The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-05
George Britenhouse Decoyed
Nora Petit from Home.
FOUND IN A DUGOUT,
Father of Girl and Neighbors
Land Man in Jail.
Talk Of Lynching Is Now
Subsiding.

George Britenhouse was captured at
O'Clock this morning by a posse of five
determined and heavily armed farmers
OF Soldier township, who had been called
from their beds to apprehend the man
Who had assaulted 15-year-old Nora
Petit. The culprit is now in the coun-
" JAIL The farming community be-
tween North Topeka and Granville is
all excitement over the crime
AT L O'Clock this morning a man hat
less and breathless ran to the home of
}. w. Petit. He pounded on the door
and aroused the family Petit knew
him to be George GREENHOUSE, who had
been employed as a farm hand by Clay
ton Hummer, a neighboring farmer Z
GREENHOUSE told Petit that Mrs.
Hummer was very sick and was cramp-
ing and that he had been sent to sum
mon one of Petitt's daughters to go over
and care for Mrs. Hummer. Briten-
mouse said that he left in such a hurry
that he did not have time to stop to get
his hat.
Petit, not suspecting ANYTHING
wrong, sent Nora, Petit, his 15-year-old
daughter with Britenhouse to go to the
Hummer home. The other Petit girl
is sick with measles.
When GREENHOUSE and the girl had
gotten half mile away from the Petit
home Britenhouse covered the girls
mouth with his hand, dragged her onto
the right of way of the Union Pacific
railroad and assaulted her. The mis-
creant then left the girl lying on the
ground and fled.
Nora Petit, though in a serious con-
dition, made her way to the Hummer
home. She told Clayton Hummer of
the assault. Mrs. Hummer was not i'll.
Mr.. Hummer secured his shotgun and
went to the Petit home. There he told
the parents of the girl of the crime.
Petit and Hummer at once organized
q posse composed of themselves and
William Tickner, Claud Stewart and
William Turner. All were armed. A
messenger was sent to town to notify
the sheriff.
The farmers knew that GREENHOUSE
had been living for some time with a
man known as Fisherman Bill" in his
hut near the river They went at once
to the hut. The fisherman came to the
door. He denied that GREENHOUSE was
there. The posse was about to search
the hut when the fisherman said he
would give GREENHOUSE up to the posse
if the promise would be made
that he would not be harmed but
would be delivered to the authorities.
The promise was given and Briten-
house walked out of the dugout.
Petit and Tickner took Britenhouse
and started for town in a buggy. The
men were armed with a shot gun and 2
rifle and they informed GREENHOUSE that
any attempt to escape would mean death.
When within two miles of town they met
Under Sheriff Belts driving toward the
scene of the crime.
Belts at once took charge of Briten-
After he was locked up GREENHOUSE re-
marked: This is what cocaine brings
man to. don't remember anything that
happened He said nothing more. The
officers take no stock in the cocaine
story, as Britenhouse planned his crime
carefully, even to leaving his hat in the
dugout when he left. He had not been
working for Hummer for some time. Bri-
or four days previous to the crime. His
mother lives in Topeka. This morning
County Attorney Hungate saw the victim
and her parents and secured their version
of the crime
The farmers in the vicinity of the Pet
crime and while there was a great deal
talk of lynching, it is believed there will
be no further trouble.