The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-04
BORDER DAYS
Kansans and Miss0urians Clash
i'm Battle Array.
Broken Noses and Crushed
Heads Result of the Fray.
WAS A WHISKY FUSS.
AtchisOn Men Went Over the
Bridge for Their Drinks.
Wanted to Run the Saloons and
Trouble Followed.

Atchfson, Sept. 1.-THE Globe says:
There are more closed eyes and
bruised noses in AtchIson today than
ever before in the history of the old
est inha bitant- 1t took some Atchison
men about fifteen minutes, late yes
terday afternoon, to learn that the
Missourians still control East Atchisou
and that while the Atchison sports are
welcome to patronize the keene sa-
loon. they must not try to run the
town.
Andy Kurtz is the one who suffered
most When they brought Andy back
across the bridge to Atchison he had
nose was crushed so fiat that he had
TO breathe through his mouth and he
looked the part of having been
through bruise factory A bunch of
Atchison young men have been kind
"a loud as a Missourian expressed it,
over in East Atchison. Nothing was
done at the start and they gradually
took more liberty with the Missouri
ans, who swallowed a good deal be-
cause the Atchison money that
streamed across the bridge looked
good to them.
Yesterday the limit was reached.
and the Missourians thought that they
had better settle the yexing question
And they settled it The fight occurred
near the east end of the bridge. Andy
Kurtz got into a dispute with Billy
Purgham. Billy is reputed to have
said, You will try to run this town.
will you?" and he handed Andy a
understanding uppercut There were
about a dozen Atchfson fellows pres
ent, and fully as many Missourians.
free-for-au. The Kansans arrayed
themselves against the Missourians,
and it is said gave an exhibition
worthy of the border. Men bit the dust
every few minutes, to rise and be
knocked down again. Joe Miller at
tempted to interfere and stop the
fight. when some loose, Ianky Mis-
sourian handed him one behind the
ear. Miller was sent flying half across
the railroad tracks and took the
count. Fred Kurtz tried to rescue his
brother from Billy Purgham. but was
handled rather roughly. 1t is said
that when Ed. Bailey hit Fred Kurtz
that it made such a dull, sickening
thud that Fred AIdrfch, at the other
side OF the bridge, heard it, and called
up the East Atchison end to inquire
the trouble. Peterson, a stone mason
from Atchtson, was also mixed in the
melee and got in the way of more
The Atchison forces finally concIud-
ed that safety lay 4 in retreat, and
started for the bridge, fighting every
inch of the way. They were handi-
capped in their flight by the wounded.
as poor Andy had to be led They
were a bloody bunch when they got
to Atchison, and they do say that they
left trail Of blood clear across the
bridge "Atchison never looked so
good to me before one of the town
bruisers was heard to say when he put
his foot on Kansas soil The fighting
spirit was rather infectious, and an
other fight occurred at East Atchison
last night 1t was only minor at
fair compared with the one of yester-
day afternoon. For several days the
Missourians say they had anticipated
that they would have to cleanup some
of the Atchison sports so that East
Atchfson would be fit for them to
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