The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-03

He fought the two highwaymen under
great odds and finally drove them off,
Mr.. SQuires, who is the son Of ]. H.
Squires, city clerk, lives with his par
ents at the home, 511 Buchanan street
He was walking home last night little
before IL o'clock, along the north side
walk of Sixth avenue, and had reached
Clay street when he saw the shadows of
two people who were following him. He
glanced carelessly back and thought it
was man and boy, as one of them
was evidently walking behind the other
and his shadow was shorter for this rea-
son. Mr.. SQuires was walking briSkly
but the two men gained rapidly on him,
and about half way between Clay and
Buchanan streets, he felt a singing
blow on the back Of his head, which
dazed him He whirled on his assailants
and gave battle. One of the men closed
with him, and hand-to-hand encoun-
ter followed, in which the thug had de-
cidedly the best, his victim was un-
armed, and was badly injured by the
first cowardly blow from the rear.
At the first opening, the footpad
swung his weapon, and knocked Mr..
SQuires down. He rose with difficulty
and received a third heavy blow on the
top of his head, which laid open the
scalp and again Frustrated him. Again
the plucky young man staggered to mis-
feet and struck blindly at his asSailants,
but the thugs had enough. Their busi-
ness was to rob defenselesS men, and
not nRnI WITH people VINO Q1u nOI KNOW
when they We're whipped Both men
turned and ran toward the east, pursued
by Mr.. SquireS, who shouted for help,
hoping that his cries would cause some
one in front of the men to head them
off and effect their capture. The footpads
turned into an alley and disappeared
and Mr.. Squires was so weak from the
effect of his injuries that he was un-
able to chase them any further His
calls for help were heard by A. M. Full
Ter, passenger agent of the Rock Island
depot, who lives at 12O0 West Sixth ave-
nue., and he came out on his porch TO
investigate as Mr.. SquireS came up. Mr.
Squires was bleeding profusely from the
wounds in his head and was scarcely
able to tell how it occurred Mr.. Full
Ter, who is a near nelghbor or Mr.
SquireS, took him to DR.. GrubbS, who
lives near, and his wounds were dress
ed, requiring several stitches to close
them.
Mr.. Fuller then notified the police of
the attempted holdup, and Mr.. SquireS
went home and to bed without telling
his mother or father of the encounter,
as he did not wish to cause them any
needless alarm. His father, Mr.. ]. H.
Squires, was told of the holdup at his
Office this morning by State Journal
reporter, as he had left the house before
his son had risen, and consequently
knew nothing of it.
Mr.. SquireS was able to sit up this
morning, but the effects of his en-
counter will keep him at home for a
few days In speaking of the fight he
said:
Il saw the shadows of the two men
following me, but thought nothing of
it. and the first blow dazed me SO that
I could not give a description of either
of them. My only thought was an in
sane desire to fight, but being unarmed
I was at the mercy of the men, and was
knocked down twice AS near as 1
could tell in my condition. only one of
them was actively engaged in the fight
which followed, and the other seemed
to be jumping around for an opening.
If 1 had looked around at the corner of
Clay street l might have got good
look at them while they were under the
electric light, but at the place where
the festivities occurred it would have
been hard to see their faces. even if
my vision had not been seriously ina
paired by the weapon of the active
member"
Mr. Squires had his head bandaged,
and he was very pale Blood splotches
on the snow for several yards around
the place where the fight started show
that Mr.. Squires did the best he could
to make it interesting for the thugs.