The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-17
HIT WITH A BELL.
Race War at the Asylum Breaks
Out Afresh.
Florist Ernest Perky and a
Negro Fight.
BLACK MAN FOUGHT.
Used Hand Bell With Telling
Effect.
DR.. Biddle Says Perky Was Pro-
perly Punished.

On Thursday morning the feud be- /
tween attendants at the state insane
asylum broke out again. and in a new
place Ernest Perky, the florist. had
a fight with a colored man who was
ringing the breakfast bell, in which /
the coIored man hit Perky over the (
head with the bell. and used him up
quite badly.
While this incident has not resulted
in any more expulsions of attendants.
there is a general feeling among the
attendants that more trouble is com
ing.
Mr.. Perky, who was asked to make
a statement concerning the affair, de-
clined to talk.
1t is generally the case that the at
tendants are afraid to tell anything
about any of the affairs which take
place at the asylum, because any infor-
nation which gets out as coming from
any particular individual is pretty Ger
tain to cost that person his job. Con-
sequently Mr.. Perlky's retieence to dis
cuss the matter is natural Mr.. Perky's
only statement was: Il am not
trouble maker. I am willing to let
this matter DROP
From another attendant, who is IA
miliar with the state of affairs, but
who would not allow his name to be
used, it was learned that the fight be-
tween Perky and the negro was due to
/ the fact that Perky thought the negro
was ringing the bell to annoy him. It
was the negrO's custom to ring the
bell violently right in front OF Perkv's
/ door for long time every morning.
4 Perky protested against this, but the
negro continued ringing the bell.
Thursday morning Perky came out
and attempted to stop the perform
/ ance War broke out hmm diately,
4 and Perky came out second best. The
negro went. at once ana reported the
AFFAIR to Superintend dent Biddle and
I Dr. B1ddIe evidently assumed that Mr.
/ Perky got about what was coming to
+ MIN, Tor he has taken no action in the
matter
The affair Of Perky and the negro
mas no particular connection with the
dining room fight which took place
some weeks ago, In which a lot Of the
attendants took out stock It was re-
! ported at that time that race. prejudice
was at the bottom Of that misup, but
TINS IS now denied by some OF the at
tenuanIs. They say that it was due
i wholly to. personal animosity between
+ some Of the attendants. Said one of the
attendants to State Journal reporter:
There are few attendants here. not
i coloFed, but white, who are trouble
makers, and are responsible for all this.
If the institution could get rid Of this
clique, there would not be any trou-
/ bic
Other attendants say that the thing
which is at the bottom of the trouble
is the race question, but that the white
/ attendants have taken sides and are
quarrelling among themselves about it.
/ Strong efforts have been made in the
past by the attendants to have Superin-
tendent BiddIe discharge all the coIored
/ employees, but he says that he will keep
f them as long as they do their work
satisfactorily. The state board of con-
troll sustains DR.. Biddle in this position.
DR.. Biddle this morning made this
statement concerning the Perky affair:
/ ringing
/ bell because he WIS instructed to do
so. That was his duty. Perky did not
like it and attempted to stop him. It
| turned out that the negro was able to
take care of himself in the mixup which
followed The sentiment out here is
that Perky was going too far in trying
to interfere with the negro. and that he
got about what he deserved
This little difficulty has no connec-
ton whatever with that fight which
took place in the dining room some days
ago. That was more of a voman's ngnt-
The race question did not enter into II
at all. There has been no trouble about
the employment of negroes out here
for some time. There was a good deal
Of kicking about It for time. but notn-
ing lately. We have only five or six
negroes employed here now, and they
all work IN the kitchen, and in various
Jobs which they are better qualified to
do than the white people"
The board of control stands behind
DR.. BiddIe in his troubles, and say that
he Is the man to settle the difficulties
They will not listen to any appeals from
his decisions. They say that so long as
DR.. Biddle does good work, he VIII be
retained and that when they ma MS
work unsatisfactory, he VIII go. 4. 3.
Schermerhorn, chairman OF the DoaIa
.sI9r Biddle has not his superior in
the state as disciplinarian. He keeps
! things In his control all the time We
have no fault to find with the way ne
cit "a
The banks of the city won't accept
the $685. 600 worth of new paving ooEes
until the city council has neen aOis 70
settle to the satisfaction Of all con-
cerned that the advertisements OF the
bids for the paving and the paving
petitions are entirely legal
mo; we don't care to truck with the
bonds until it has been settled Wnetnef
the technfcaIities Of the law surround
ing the paving petitions and the letting
of the bids has been complied with,
said William Macferran. cashier OF the
State Savings bank. The banks DOR.
care to touch the bond issue until
these things have been settled It
would be the best thing under the cir
curnstauces to ask for new petitions
fortunate that this thing has been
aired in the manner that it has and
that it couId not be settled quietly
A petition accompanied by number
! Of residents living in South Topeka
was presented to the streets and walks
committee last night asking that the
city purchase lots . to 20 inclusive on
Beacon street for the purpose OF
+: straightenfng the channel OF the Shun-
/ ganunga The purpose is to take a
bend out Of the creek between Van
Buren, and Kansas avenue. The prop
{ erty owners agree to attend to the
building Of dikes and the cutting Of