The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-22
LEFT IN THELURCH
Wilbur Carson Disappears LeaY-
ing Many Debts.
Also Deserted Wife and Family
of Nine Children.
A BANKS HEAVY LOSS.
Bank of Topeka Holds His Note
for So 900.
Was Railroad Contractor Who
Cut Down Calhoun Bluffs.
A BANKS HEAVY Loss.

Wilbur Carson. a Topeka railroad
contractor, is gone. deserving his family
and a number Of Topeka people are
holding the bag for sums ranging up to
$1,000.
Carson lived at los Winter street.
Auburndale and is supposed to have
eloped with another woman, leaving his
wife with nine children semidependent
upon her. The Oldest child. a son, is
nineteen and the youngest is but . years
old.
The last time Carson was with his
family was ON the 9th of December and
the last time that his wife heard from
him was month later .the letter bear
ing an Oklahoma City postmark. At
the same time Carson left his wife he
left about $500 in debts, most of these
were in notes. The Bank of Topeka
got caught for $1,000 the Shawnee state
bank for about 800 and Frank S.
Thomas for $150. there were number Of
smaller debts Incurred and the persons
left i'm the lurch.
The family live in good sized, neat
looking frame house which was pur-
chased shortly after the CarsOns came
to Topeka. two years ago Tie property
is mOrtgaged, however.
Some of the property he took away
was bought on sale notes and Carson
charge of taking mortgaged property
out of the state.
II understand that my husband has
gone away with another woman. said
Mrs. Carson. That is / am told that
such is the case Parties have told me
this though I don't know for my own
self. ] don't even know who the woman
is. I have been told that he kept Wo-
man with him here while he was con-
tracing on the Union Pacific. He was
always the best of husbands We never
had a word between us and we got along
nicely ] don't know what could have
induced him to leave me this way except
that he must have gone away with this
woman that they talk about. 1t is
mighty hard on US He left little
money for US right before Christmas for
spending for Christmas but I have not
had any money since from him lie
always was a good prOvider and took
very good care of the family and we
never had to suffer for anything. he
left a good many acbts here and / have
thought sometimes that he took TINS
money that he got from signing these
notes along with him. / don't know he
may have spent all the money that ne
got from the Bank Of Topeka ana then
again he may have taken Ii with MN
when he left.
Mrs Carson is a woman 5sath 6 calm
and dispassiOnate teEnperarllelffs ne ap-
Darently accepts her desertion with
spirit Of resignation. Il hope that he
may be found. I don't care now very
much how much notOriety he gets after
treating me the way that he did, said
Carson was formerly in the livery
stable business at Smith Center, Kas-
Following that the family moved to
Ottawa where they were short time,
and where Carson commenced to en-
bark i'm the business of railroad con-
tracing. About two years ago he
came with his family to Topeka and
secured a sub-contract for grading the
--1-1
which were badly damaged by the
flood. He worked at various points
on the Rock Island following this, and
also completed several contracts for
the Santa Fe- Later on. when the
double tracking of the Union Pacific
commenced, Carson had the task Of
making the big cut at Calhoun bluffs.
he employed from ten to fifteen men
regularly and had about ten teams on
6CTaDerS and WheeIerS. He branched
out further and purchased some new
tents for his grading camp at an ex-
Dense of several hundred dollars.
After finishing uD for the Union Pa
clfc he was employed r ar Halstead.
Kansas, on the Santa Fe and after fin
ishing there talked OF shipping his out
fit to Ration, New Mexico. His sons
helped load the grading outfit on the
cars and then returned to Topeka for
a short while. On his way presumably
to New Mexico. Carson wrote from Ok
lahoma City and instructed his wife to
mail her next letters to him at Little
Rock. Arkansas Mrs. Carson wrote
three letters to Little Rock but received
no answer. She taen sent a registered
letter but it was returned to her un-
called Cor.
The three Oldest sons are now provid-
ing for the family. they are employed
by j. w. Maxwell a a stone quarry
east of the city.
It's a hard struggle though with
nine mouths to feed and the two little
fellows who were hanging to their
mothers skirts this morning had a lOn~,
time ago worn their shoes to shreds.
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