The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-03
IN A JOINT
Thomas Bair Was Fatally Cnt-
Last Night.
ARRAY Took Place in a North
Topeka Resort.
IN ABDOMEN.
Taken to Christ Hospital Where
Operation Is Performed.
Believed That Bair Will Die
Before Night.

! in North Topeka joint. Smith was
arrested a few minutes later, and land
ed in the city Jail Bair. suffering from
a wound in the abdomen inflicted by
a butcher knife, was taken to Christ
hospital, and his condition this morn
ing was reported as serious. He IS
not expected to live through the day.
The quarrel which LED to the murder
Gus assault began in Greene's joint at
S15 North Kansas az enue during the
afternoon where the men had dis
pute over game of cards Bair claim
ed to have won the money, a dollar bet,
and the stakeholder gave it to him.
smith objected to the arrangement, and
! demanded the return of mis- money BAR
then left the place and went to another
joint. while Smith went to the Buech-
ner butcher shop where he was en-
pIoyed. and armed himself with
curved slzinning knife. This weapon
he wrapped in brown paper and went in
search of his enemy. In the joint at
ia west Norris street he found Bair
drinking with several companions
Walking up to the Tar Smith said:
wen. let's have a drink When the
drinks were served by the bartender,
Smith walked over to Bair and said;
Il said I was going to kill YOU you
-- - and I will. I want my
dollar" Bair replied, Il amt got your
dollar" and walked away from Smith,
who followed him and repeated his
threat. Bair seemed to think this was
Joke, and said "All right, get your
gun and begin killing" At once Smith
made lunge at him with the knife,
and then walked out of the back door,
where he dropped the knife and went
to the butcher shop.
Bair put his hand to his side and
walked out Of the Joint. A short dis
lance away. in front of the Lacey drug
store, he fell to the sidewalk. he was
carried inside the store, and DR.. W r
Bowen called. AS soon as the physician /
arrived. he ordered the wounded man |
taken to Christ hospital, where an OPP
Grafton was performed.
The injury consisted of semicircu-
lar cut in the abdomen, and the sever /
ing of the intestines in two places Inc
pfysicians who performed the opera |
tor. have little hopes for the e5coVery |
o. the patient.
The assault occurred at s o o'clock.
Thirty minutes later officer Wordsfly
landed Smith In the city jail on
charge of assault with intent to kill. I
The policeman found Smith IN the |
butcher shop where he was employed |
Smith does not bear a good reputa- |
ton and is known to he Of a very |
tim of the assault, was employed at |
Agard's planning mill, and was known /
as a peaceable man, and was wei /
liked bv those who knew him. He /
was married and lived with his wife
and two children at 1923 Central +
avenue.
Four witnesses to the murderous as
ault have been found by the police |
They are James jeanette. the barkeep-
er in the joint. Arthur Lawson.
young farmer living west of North To- /
peka and James Ferguson and Henry /
Smith. painters, who were in the joint /
at the time.
According to a statement made BY
jeanette, the barkeeper, Orville Smith /
left the place evidently believing that /
he had killed Bair. jeanette says: +
When Smith went out Of the door and
threw the butcher knife away he said: I
T told him I'd kill him. and I did |
None of US had any idea that he In |
tended to stab Batr when he came in /
The knife was wrapped in brown pa
per. and didn't really see what it was T
until after he had used it..
Makes Dying Statement.
County Attorney Hungate has taken /
an ante-mOrtem statement from
Thomas Bair, who is dying at Christ I
hospital. His statement was in sub
stance the same as that of several wit
nesses who were examined by the po-
lice. Bair stated further that there /
was old grudge between himself and /
over a game of cards in which he beat
Smith for one dollar
Sheriff Lucas and County Attorney {
Hungate are questioning witnesses this
afternoon, and have a list of over a
dozen who Will be subpoenaed in case
Smith is tried for murder.
When arrested by Officer Wonderly,
Smith denied having stabbed Bair. He
made the same denial before several
officers at the police station.
a a
hospital authorities reported that
Thomas Bair was still alive and that
no change in his condition had oc-
CURED since the operation last night.
Place Where Quarrel Occurred Raided
A joint was raided this morning by
the Topeka police department. When
Sergeant Noiles, ably assisted by Off
GERS Summers and c. A. Smith, got
through with the place. which is To-
Gated at SIS North Kansas avenue
the joint rooms contained nothing but
a stove. The stove had fire in it.
and was not hauled away
Besides the keepers of the place. G.
b Fads and Red" Beeler the Off
GERS captured two large wagon loads
of gambling fixtures. bars. chairs. and |
a small stock of beer and whisky The
keepers were locked up for about two
hours while their managers were /
raising q thousand dollar bond
The joint is the one in which the
card game which later resulted in a
stabbing ARRAY, occurred last evening.
and from witnesses examined bv the
police. Chief Goodwin got Information
to the effect that not only a fuIi-hedRed
joint but a gambling layout was IN op-
Grafton at that number. The inforna-
ton was substantiated by the capture
of a crap table, several poker tables +
and set Of chairs. &
The location has been synonymous +
with joints for several years, but the
present gang of keepers have been in
ri hrIf q 4
is the principal beverage dispensed.
Besides a key of the combines favor
lite, a jug of very bad fighting whisky
was captured this morning. The other
North Topeka joint. where the crime
actually occurred, has not been rafded.