The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-05
PULLED GUN ON THEM
Negro Stood Off AssaiIants Till
Train Reached Topeka.
Negro Is John E. Lewis, Grand
Chancellor Colored X. P.
Same Train on Which the Ward
Shooting Occurred.

Two Texas cowDunchers tried to
hang a negro named John E. Lewis on
Santa Fe train No. II last night, and
We're only prevented when the negro
! drew a big revolver and kept the
TeSans covered until the train reach
ed Topeka
This is the second hair raising
episode to be pulled off on train No.
II on successive trips. The first was
the shooting of c. f. Ward by a sneak
thief on Monday night
Lewis is a resident of Wichita. and
a very respectable colored man. He
Is grand chancellor of the colored
Knights of Pythias of the state, and it
was his Knights of Pythias badge that
aroused the southern hostility of the
Texans. They didn't like to see a
niger" putting on such airs" and
proceeded to adopt the regulation
Dixie method for teaching the negro
his place.
In company with Henry 1. Monroe,
prominent negro of Topeka who is
also assistant county clerk. Lewis
boarded the train No. II at Lawrence
about midnight last night The two
attempted to enter the smoking car on
the train, Monroe going to the front
end to get on and Lewis to the rear
end. 1t happened that the front door
or the car was unlocked and Monroe
went III ana sat down. Inc rear door,
however, was locked. and Lewis could
not Get in The conductor of the train
told Lewis that about the only place to
get a seat was in the coach Immediate
~ following the smoker which was a
com DlndtlOn coach and smoker. Lewis
Went IN at the smoker end of the car
and found the car slightly crowded.
He however. found a seat when two
men politely removed their feet from
!. 1t and allowed him to sit down.
II happened that Lewis was the only
colored man in the coach, which was
also occupied by two Texas ranchers,
The Texans were returning home from
Kansas City where they had disposed
Of some Of their stock on the markets
at that place. They were evidently
craZed to blOOdthirstiness by an over
Indulgence in the Kansas City varieties
of brewed products and were on the
warpath. One of the two in passing
down the aisle took notice of Lewis
and upon finding him with a K P. pin
in the lapel of his coat commenced
some insulting remarks as to his per-
sOnaHty and his race in general Lewis
allowed the insulting remarks 10 pass
uuheeded and this tended to incite the
Texans to still further deeds. Finding
that they could not invegle Lewis into
quarrel by using indecent and OBJ
scene language and exhaUsting a fluent
vocabulary of profanity, they restorted
to more strenuous methods.
1t happened that while in Kansas
City they had purchased Q good supply
They procured a piece of this and
about half way between Lawrence and
Topeka started to fix Mr.. Lewis.
After forming a moose they threw the
rope around his neck The sudden
demise on the part of Mr.. Lewis was
Onlp prevented by his throwing the
moose from around his neck and the
arrival OF the conductor of the train.
Upon seeing the conductor the cow
boys resumed tn cir seats and as Lewis
kept his peace the conductor had no
reason to believe that any trouble of
any kind was brewing on the car.
After the conductor had again pass
ed to the rear of his train the ranch
men again got busy and upon the
fusal of Lewis to acquiesce in the
opinion that they were gentlemen,
second attempt was made which was
a second time frustrated by Lewis re-
moving the moose from his neck.
BY this time all the other passengers
in the car made their departure save
a young boy and an Old man Who were
asleep third attempt was made by
the ''cow- -punchers and upon this at
tempt Mr.. Lewis. who had hitherto re-
strained his temper. could stand it no
longer and drew from his hip-pocket a
large revolver Lewis covered them
with his revolver and backed to The
end of the car where he held the blood
thirsty westerners at bay until Topeka
s.vvas reached when Mr.. Lewis was ready
10 disembal k
Mr. Lewis was seen by a State
Journal reporter this morning. He talk
ed at length of the incident and upon
being questioned as to his reasons for
not offering resistance sooner SAID:
Being a colored man I was at a dis
advantage and I never like to take re-
course to anything of that kind except
ing as a last resort I hardly realized
the danger I was in and were l to go
through the same experience again I
would probably not stand an attempt n
such A thing again more than once.
As it was I had my mind made up that
IL another attempt was made to place
the moose around my neck there would
have been some shooting"
Mr.. Lewis is very intelligent look
ing colored man He has long curly
black hair with a handsome snustache
and his color reveals a little Caucasian
blood He is in Topeka for the pur-
pose Of taking a Masonic. degree and
Will leave Topeka tonight for Wichita
He is intending to take the same train
No II. on which he had his adventure
last night.