The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-03
1t Is Now Four Feet Below the Highest
Mark,
And Is Going Down at the Rate Of an Inch
an Hour.

At 2.30 o'clock this afternoon the
river was falling slowly. The fall since
Tuesday afternoon was about a foot.
and the total fall had been four feet.
The deputy sheriffs in North Topeka
are reported to be terrorizing the people
there and greatly hindering the boatmen
who are at work rescuing people. It
was reported this morning that they are
shooting at people.
Deputy sheriffs were sworn in pro-
niscuously and given blue ribbons with
the word deputy sheriff" printed on
them 1t was the intention that these
deputies would aid in keeping order and
in protecting property but these same
deputies, or many of them, are the
greatest menace to the water bound peo-
pie on the north side and to those en-
gagged in the rescue work.
A lot of unreliable men and boys were
sworn in and given badges. They SEEM
ed to have the idea that the badges gave
them the right TO carry firearms and to
use them promiseuously.
A party of young fellows who were
sworn in and who started for the North
side last night seemed to think that
they should shoot on sight They
armed themselves with revolvers and
rifles and announced that their idea of
their duties was to create a state of
terror.
The deputies had no system by which
to indentify each other during the night
and no means of distinguishing the
boatman in the rescue work from the
thieves. if there were any. All night and
this morning the irresponsible deputies
have terrorized everyone who is in
North Topeka. They sat in their boats
during the night smoking and laughing
and yelling and firing their weapons
until a reign of terror. almost worse
than that occasioned by the fire and
flood. exists in the flooded district.
If the deputies were made to give up
/ their needless weapons and set to work
/ cleaning the town of refuse or in res
cuing people they would do some good
but as they have been deporting them
selves they are menace to the lives
/ of everyone who ventures to the North
side.
The talk of wholesale plundering in
the flooded district is without founda-
ton Tt was reported that several boat
loads of thugs and thieves came over
1 from St. Joseph. The train that came
was in charge of Mayor Borden and
with him was Chief Kane, of the fire
department, Chief of Detectives Kelly
and several policemen They knew ev-
cry man they brought and they brought
1 only responsible and competent men
and no thieves nor thugs.
! There may be few cases of isolated
thieving but they are few. People have
come across with wild stories of seeing
people break into stores and houses.
Refugees have been forced to break in
to stores to secure food and have enter
ed houses to get clothing and blankets
for the needy, but that is not wholesale
thieving.
Last night men who manned the relic
boats were in great danger of being sho'
by the irresponsible deputies who were
sworn in by the scores and sent across
without definite orders. For the present th'
situation on the north side would be bet
ter if every deputy was recalled Sons
men. such as Q. NJ CaDron. and thost
under him, did good work and understood
what they were there for. but Capron il
an ex-policeman and he had men with hin
with Judgment.