The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-25
SHOT At TEACHER
Lester HartzelI, Pupil at College
Hill School, in Jail.
Charged With Trying to Kill
J. 4. Ramsey.
HIT A15 YEAR OLD BOY
John Mcknight Is Painfully
Wounded By Bullet.
Youthful Shooter Will Be Sent
to reform School.
HIT Ais YEAR OLD BOY

John Mcknight the 15-year-old son
of J. ". Mcknight, was shot yesterday
by a companion, Lester Hartzell, when
it Is supposed that he was shooting at
]. A Ramsey, principal of the College
Hill school, with whom he had trou-
bic, both of the boys being pupils.
The College Hill school has been
the scene of some trouble and the
present teacher. J. A. Ramsey. was
hired with the distinct understanding
that he should run the school and pre-
serve order and this he has managed
to do so far, though there have been
several brushes between the teacher
and some of the pupils
School was not in session at the
time the Crawford opera house was
burning and the pupils were seeking
advantageous positions from which to
view the scene. Leslie HartzelI with
ed to the top of the school house
through a scuttles hole and had then
placed the lid on the opening to keep
the remainder of the pupils from gain
ing access to the roof.
Young Mcknight was on the ladder
attempting to force the cover off of the
opening and several of his companions
were directly behind him while the
teacher stood at the foot of the ladder.
Just as the lid was about to be forced
off pistol shot was heard, and John
Mcknight fell into the arms of one
of the boys below him, the bullet hay
ing been fired through the lid from
above, striking the boy in the arm and
making a painful wound.
Believing that the shot had been
fired by Leslie Hartzeu. who has the
reputation of being bad boy and who
had been whipped just before the
noon hour. J. A. Ramsey assembled the
ladder and accused the boy of doing
the sh oofing. At first he denied all
knowledge of the shot but finally said
that he had stepped on a cartridge
which had exploded and that this
might have caused the damage.
He denied any knowledge OF a re-
volver which was not found on him
and told number of other conflicting
stories. finally winding up by denying
anything about the shot at all
The three companions of Hartzell,
Thomas Sanders, Allen Ferguson and
Earle Christian, came into the school
room and told the teacher that the
shot had been fired by Leslie HartZell
and that it was intended for the teach
er and not the boy who was injured.
When confronted by the stories of his
companions Hartzel admitted firing
the shot but said that it was accidental.
He said that as soon as the shot was
fred he had thrown the revolver in the
weeds near the school house and led the
principal to a point where it was found.
| Deputy Sheriff John Ostrand went out
and brought young Hartzen to Topeka
where he was placed in the county jail.
Hartzell is one Of Judge Hayden S
/ pupils as we'll as Mr.. Ramsey's and he
was paroled by the judge. He will be
taken before the juvenile court and will
/ probably be sent TO the reform school
The police claim that Hartzell is a bad
boy and that he has been guilty OF
many petty crimes, mostly stealings
from stores and houses, and has escap-
ed punishment on account of the Ten
iency of the officers Of the juvenile
court.