Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-12-09
KANSAS CITY POLICE.
IN PITCHED BATTLE
WITH FANATICS
Adam God. Elijah II and Fol-
lowers Use RevolverS
When officers
Appear.
TWO ARE KILLED
THREE BADLY HURT
Fanatic Says He VIII Get Well
and Live to Kill More Policemen
Real Leader of the Band
Escapes After Bloody
Fight.

Kansas City, Dec. 81 am not
going to die. l am going to get well
and live to kill few more police
men" That is the assertion of Louis
Pratt, self styled Adam God"
religious fanatic who is lying in the
general hospital here. He was seri-
ously wounded in a battle between
his followers and the police late yes
terday.
AS a result of the fight, Pratt's 13-
year-old daughter, Lulu, and a po-
iceman, Albert C. Dalbow. are dead,
and two other policemen are in a
critical condition. John Sharp, known
as Elijah Second" and who was the
real head of the little band of relig-
Gus enthusiasts, is still at large. Mrs.
Pratt, with two young daughters,
spent the night in the matron's room
in the police headquarters, but Mrs.
Sharp, who fired the two shots that
struck Policeman Mullane, is confin-
ed to the city Jail.
At the hospital this morning, it
was said that Mullane had small
chance to recover but Sergeant
Clark's condition was slightly i'm
proved. A. J. Seizer, a bystander,
who was hit by a stray shot, Is also
expected to get wen. fa rE s.
Today Mrs. Pratt told of the work
of the band, who came here in a
house boat Mr.. and Mrs. Sharp"
she said, were known to us as Adam
and Eve, and we believed their
teachings" She said they armed
themselves on the advice of Sharp.
The first she heard of yesterdays
struggle she says was when Lulu
and Mary came running down to the
boat and told that shooting was GO
ing on in the street.
when the officers arrived at
the house boat" she said. 81
took my Winchester off the wall
and told Lulu to get a gun and we
- all got into a skiff tied to the house
boat. l sat in the boat with the gun
in my hand. l wasn't going to shoe
unless l had to because / had no
chance to ask Adam and Eve what
to do.
Il am sorry l didn't resist. / am
afraid l will lose my eternal life BE-
cause l think that Adam would have
advised me to shoot. Lulu got into
the back skiff which was covered an
Mary took the oars and we started
across the river. The officers began
- shooting at the boat. We drifted up
to the bank, and when | saw blood
on Lulu's ear / knew that she had
been shot. Then Mary and l got out
and hung on the side of the boat un-
til they captured us"
Mrs. Melissa Sharp also made a
statement. She said that she mar
ried Sharp twenty years ago when
20 she was II. They lived in Arkansas
and Oklahoma. They had no re!ig-
ion until about SIX years ago when
she said her husband had revelations
from God. They began to study the
Bible and later both had revelations.
They then gave away their property
and started to preach. Since then
they have travelled through Oklaho-
ma. Texas, Kansas. Missouri, Illinois
and Minnesota. They then went t.
Canada. About last August they re-
turned from Canada, built the hou e
boat and started to float down the
Missouri, preaching at many places.
They had been prosecuted by officers
who had wanted To take their chill
dren and had gone armed many
months.
Chief Of Police Ahern announced
today that yesterdays bloody affair
marked the end of street meetings in
Kansas City.
The fight started about 4 o'clock
yesterday afternoon when juvenile
Othcer Holt saw sharp preaching on
the corner, surrounded by a woman
and five children. The juvenile Off
Ger did not believe the children
should be in custody OF Sharp and
inquired as TO the identity of them.
The woman told him to mind his
own business and the preacher and
his companions drew revolvers Sharp
struck the officer over the head with
his revolver Holt started t. return
10 the police station and Sharp and
his followers, also started n that di-
rection. Holt warned the sergeant
on duty at headquarters to prepare
for trouble and Officers Dalbow and
Stege We're ordered to go out and
arrest sharp. As they emerged from
the station. the preacher and his
band opened fire. riot call was
turned in and policemen began gath
ering, closing in on the preacher.
When the firing ceased Pratt was
badly wounded. His companions
fled, the woman and some OF the