The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-19

The crime was fiendish and almost
wholly unprovoked. Sunday afternoon
two negroes, both unknown to Tutcher,
hired a rig at the barn, paying in adj
vance. 1t was to be returned at s
o'clock in the evening. Just at IL
o'clock last night they drove the horse
into the barr on the run. The horse
showed signs of having been badly
treated and he was iaded and covered
with foam, and Tutcher said: THAT
is no way to drive into barn.
Both negroes began to curse him and
jumped out of the buggy. The larger
one started to strike the boy with the
butt of the buggy whip. The shorter
negro said something, and the big
negro stepped back out of the way.
Then the short negro drew a revolver
and fred.
TEtcher fell to the floor, and both
negroes ran out of the door and disao-
oea~e6-
The only witness to the crime was p
l. Reed, a young man employed at
Nissley's milk depot. who lives at 307
West Seventh street, a short distance
from the barn. He was on his way
home, and had stopped to talk to
Tutcher Just as the negroes drove up.
Reed hastily called the police and
gave the best description he could of the
fair took place. DR.. McClintock was
called, and he at once removed the
wounded man to Christ hospital, where
an operation was performed by DIR. J.
S. McClintock and DR.. S. G. Stewart
The entire police department spent
the rest of the night hunting for some
clue to the identity of the murderous
negro who did the shooting and his COM
panlon, but were not entirely successful.
When they came into the barn they
6jrpcf from North T0pnlxa + a
bottoms, they were seen and heard
by several persons as they drove up
Kansas avenue, yelling and laShing the
horse into a run. Officer Anderson at
tempted to stop them. but they were
driving so fast he could not get out into
the street in time. At 10 o'clock this
morning the police arrested Thomas De
Moss known to the police as Slick De
Moss, as the person who did the shoot
ing.
p L. Reed, the only witness. says
that the negro who did the shooting was
short and heavyset, and about q years
of age. He was lighter in color than the
tall negro who was with him. The tall
one wore long square cut coat.
The reports from the hospital this
morning indicated that the victim of the
shooting was getting along as well as
could be expected, but was in a critical
condition.
HOW MEN WE'RE CAUGHT.
The police and sheriff's force have
captured both the negroes connected
with the shooting. Officer Broadis, of
the police force, saw three men riding
in a buggy Sunday afternoon. When
he went to the livery stable this morn
ing he readily recognized the rig, and
said that he knew one of the three men
who were in it. The man he knew was
B. A. Wilson, commonly known as
Buck Wilson. Broadis and other
officers immediately went out and
found Wilson, and forced him to tell
| the names of the men who were with
him in the afternoon. He said that they
were Thomas De Moss and William
Mason, and that they We're working for
the street car company. He had not
heard of the shooting, but knew, of
course that the officers were after the
men on some charge. He was not given
any chance to warn them, and Officers
J. E. Lucas and Abe Henderson went
out to Thirteenth street where De Moss
and Mason We're at work. When they
were still a. block distant from the
worknen, Mason and De Moss saw
them. Mason threw down his tools and
ran, and the officers dared not fire at
| him for fear of injuring other laborers.
They gave chase but he easily eeluded
them. De Moss stood his ground, and
they placed him under arrest and
brought him to the police station. Then