The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-29
Canvas Is Ripped and Torn Be-
yond Repair.
NO CLUE TO yAEDAL.
ssGhOst of Custer Did IT, Says
a Note.
Retaliation for Destruction Of
Brewery Picture.
Special Pains Taken to Destroy
the Protecting Glass.

COASTS sometimes do funny things.
General Clusters done this"
When Janiter johnson went into the
state historical rooms at the state house
on Friday morning to do his busting
and sweeping, he found a lot of broken
glass lying on the marble floor in the
first corridor, just off the east elevator
He looked up on the wall and there
beheld the picture of Carrie Nation, the
Home Defender broken and smashed,
the glass broken clear out of the frame
to the very edges, and the face of the
redoubtable joint-smasher gouged and
punched full of holes. To the edge of
the frame on the lower end was APP
pended the note given above.
Revenge had come. Just about a
year ago, the picture of Clusters Last
Charge" used as an advertisement by
the Anheuser-Busch Brewing company
of st. Louis, was found completely
ruined. just below the place where Mrs.
Nations picture hangs. Blanche Boie5,
noted as a disciple of the joint smash
ing faith admitted that she had dealt
the murderous blow, Il do not think
that the state of Kansas should disgrace
Itself" she declared with great vehem-
ence at the time, "by hanging on its
walls brewery advertisements For that
reason broke it, and l will do it again
II another is hung up. Another pic
ture just like the one destroyed,
was secured from makers of "Budwei-
ser" beer and substituted for the one
which had been ruined. 1t has hung
unmolested for a year. But yesterday
after Mrs. Nations picture was found
irreparably damaged, Clusters Last
Charge" came down too and will be laid
away in the store room to mouldeF with
dust, to serve as a football field for
mice, and to generally be RELOCATED to
the rear.
Secretary George Martin of the his
torical society is out of town on his va
cation, but his assistant, Miss Adams,
declared that she did not have the
slightest inkling as to who it was that
broke the picture Mr.. Johnson, the
janitor, found it on Friday morning as
he came into the Office" she said. THE
glass was scattered all over the floor.
We do not know who did it. Mr.. Mar
tin said some time ago that he intended
to take down the Custer picture when
thought that this would be a good time
TO remove it,
Mrs Nations picture was evidently
broken on Thursday night. Mr.. john
son, the Janitor. said that he left the
building on Thursday evening about
half-past six and at that time it was
still all right. He got to the state house
on Friday morning right after seven
o'clock and found the picture ruined as
he first entered.
done in charcoal. 1t represents Mrs.
Nation as standing erect, with the Bible
in her left hand and her Ratchet in
the right. Photographs of that likeness
are common. The picture was about
three feet in length and two feet in
width. 1t was framed in heavy black
oak and gilt, and was expensive. The
frame was not damaged more than a
few scratches.
The work was evidently done with
Enifa FIR the canvas looks if
1t had been gashed a number of times.
The injuries to her face are fatal, so
far as the life of the picture is concern
ed. The right eye is torn out with a
long piece of her cheek hanging in
shreds. A big hole has been gouged
out of her neck where the jugular vein
runs The forehead is punctured with
holes that look as IL they might have
been done with a steak hammer. The
Vandal evidently took especial pains to
hammered loose to the very edges of
the frame.
The destructive bump back of the
thing must have been in the head of
some friend of Anheuser- Busch. The
coincidence is about as funny and as
vicious as anything which has ever
happened in the state capitol. The
handwriting on the note is masculine
and is evidently disguised from it's
scrawl. The bad spelling and poor
grammar seem to have been studied.
"Goasts sometimes do funny things
General Clusters done this" Whoever
Is guilty of the thing ought to have a
medal for its humor and a term in Jail
as well.
Perhaps this latest vandal felt Sc
cure because he knows that Mrs. Ma
ton is in Oklahoma. This may bring
her back to visit her wrath on Topeka
joints.
No need to fear sudden attacks of chol-