The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-26
KALFEE IS FREE.
clone Highwayman" Is Acquit-
ted in District Court.
He Proved That He Wasn't in
Topeka.
LEWIS WAS CERTAIN.
Positive That Prisoner Had
Held Him Up.
kaIfee Admitted Buying Revolt
yer at Topeka Store.
Evils WAS CERTAIN.


were proven in the district court room
Wednesday afternoon when Frank Kali
fee was tried on the charge OF holding
up Frank Lewis. and half dozen other
people, on the night of September y, I
1902. and was acquitted.
That night man began operations on
/ Eighth street in front of the Catholic
church. He began holding up people as
he journeyed west on Eighth to Harri-
son and north on Harrison. Near Sixth
and Harrison streets he held up Frank
Lewis, showed large sized six shooter
close to his face and in a determined
voice demanded all his money. Lewis
gave him 81 and then grappled with him
for a moment The man broke away
and ran north. Lewis had a good look
at him in the moonlight during the
struggle and several others who were
held up saw his features in the moon
light. The police We're not unduly active
in the case for some time afterwards.
The day of the holdups H. B. Howard
sold a large Colts IS caibre revolver
and heavy belt and scabbard to a
man. A few days after the hold up
Howard received a letter from man
stating that he was the one who bought
the big revolver and the man who held
UP the half dozen people just around
the corners from few well tanned po-
licemen. He poked fun at the police
and said that the escapade was done IN
fun and that the Topeka police were
sleepy"
Then the police remembered a man
with a large revolver, a big cartridge
belt, a bowie knife, a rifle, a broad
brimmed hat and high-topped COW
puncher boots who was in Topeka on the
day of the hold ups CircumstantIal
evidence. with the letter as the CON
Meeting link, pointed to this man as the
robber. On November 26 man with
high-topped boots big hat, a large
cartridge belt and a big revolver slung
thereon was spied by Officer Miller and
arrested as being the hold up man. he
wore the pistol and belt which Howard
sold to the man who claimed to have
been the one who wrote to him Dragging
of the fun he had with the Topeka po-
lice by performing the series of hold
ups Mr.. Lewis positively Identified
him as the man who held him up
Frank Kalfee was the name of the
man and the same man who bought
the pistol from Howard and had his
name engraved on the handle of the
weapon. The police claimed that Kali
fee even made some admissions of guilt
The whole trouble seems to have been
thaL an oregon rancnTnan came 10
peaceful Kansas clad in the armOr and
! fighting paraphernalia which causes no
excitement in the northwest but which
looks suspicious here. IF Kalfee had
worn a silk hat in Topeka he would
not have been arrested. If he had worn
a silk hat in the country he comes from
his life would have been in danger. The
trouble was Kalfee did as the Romans
do, in Oregon, but he forgot to change
the customs and rules for wearing APP
parel as he changed geographical loca-
lions.
The testimony given at the trial shows
that someone was mistaken.
! Lewis testified that Kalfee was the
{ man who held him up. He was positive.
The police gave clrcumsJantial evidence
which seemed to fasten the guilt upon
kalfee without question The testimony
for the prosecution was short and sup
b. / 4 X a
stand in his own behalf He wore a big
brimmed white hat with red, white and
i blue oil cloth woven into a fantastic
band for the decorations OF the head
piece He wore leather cuffs He walk
{ ed in typical high heeled cowboy boots
that would gladden. the heart of any
dime novel reader. On the table was
/ the big leather cartridge belt, heavy
enough to make a surcingle for a sixty
pound cowboy saddle. On the belt was
a sea bbard holding a bowie knife and
: a holster holding big Colts revolver.
The belt was brazen with cartridges.
: Some thought the outfit should be prima
facie evidence that kalfee was guilty.
Then Kalfee told his story He said
he was in Topeka September L. He
admitted buying the revolver and ad-
mitted that three inquisitive police
stopped him and inspected the gun He
said he got on the Rock Island train
at $50 o'clock bound for Oregon. If
! he could prove that his alibi would be
Derfect His attorney, G. A. MagaW,
introduced testimony from nail a dozen
E passengers on the train who remember
= ed talking with Kalfee between To
4 peka and Belleville at the time when
= the hold ups were made. The conductor
( testified to taking up Kalfee's ticket
. The passengers remembered that Kali
= fee talked about alfalfa, prunes and
5 sugar beets in Oregon A colored po-
1 lceman renaem bered that Kalfee with
2 all his shooting iron and boots got on
S the train.
2 Judge Hazen was convinced of the
r alibi and instructed the jury to bring
t in verdict of not guilty.
KaIfee was eiated The police were
! mad
e Kalfee did not appear like man who
g would hold up half dozen people, and
g his alibi was perfect The police will
4 now look for some other man who wears
= high-topped boots carries big gun and
is harnessed in a leather cartridge belt
Y Kalfee has hiked out for Oregon.
= where he can move and breathe with
- out fear of Topeka policemen
g.; Still some things about the hold ups
p seem unexplainable- kalfee was lden-
@ titled by Lewis. Howard identified him
: as the man who bought the gun, and
: someone. claiming to be the man who
- bought the gun, wrote to Howard and
q acknowledged that he was the highway
3 man bold
y The man who held up the people fired
. several shots. Experts testified that
: the revolver bought from Howard hao
never been fired.
1t win take a Sherlock Holmes, a Nick
= Carter or a Hawkshaw to clear up the
mystery.