The Ward County independent., 1908-12-17
Offcer T9nif ,r,sfxd ,ntC' r,s the inolica 1
station and announced that band
nf ralipd0na fanatira1 armed to the

OMcer Holt rushed into the police
station and announced that band
Of religious fanatics, armed to the
teeth, was at the very threshold Of
the police station, and he warned
the officers to prepare for trouble.
The police sergeant in charge order
ed Patromen Charles Dalbow and
Harry E. tege to go out and arrest
Pratt and his followers:
The religonists were within fifty
yards Of the police station when the
officers stepped into the street. They
gave evidence Of being in q frenzy
OF rage, and with profane abuse they
served notice on all who ctanced to
hear them that they would preach
'tright under the caves Of the police
station and the police cannot pre-
vent us"
| The officers were not expecting
serious trouble and were not pre-
pared for the volley OF bullets which
met them almost immediately after
they appeared on the scene. DalboW
was killed instantly, and bulist
passed through Stege's arm Other
officers, hearing the firing, rushed IN
TO the street, and general DaUtle
ensued. The officers as they step
ped from the building, offered them
selves as targets to their. oppon ents
in the fight. but were unable to
shoot without endangering the lives
Of innocent persons. Lieutenant
Clark. who had come into the street
unanmed, was shot in the eye, anu
Patrolman Mullane was shot IN the
back as he hurried into the ponce
station for reinforcements.
In the meantime riot call hau
! been sounded and policemen were
annearing from all directions Thor
DIV aroused the officers closed IN on
pratt and his followers, firing as
thew went but taking great care not
20 iniure any of the children, and
when the firing ceased "Adam Cod
Law fatally wounded, shot through
| the head and body.
| During the firing there was a greal
scattering OF the spectators anu
when the battle was over the police
and their antagonists had the plocK
entirely to themselves
4 The seriously injured were taken
to hospitals and then the police pe-
gan to clear streets of all street
nreachers, and it is said that the
trouble of last night marks the ena
M religious exhortations on the
streets of Kansas City.
4, l. was later learned that Sharp $
male comparison was Lewis Pratt
father of the five children. He was
nniniured and was taken In charge
bv the police The woman and the
children escaped and fed TO house
boat where they lived in the MS
souri, river. Hastily calling all the
available reserves into action, tne
police, fifty in number followed
When the police arrived the women
had barricaded herself in the house
hnat where she defied the officers
Standing on the porch OF the poat
with a shot gun which Sc procured
from inside, she shouted to the ON
| GERS. 'scome on, you fiends. Inc
boat was but few feet from the
banks Of the river and several OF
the more courageous officers, taking
4 the woman's challenge, dashed TO-
war1 it. Taken aback, the woman
dropped her weapon and seized Two
of the children, she ran to the back
of the boat cut loose a row boat and
began to row into the middle OF the
Missouri river. The officers ordered
her to stop but she only plowed the
oars more vigorously. Without
another warning the police fired at
I them. One of the shots struck the
13-year-old child, tearing away the
flesh of the child's face. The woman
;. then surrendered. At the police
station later she said her name was
Mrs. Pratt and that she was the wife
of the companion of Adam God, =
and the mother Of the wounded child.