and had nothing to say but he
cheered up and did not treat his wife
in anything but a proper manner. There
never was an intimation but that they
got along well together"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
Phillips Is For Bailey.

Guy Bissell, county attorney of Phil
lips county, who has been in attend
ance at the supreme court, says his
county is almost solid for Bailey and he
thinks it will probably instruct for the
Nemaha man. This is somewhat sur
prising from the fact that it has been
supposed that the Burton people are
in control in the Sixth district and
would do everything possible to keep
Bailey from getting any delegates in
that section.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
Duty on Grape Brandy.

Melbourne, N. S. W., Feb. THE
Federal house of representatives has
confirmed the clause of the tariff bill
imposing an excise duty of lis on
grape-spirits and has raised the excise
duty on barley, malt, naolasses and
maize-spirit to 12s. Sd. Other spirits
will pay a duty of 13 S. The import
duty remains at Ia s.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
Barn Is ed.

The barn in the rear of the residence
at HOP Clay street was found to be on
fire last evening about o'clock and be
fore the blaze could be extinguished all
that remained of the building was the
framework. When the fire was first dis
covered the barn was ablaze on all sides
and only quick work by the firemen
saved the nearby buildings.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
Train Through a Trestle.

Olathe. Kan, Feb. IA freight train
went through a trestle on the st. Louis
&. San Francisco railroad, three miles
south of this city, and twelve cars
loaded with coal, are piled on the
ground below the track All trains are
compelled to use the Clinton branch be-
tween here and Ash Grove. No one was
hurt
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
schwabs Lunch with Lord Mayor.

London, Feb. 7.-Charles NJ. Schwab,
president of the United States Steel
Corporation, and Mrs. Schwab, were
entertained at a private luncheon today
at the Mansion House by the Lord Ma
yor, Sir Joseph c. Dimsdale. The party
included Sir Thomas Upton, Archibald
w. Maconochie, NJ. p, Sheriff Bell and
Col. Hunsiker, chairman of the Nickel
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
SOLD AT AUCTION.
Property of the Atlas Tack Company
Bid in by Bondholders.

Boston, Feb THE property of the
Atlas Tack company has been sold at
auction here, committee of the bondhold-
ers bidding $50, 600, and to them it was
knocked down. The sale included the fac
tories, real estate equipment and other
property in Taunton Fair Haven. Plym-
outh, Duxbury and other places, the orig
fnal value of which is said to have been
$4,000 The affairs of the company have
figured in legal circles for several years
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
France Will Attend the Show.

Paris, Feb. THE U. S. embassy
here was officially notified today that
France has accepted the invitation to
participate in the st. Louis exposition,
which is to be held in 1903.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
OFFICER AYES STORY.
Children Were in Bed When Police
Arrived

Henry Aye, one of the officers who
was called last night, said this morn
ing:
I'VE found Mrs Kay on the floor
dead. A smoothing iron beside her and
two little children in bed. She was ly-
ing in a pool of blood. The body was
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
Temperatures of Large Cities.

Chicago, Feb. TT a. m. tempera-
lures: New York %; Boston 16; Phila-
delphia %; Washington 20; Chicago 2;
Minneapolis 4; Cincinnati 10; ST. Louis
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
.FlTzHUGH LEE WRITES.
He Is Pleased Over Arrange
ments For Reception.


ing letter from Gen Fitzhugh Lee:
Louisville, Feb. 3, 1902.
A. M Harvey:
Replying to your letter of the 31st of
January, l write to say that will leave
ST. Joseph Mo-. by the Rock Island rail-
road on the morning of the 14th, arriving
a your city about l p. M. Be kind enough
to say to the governor that | accept and
appreciate his invitation to an informal re-
ception to be held at the executive man
sion on the afternoon of February IA, from
to o clock l shall be glad to meet the
governor and state officers, to see again
my old friend, General Funston, and 9TH
erS who may care to meet me.
/ am, very truly yours.
FITZHJJG LEE.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
Weather Indications.

Chicago, Feb. Forecast for Kan
sas: Partly cloudy tonight and Satur-
day; warmer in east portion tonight:
southeast winds.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
Curtis at Carlisle.

Congressman Charles Curtis presented
the diplomas to the graduating class of 4S
pupils at the Carlisle, Pa, Indian school
Thursday.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
WEATHER GROWS WARNER

The following are the temperatures
today as recorded by the government
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07
AUTOPSY IS MADE.
Mrs. Rays Skull Was Not Fractured
by Blows

DR.. H B. Hogeboom and DR.. r. E.
Buckmaster held autopsy over the
body of Mrs. Kay this morning. When
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-07

Continued on sixth Page.)
The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-12-09

waiting impatiently until 9 o'clock
and then turned out the lights. Then
he and Dickey and Browne sang a
lot or songs. Pugh could carry a fine
baritone, and Field had a good tenor
n Brown swung in on the basso
After that Field recited some of his
poems in a heart-rending voice, and
by the time he finished the people
We're shifting, and even the guilty
Pugh and Browne broke down. Field
told them to make their escape with
the money, and, lighting a candle
and placing it on a table ON the stage,
he yelled: Say, don't you think
this is "A Burning Shame" Then
he ran down the back stairs and
locked the heavy doors behind him.
The audience thought that the sing
ing and poems were a part of the
play, and that the lights had been
put out to make it effective. 1t took
them quite a while to catch on to the
joke, and they sat there in the dark,
blinking at that one, lone candle till
someone saw through the hoax and
gave it away. Then there was trou-
BILE, and lots of it. Old timers laugh
till their sides ache now over that
night.
A man sitting near the wall struck
a match and tried to light one of the
lamps, but the crowd jostled him, the
lamp fell to the floor and some one
yelled "Fire!"
The crowd surged back and forth,
cursing and hitting and throwing
women to the floor and tramping on
them in a mad rush for the doors.
But the doors were locked.
Part Of the crowd tried to get
through to go down the back stairway,
and the others tried to go through
the front doors. 1t was a case of the
irresistible force meeting the immov-
able body.
The people next the doors we're
bruised and mashed, chairs were,
broken and everybody was yelling
''Fire!"
Finally Jack Lempey, the sheriff.
came to the rescue, broke down the
doors and set the terrorized crowd
free. In the excitement the men who
yer responsible for the trouble were
but the town of Leadville
vowed to have the scalps and life
blood of Field, Pugh and Browne-but
they had fed.-Denver Times.
The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-12-09
Mormons Started Irrigation.

The census bureau has. issued an
interesting bulletin in which there is
a brief review of the growth of the
irrigation movement in the arid and
semi-arid west. 1t is shown that the
first systematic application of irriga-
ton in this part of the country was
made by the Mormons who entered
the Salt Lake valley in 1S47. At that
time there were probably not nor
than a few hundred acres irrigated
in a crude way by Indians and Mexi-
cans. Now there are nearly $4,000
irrigators in Utah who have over
500, 900 acres under water.
Early statistics are difficult to OBJ
tain, but it is thought that in 1870
there were not over 10000 acres UNI
der irrigation in the entire United
States. By 1880 the number of acres
under irrigation had increased to L.
900 900, while from 1880 to 1890 the
development was on a scale larger
than ever. In 1899 the number of
irrigators was placed at los, 200, which
a nearly 100 per cen over the num-
Der reported in 1889. In 1899 the num-
Der of acres under water was esti-
mated to be 1900 900, an increase of
more than 100 per cent in ten years.
These irrigated areas depended
largely on streams for water, although
1863, 900 acres were watered from wells.
The value of the irrigated crops is
estimated at more than $88, 900, 900.
Colorado ranks first in irrigated acre
age in hay, forage, cereals and vege-
tables. California is second in these
crops and first in fruits. The average
value of irrigated land in the arid
states is $42.23 per acre. The highest
average was found in California,
$S9.19; the lowest average was in
Wyoming, $16.1O. The average value
per acre of irrigated crops ranged
from $7.1S in Wyiming to $2S.47 in
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-12-09

ment at 10 o'clock a. M; there were
present w. o. Parker, chairman; S
X. Deverill, G. M. Jacobs and Nat. G
Carwile, clerk.
The minutes of the last meeting
were approved.
The bond of James Lambert, con.
stable Musselshell township, was ap.
proved and filed.
The following bids were presented
and opened:
For care of county poor-St. Vim
cents hospital, $3.50 per capita per
week.
For county physician-J. Fl. Rine-
hart, M. D., $500 per annum; Cliff
Lindsey, M. D., $500 per annum; Por-
tus Baxter, M. D., $500 per annum !;
Andrew Clark, M. D., $500 per an
mum; James Chapple, M. D., $3.50 per
annum.
For pest house physician-Cliff
Lindsey, M. D., SIS per diem, while
smallpox exists, with understanding
that physician shall not be required
to reside at pest house.
j. H. Rinehart, M. D., IS per diem,
while smallpox exists, %deducting his
salary of $25 per month as physician
of board of health, with same condi-
tons as above.
j.. NJ. Free. M. d., $40 per diem,
while smallpox exists and residence
at pest house.
E. A. Anderson, M. D., $40 per diem,
while smallpox exists and residence
at pest house.
James Chapple. M. D., $16.65 per
diem, while smallpox exists and resi-
dence at pest house; and $4.75 per
diem and residence in city.
For burial Of deceased paupers-
Geo. Settler s25 per capita.
For coal-H. S. Coleman, agent,
best screeped Rocky Fork lump coal
at $3.50 per ton; for Rocky Fork coal
shcveled per car, 1925 per ton, rail
road weight to be taken.
For wood-H. D. Berry, per load
$3.50.
All action on such bids was deferred
until December 8, at 10 o'clock a.. m.
The balance of the day was devoted
to the cancellation of paid warrants.
The board adjourned until December
s, at 10 a.. m.
Attest: lat. G.. CARWILE,
County Clerk.