The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-07
1T DIDN'T OPEN.
Plan to Start County Campaign
Was a Fizzle.
Tom McNeal Failed to Improve
His Opportunity.
GUY TURNED BACK.
Was to Have Shared Oratorical
Honors With State Printer.
Boys Are Charged With Trying
TO Start the Trouble.
GUY TURNED BACK

A. Newman drew first blood last
night in the great political campaign
between himself and Tom DTcNeal, over
which the seething populace is expected
to writhe, wrench. wrestle, wriggle and
tear its hair and its pants. in its effort
to give one or the other the control
of the Shawnee county delegation to
the state convention.
But it was not the aspiring Docs
fault that he got the decision in the
first round over the star fun-maker of
Kansas. The fact of the case is that
the man who wants to be auditor
won't know how the laurels were
heaped upon his brow until after he
has had his breakfast cakes and coffee
today He will not realize how he
garnered in the sheaves in the stiffness
of Saturday night. way down in the
dark jungIes of the Shunganunga,
where Twelfth and Washington streets
meet in head-on collision. in a place
commonly designated Chiles' hall.
In the same breath apologies must
be offered for Tom Nc. His robe too is
spotless of guilt. He can prove the
best kind of an alibi. He was the vic
tim of circumstances venerable
name was taken in vain.
Here is the first clue to this story
Friday afternoon the following hand
bills were distributed in the south east
ern part of the town: Fifth Ward
Republican Meeting! The First Gun
of the Campaign of 1905 will fire at
Chiles' Hall, Saturday Night, Janu-
airy s, under the auspices Of the Young
Mems Republican Club. Speakers:
Hon T. a. McNeal, Hon. James H.
Guy, and others. All are invited to at
tend. Music by Happy Lads Quar-
tette''
Explanatory it might be mentioned
that this Young Mems Republican
club is composed of young negroes liv-
ing in the Fifth ward.
So at the appointed hour last night,
a few Of the rank and vile (perhaps
the city editor won't notice that the
on the typewriter on which this was
hammered out is a " Wended their
way to the rendezvous where the
artillery was to be set into action.
Three young colOred men, none of
whom had yet attained their majority,
about six little pickaninnies who alter
mated between scuf1ing around in the
hall and beating a snare drum down
on the corner to attract the souls
which thrOnged Washington boulevard
and Twelfth avenue, Dick Hayden, the
probate judge, and his man Friday. r.
w. Eaton, juvenile court policeman,
and a reporter constituted the crowd.
Hayden and Eaton slowly evapOrated
One of the young colored men went to
call on his girl, at least so he an
nOunced. One of the others dropped q
dime on the floor and with the remain
ing one INDUCED in a lovely Graeco-
Roman and jiu-jitsu stunt for its pos
session. The infants played soldier
with the drum while they were. not
practicing how to spit from between
their teeth on the stove.
James H. Guy, one of the principal
speakers, came as far as Eleventh
street, heard that it was frosting up
about a block further, and turned
back and went home
Down stairs, where J. c. Chiles
keeps a store, about a half dozen col
Ored men were sitting around. None
of them seemed interested in what
was going on. Chiles was asked for
an answer to the riddle, and he gave
it in this way: Il didn't know nothin'
about this here meetin' until yester-
day night bout 5 O'Clock, when one
these little pink bills was handed me,
tellin' about a meetin'. It pears that
the young boys got it up. They didn't
tell US nOthin about it, I mean us
grown up folks. The committSe, and
I'm one of the committee. didn't have
its meetin' until this afternoon. If I
had known anything about It sooner
I would a told EN- to wait, or either
we'd a helped EN- some. Tt is all a
gettin' up of the boys. The thing
wasn't handled right, and there won't
be any meetin I guess
So Tom McNeal was asked for an
explanation of the affair, and he re-
piled lover the telephone) Last
evening about o'clock a little colored
| boy handed me bill which said I
was to speak at Chiles' hall. I didn't
pay attention to it. There was no
meeting planned so far as I knew, and