The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-19
Demolished at Four Points In
Montgomery County.
APPEAL TO GOVERNOR
He Says Militia Won't Be Called
Out.
Attorney Hints That Pipe Line
Company Caused Explosions.

masked men blew up the p1pel1ne o.
the Kansas Natural Gas company
which extends through Montgomery
county and which is to be built tc
Kansas City, about midnight of Satur.
day. Several feet of the line at foul
different points about ten miles north
of this place was destroyed. Dynamite
was used.
The wrecking of the pipeline grows
out of the intense feeling in Mont
gomery county over the construction
of the pipeline and the proposed plaI
to pipe the gas out of the county
| There is no clew to the men who COM
mitted the depredations, however
They were seen by some of the italian
workmen in the employ of the COM
pany, who gave the alarm as soon as
possible.
AS soon as the sheriff at Independ-
ence, the county seat of Montgomery
county, was notified a posse was or
: ganized and a search is going on for
/ the men.
/ The scene of the explosions is be-
tween Liberty and the Verdigris river
The wrecked places in the line are
about quarter of a mile apart, al
road crossings, and at each point
several feet of pipe has been totally
/ destroyed. The first of the explosions
| came about IL o'clock, the others fol-
| lowing at intervals of a half hour. The
| line was broken and torn up, great
holes being made in the ground on the
right of way. Heavy charges of dyna-
mite were apparently used As yet
the loss can only be apprOXimated, but
it will reach several thousand dollars.
According to the story told by the
Italians who witnessed the tearing up
of the line, the men were dressed in
ragged clothing. All wore overcoats
and had masks over tn cir faces. The
b N W
line is torn up fartherest north, dis
mounted, dug a place for the charge
of dynamite, lit the fuse and retired
down the line a quarter of a mile.
They waited until the first explosion
was over and then rode back to view
their work. They We're apparently
satisfied with the manner in which it
was done, for they did the same thing
at the other four points.
The people at Liberty are very reti-
cent and will say absolutely nothing
about the explosions except that they
heard them. An effort was made to
reach the officials of the company in
independence this afternoon but they
could not be found. 1t is said they
will take no action in the matter until
today, when conference between the
stockholders of the company will be
held in independence.
The blowing up of the line has caused
much excitement throughout the county
and more trouble is expected. Those
of the pipeline did not discuss anything
else Sunday and there was much spec
ulation as to what the final outcome
would be.
The explosions were heard for miles
in all directions and by daylight the
roads and fields were filled with men on
horseback to learn the cause. The fore
man and contractors of the company
were on the scene early to prevent any
further trouble.
Residents of Montgomery and neigh
boring counties in Kansas have persist
emily opposed the project to pump gas
out of the state since June s, when the
Kansas Natural Gas and Oil company
applied at the secretary of states office
in Topeka for a license to operate.
Members of the Kansas Gas Protective
association attended the hearing before
the state charter board June IA and
convinced the board that authority
should not be given the company.
Meanwhile the company had collected
titles to Kansas property owned by
members of the company. Originally
the concern was known as the "New
York Gas company" organized by r.
NJ. Snyder and largely owned by r. A.
Long. During Snyder'S management
the company bought many leases in
Montgomery county and before the
transfer was made to the Kansas Nat
ural Gas company, a corporation organ
lied under the laws of Delaware, Sny-
der had bought in some good wells, both
gas and OIL
late lands and the Kansas Gas Pro-
tective association continued to pro-
test against its plans. The company
finally asked Judge F'lannelly of the
district court at OSWegO for an injunc-
ton restraining the county officers of
Montgomery county and everybody else
from interfering with the construction
of a pipeline through that county. A
permanent injunction was issued No
vember 30 and a few days later the
company furnished an indemnity bond
of $25, 900 to reimburse the county for
any damage that might occur through
the obstruction of public highways. The
Injunction restrained the county attor-
ney from prosecuting the case against
the employees of the gas company for
obstructing public highways; restrain
ed the sheriff from making further ar
rests: restrained the county commits
siOnerS from ObStructing the pipeline
construction across the highways and
generally and specifically restrained
everybody in the county from interfer-
ing with the plans of the company.
The pipeline through Labette and
Cherokee counties, which is part of the
line to Joplin. had been practically
completed, but the line was stopped
by the action of county commissioners
in arresting the employees of the com
pany. AS soon as one case was disposed
of they were arrested again, and it was
announced they would be arrested ev-
cry day as long as they were engaged
in the construction of pipelines
Work on the line through Mont
gonery county was rushed rapidly for
its completion would give the company
a straight shoot to Joplin, Mo- Once
would be beyond the jurisdiction of any
but United States courts.
Won't Call Out Militia.
Governor W. ]. Bailey has no inten-