The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-01
THIS AQUEER BURGLAR.
He Broke Into the Topeka Orphans
Home.

An attempted robbery with a true
melodramatic fight after protection are
the incidents of an exciting episode
which took place a few nights ago at
the Orphans Home at the corner Of
Third and Fillmore streets. The partic-
ulars of the affair have just become
known.
A robbery of an orphans home looks
like a ridiculous piece of head work
on the robber but it is possible that tie
person who gained an entrance was
seeking to recover a child in a stealthy
manner where an above board method
would have defeated his object. But
that is a minor circumstance. The fea-
ture was the use of bed sheets tied to-
gether into a rope by which a nurse
girl was let down out of second story
window at midnight to summon assist
ance.
At IL o'clock Saturday evening the
matron of the home, Miss Kennedy, had
occasion to go into the front hall way
She had left the gas jot burning brightly
before but as she opened the door lead
ing into the hall she discovered the
room in deep darkness. Thinking that
the light had been blown out she at
tempted to light it without turning the
stop cock. only to fail. She perceived
that the light had been turned out and
Immediately her suspicious were
aroused. Summoning Miss Ellis, one Of
the nurse girls, the two women started
on an investigation of the rooms on
the lower floor. Everything seemed to
be quiet. The investigation was trans
ferred to the upstairs rooms and the
search continued. Again nothing was
discovered arnisS. Then the women de-
cided to make a more thorough search
of the rooms on the first floor and start
ed for the stair case.
For the second time the hallway
was in darkness and the gas jet, which
had been left flaming brightly, was
out. The women were thoroughly
frightened now and after debating a
moment decided upon the method SO
much in vogue in thrilling fiction. Bed
] sheets! Happy thought, and forthwith
the sheets were hauled off from the
beds and tied together. Soon q rope
was formed and then came the vexing
question as to who would make the
descent from the second story window
on the perilous journey. It fell to the
lot of Miss Ellis. With a firm grasp,
Miss Kennedy held to the irnprovised
/ rope as her assistant slid by jerks
down to the ground below on her err
rand to sound the alarm. She reached
the ground with safety and went to
the nearest neighbor. After some eff
fort the man was aroused and brought
to the scene of the excitement. A
careful search was made of the first
| floor and the premises around the
house. But the robber had made his
escape and only a broken window in
the cellar gave evidence of his visit.
Nothing else was missed or disturbed.
| The only suspicious character seen
around that evening was man who
was noticed by one of the girls stop
ping temporarily at the home. The
man was seen standing near the front
gate leading to the grounds.
| He appeared to be well dressed and
represented anything but the charac-
1 teristics of a house breaker.
The experience has unnerved the
women and as one of the ladies said,
1--WE have scarcely slept wink SINCE
The house occupied by the Orphans
Home is the one in which A. T. Rod
gers was killed by a burglar is years
ago, the murderer being afterwards
hanged by a mob at Sixth and Kansas
avenues.