The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-14
WITH FIRE BRAND.
LoWman Hill Race Trouble
Reaches Critical Stage.
Attempt Made to Burn the
School House.
WATCHMAN ON DUTY.
Building Intended For Negro
Children Carefully Guarded.
Flames Started While Guard
Was Warming Himself.
Colored People Say They know
Nothing About the Attempt.

An unsuccessful attempt was made to
burn the frame building which was
moved to Lowman Hill last week by
order of the board of education to be
used for the colored school children of
that locality. Watchman Jackson found
evidences early Monday morning of the
attempt at incendiarism.
Mr.. Jackson found that some kindling
and shavings had been placed under the
west doorsill between the frame of the
building and the unfinished stone foun-
dation. The kindling had been set on
fire and had burned enough to char
the wood but the fire went out before
it was communicated to the building
The discovery was reported to the
school authorities but an effort was
made to keep the matter quiet. The at
tempt was made while Jackson was get
ting warm in a small out building
where he has a fire.
The Lowman Hill school building a
two story frame building at the corner
of MunSon and Brooks avenues, was
burned a year and a half ago. At that
time there was trouble in the neighbor-
hood dresulting from colored children going
to the same school with the white chill
dren- 1t was believed that the fire was
started in order to destroy the building
and secure new building for the white
children and separation of the colored
children. The large dwelling house on
Tenth avenue known as Campbell court
was secured for temporary school
building and that also was burned.
When the board decided to build
new school house pressure was brought
to bear and the old site at Munson and
Brooks avenue was abandoned and the
new ten room brick building, which
will be opened February 3, was located
at the corner of Eleventh and Morris
avenue. The old Douglass school, a
frame building of two rooms was
moved last week by order of the board
of educa ton from near Third and Polk
e.f,- 70, 41,a Oh e-i4 Of
son and Brooks avenues to be used for
the colored children
At the meeting of the board of educa-
tion Monday, January 6, a delegation of
colored people from Lowman Hill head
ed by William Reynolds and A. It. AL
len appeared before the board of edu-
cation and objected to the location of
the frame building for the cOlOred chill
dren at Munson and Brooks avenues.
The objection was made on the ground
that the site was abandoned for the
white school, that it was not centrally
located, that the loca ton is unhealth-
full and that the colored people have
paid taxes for the new building and will
not have the advantage of it. The dele
cation said that the colored people
would be satisfied with a division of the
pupils provided the colored children re-
ceived the same advantages that the
white children do.
The board was not disposed to make
any changes and the work of putting
the frame building in readiness contin-
ued. The delegation of colored people
appeared before the board again last
Friday night but no action was taken
by the board except to order that the
building be put in a thoroughly good
condition. There are many rumorS
current about the attempt to burn the
building but the colored people discredit
the statements that an attempt was
made.
William Reynolds said this morning:
st heard nothing but rumor about the
attempt to burn the building 1 do not
credit it, The colored people will not
resort to such tactics. There is this
thing certain. We do not want our
children to go to school where the
building is located. We do not object
to a division but we wish better 10
cation and all the advantages for our
children that the white children have.
When the brick building at Eleventh
and Morris avenue is opened February
3 we shall send our children there to
school. They will not go to school in
the building on the site that was con-
demned. The colored people of Lowman
Hill held a meeting and decided on
that"
A T. Allen, who was spokesman be-
fore the board of education for the
colored people, said this morning: 1--WE
do not object to a division of the white
and colored children but we want our
children to have the same advantag ges
that the white children have. We were
given to understand that our children
would go to school in the new building.
The colored people of Lowman Hill