The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-01
HALLOWEEN FIRE.
Students at Washburn Indulge
in $500 Blaze.
Burned Unsightly OutbuiIding
on College Campus.
FACE CHARGE OF ARSON
Faculty Threatens Culprits
With Criminal Proceedings.
VandaIs PurlOined a 1O-Gall0n
Freezer of lee Cream.
Girls BOmbard Residences With
Shelled Corn.

Washburn college students-presum-
ably-set fire to a large outbuilding near
Rice hall this morning at about
o'clock. as a climax to 4 night of Hal
lOween pranks. A fire alarm was turn
from Station No. and headquarters /
responded. The chemical engine went I
to the scene OF the fire, the other an I
paratus dropping out of the race when /
the water limits were reached.
The building was entirely consumed, |
several large and handsome elns trees I
were probably ruined, and the loss /
would not be covered by $500, aside from
the trees.
The outbuilding destroyed was con-
structed about fifteen years ago. and
was the size of a small barn. 1t was
partially concealed by thick growth of
cedars and elms, but has always been
an eyesore on the beautiful campus.
There is no particular regret felt for the
destruction of the building, but the fac
ulty feel that 1t was carrying things toe
far to use fire to accomplish the object.
1t is stated that the trustees will make
no effort to replace the building until
the names of the students who set the
building on fire are reported to the
faculty. If the faculty finds out who
started the fire, there will probably be
another important faculty meeting, and
the guilty students will be severely
punished.
ty has obtained information tending to
lincrfnlinate certain students, and that
these students will be brought up for
slaughter within a few days. They will
be required to pay for the damage which
they did, under penalty of criminal
prosecution for arson, and after settling
for the financial loss, they will be sus-
pended or expelled from school
1t is claimed that considerable other
damage was done by the students last
night. Windows in some of the college
buildings were smashed, and property
injured and destroyed 1t is the first
time than any serious damage has been
done at the college for some years, and
lthe-college authorities are making a de-
termined effort to locate the culpritS and
make an example of them.
When the fire department arrived at
the scene of the fire last night, there
was not a single person to be seen. The
fire was blazing merrily away, but the
Halloween spirits, if there were any, haG
vanished There We're no lights in the
college buildings.
TROUBLES TOLD THE POLICEMEN.
One of the depredations committed by
the juveniles was reported by a small
man in full evening dress who ran
hastily into the police station about 10
o'clock and gasped, They've got my ice
cream and gone, and l can't get any
more this time of night" He went OH
to explain that a ten gallon freezer of
the rather unreasonable delicacy had
been removed from his back porch by
the vandals, who also cut a hole in the
screen door, Three policemen took Il
look for the thieves, but without success.
JailOr Morgan. who lives in Potwin.
had that end Of town all to himself and
it required considerable activity to keep
the youth from raising Cain and other
loose articles. He caught some of the
boys, but released them after a good
scare. Wooden curb elevations were
popular with the raiders. They turned
over or carried away a number of them
At Tenth and Harrison streets a fence
was torn down and partially destroyed
The special police were kept busy re-
moving distractions from the streets,
where they would endanger the fire de-
partment. CrOSs-ties belonging to the
Vinewood company were well distrib-
uta1.
A woman on West Tenth called up the
police station about 10 o'clock and want
ed protection. She said that gang
were humping on her house and throw
ing brickbats. Sergeant Owen went out
on a bicycle and found several school
girls and sack of corn. Not recogniz-
ing the officer, they made bold to fire
a volley of horse feed at him. He cap
| tured the corn and rode away. remark
ing that his horse was fond of corn.
Later the girls appeared at the station
and demanded their ammunition, say
/ ing that they needed it, as the night
was still young, and they had not made
the rounds.
A man walking north on Van Ruren
street from Twelfth about 8 O'Clock was
vastly amused at the movements of
three small boys. On the corner of Van
Buren and Eleventh streets stands the
| house which has been rebuilt and will
soon be occupied by Attorney Gene
Hagan. The house Is incomplete and Is
not occupied. When first seen the three
small revelers were sneaxing up on the
vacant building much as Pequod war
rior would stalk Plymouth. agricuI-
| turist. After careful work they got III
range of the building and fired a scat
fpT1nQ VOIlaV xE1 fi17c n
note the result they flew the vicinity
When they passed under a light two
| blocks away their speed was unabated
In North Topeka a number of old bug
| gies were dismembered and distributed
in the streets, but no great damage was
done.
The usual number of Turks. Bedouins
and other freaks were to be seen on the
streets going to the masque parties. IN
South Topeka a Caliph in gorgeous and
generous green and yellow trousers was
chased several blocks by a gang of raid
ers who voiced a burning desire to see
what the r7asl.er wore under the gar
ment. Although hampered by his strange
clothing, the victim outran the gang and
reached the party, breathless, but wear
ing a whole costume
MR.. OVERMYER'S HALLOWEEN.
Last year the 'ornery kids played a
naughty Halloween trick on David 0v-
ermyer the Democratic politician They
took up a lot of the bricks from the
sidewalk which skirts his house at the
corner of Eleventh and Quincy streets
and piled them in the middle of the
walk
In the morning when Mr.. Oyern,vsr
discovered what had been done he be-
came much incensed and for several
hours was sending out threats that he
would put some of the boys of the
neighborhood under arrest About the
time the threat was due to rnateriaiiza
the young son of Mr.. Overmyer con-