The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-12
LIKE A HERO.
j. j. Anderson Exonerates Woman
Who Shot Him Five Times

John ]. Anderson, proprietor of
restaurant at lis Kansas avenue, is a
negro, drinking man and a rough
character generally, but he showed to-
day on the witness stand in the city
court in the case of the State VS.. Lena
Small, charged with assault with intent
to kill, that he is a dead game sport"
and loyal clear to the bone.
Anderson is the man that the Small
woman shot five times on the night of
April IL while he lay on his bed in his
restaurant. She was a colored domes-
tic that he had employed to work for
him. They had quarrelled, it was said,
about money he owed her, and he had
threatened her. Anderson was taken
to the hospital with his body full of
lead and 1t was not believed that he
would live "a hours. That was just
month ago. but the man appeared on
the stand today barely able to walk
from weakness, his shoulder and one
arm still out of commission, his face
terribly disfigured from the scars of
his wounds and one hand still useless,
and cleared the woman, who fired the
Shots of all blame in the matter. They
were alone in the room at the time of
the shooting and the evidence pointed
strongly to the fact that Anderson had
been shot while he lay on his bed. Had
he died of his wounds without telling
this story Lena Small would have sure
least and sent to prison. If Anderson
was white man and of gentle birth
his action today would be called chival-
rous and a great fuss be made over
him. Anderson told the following story
on the stand under examination of his
own counsel. Cross examination was
not necessary at all:
Il worked in that restaurant when
first came here four years ago. Then
after year bought out the man that
owned 1t. Mrs. Small was working
there when 1 came here and 1 hired
her to work for me. She had little
money in the business at first, but I
paid that to her. Besides her wages
allowed her half we made from three
furnished rooms. 1 fused at her a
good deal for some time before the
trouble cause she didn't do her work
right. She didn't pear to take no in
terest in the business, and 1 was pay
ing her good 'nough wages for her to,
so L got sore at her pretty often and
talked rough to her. The Sunday of
the shooting 1 got up late. Yes, took
several drinks that day. wasn't
drunk, but I was pretty full. knowed
all that was going on all the time,
clear to the time they took me out to
the hospital that night. In the after
noon 1 grabbed hold of Mrs Small
down in the front room of the restaur-
ant and pushed her against the cigar
case. Yes, l guess 1 cussed her
wanted to scare her into taking an in
terest in her work. That night 1 laid
down on my bed in the kitchen and
Mrs Small came out there to fry a
steak for a customer. She wanted tc
go home, she said, and it made me
mad cause there was a lot of people
in front that wanted something to eat
1 lacked her up pretty rough about
not taking no interest in the business
She went out in front, and 1 got VI
and opened my trunk to see abOut
some money 1 had in there 1 pulled
the trunk up to my bed. I saw my
razors in there and concluded I would
shave myself. 1 got up and put a ket