The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-09
HIT AND ROBBED.
w. +. Kunz Victim Of a Brutal
Assault.
His Skull Is Crushed by q
Blow.
EFT IN A BARN.
Found This Morning by a Stable
Man.
Taken to Hospital for an
Operation.
SUSPECT is ARRESTED.
Blood Found in SplOtches Upon
His Clothing.
There Is Little Chance for Vic
tim's Recovery
Ound This Morning by a Stable
Man.
Taken to Hospital for an
Operation.
SUSPECT is ARRESTED.
Blood Found in SplOtches Upon
His Clothing.
There Is Little Chance for Vic
tim's Recovery

A fendish and brutal hoIdup attack.
with features unheard of in Topeka's
police court annals, was made on W.
F. Kunz, a North Topeka druggist, in
the alley at the rear of Jonathan
Thomas lumber yard at Sixth and
Van Buren, streets, on Sunday night.
as he was on his way to his home.
He is at Christ hospital today, suffer
ing from a fracture of the skull. two
severe scalp injuries, and three ugly
contusions on his face. His recovery
is questionable.
Forty dollars, which it was known
he had when he left his store, and his
watch were gone when he was found.
Robbery was therefore, without oues-
ton, the motive.
The holdup took place probably
about midnight. Kunz runs a drug
store at 612 North Kansas avenue.
About half past II he was accustomed
to close and take the last car home.
He lives at $40 Van Buren street .ad-
joining the Thomas lumber yard. He
usually got off the car at Sixth and
Kansas avenue and walked west on
Sixth street
After being attacked he was
dragged into the horse stable in the
lumber yard, butchered up merc:Iesslv.
and thrown on a bench in a little feed
room. His assailants evidently
thought that he was dead or would
succumb to his fearful wounds before
morning.
It was a little before Z o'clock this
Cooper, a driver for Jonathan Thomas.
as he went into the stable to feed the
horseS. In some way Kunz had crawl
ed off the benches in the little feed
room and succeeded in getting into the
aisle between two stalls.
cooper went into the barn and STUN
bled across the injured man. He got q
lantern and with Harry Jones, another
driven, made an investigation. 1--WE
found Kunz lying on the floor, his face
all covered with blood" said Cooper
Jones and didn't make any investi-
cation at all, but at once called the
police and they came and got him"
Dan Bear, the yardman at Thomas,
tried to talk to Kunz, but got no salts
factory answer. The injured man was
barn., said Bear. right after Cooper
and Jones had gone after the police. L
thought that no one had come yet and
started to do the feeding myself. I
stumbled over some one in the aisle
Thinking it was some drunk man, / lit
match and held it over his face. and
called him to get up. He said: is that
you mammal? And then he said: I
thought it was a cat that jumped over
me- I noticed then that his face was
all covered with blood. I started out af-
the door.
Kunz lay in the cold barn for fully
seven hours after the brutal attack He
was removed to the hospital ward ~
the police station right after he was
found and DR.. G. H. Van Horn called.
The latter made an examination and
upon finding the fracture of the skull
right behind the right ear, he ordered
his removal to Christ hospital DR.. s.
G. Stewart, Mr.. Kunz's family physi-
clan was also called. He said that
fes
Il cannot tell of course" said DR.. Stew
art, ''until we make a further exami-
nation I won't by any means say now
that it is fatal" DR.. Van Horn thought
that Kunz stood a good chance Of re-
covery. But that, you know, is pre-
mature" he concluded. 1.-The exposure
to the cold was bad for him.
The injuries consist of the fracture Z
behind the ear, a deep cut into the base 4
of the skull, two bad contusions on the I
forehead, and a cut on the left cheek 4
The left eye is also injured and is 1
swollen shut.
The police simply theorize concerning
the matter. No blood marks at all can
be seen in the alley or in the aisles OF
the barn, save where Kunz was found.
Chief Stahl believes that he was sand
bagged outside, without drawing blood.
and then dragged into the barn, and
beaten up until his assailants thought
him dead.
A big squad of policemen searched
the barn and alley thoroughly this
morning Tor the weapons Win Wnlcn
the attack was made. Nothing was
found.
The little feed room is literally
smeared with blood. The tops of two
benches are dyed a deep red. and
crusted over with frozen blood. Hand
marks deck the walls at numerous
places. Blood marks are on the door
of the room, and on the two wallis Of
the stall adjoining the aisle.
There is not a sign of a struggle any
where. The alley gate to the lumber
yard was broken OPEN This indicates
plainly that Kunz was brought into
the barn from Van Buren street and
not from Sixth street.
The police are looking for man who
formerly worked in the Thomas lum-
Der yard. They would not give out his
name. He was seen about the place
this morning after Kunz had been
found He was acting very nervous
and was apparently frightened Chief
Stahl said that he planned to find him
and put him through a sweating pro-
cess
Van BlIren street She said: Il fire.
ouentIy warned my husband not. to pass
that alley but to come up the street He
never comes home until midnight, after
ne closes his store He usually has quite
a bit of money, although he does not car
rr~-,,es.-,-o,z - r1-s-- ST.