The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-19
Said He Had Nothing to Eat for
Three Days.
HE HAS A RECORD.
Arrested at Eureka for Similar
Offense.
Was Let Off and Sent to the
Asylum.

G. A. Peterson, who was captured
by Detective Hutton at the state
asylum farm on charge of passing
about $25 worth of vnecks against a
Sc account in the Prudential bank
told pitiful story in prison this morn
ing He declared that he had been
here in Topeka since the first of the
year working at odd jobs over the
city and when he withdrew his ac-
| count at the Prudential he was ac-
tually starving to death. He said he
had had nothing to eat for three days
and no place to sleep at night. 81
wrote those checks and dated them
ahead" he said, hoping and expect
ing to earn the money to deposit
against them in time, but 1 failed to do
So L was hungry and desperate and
| wrote the checks. I did not mean
any harm and they surely cannot do
| any thing with me if 1 work and make
the checks all good. 1 have a job at
the asylum farm and if they will let
me work there a month 1 can pay
| them off,"
Peterson is a young man. well
| appearance, except that he has a wild
| look out of his eye. He talks like a
| man of education. Detective Hutton
| asked the man about his past record,
and If it was not a fact that he had
worked the same check game at
worked here, and if it was not true
that he had escaped prosecution by
pleading insanity. 81 do not remem-
Der the details Of that matter
answered the prisoner in a low tone.
Il was confined at Osawatomie for
nine months, but I do not know for
what cause. 1t seems to me they
caught me at Wichita
Peterson wrote a dozen checks
against his $6 account and borrowed
field avenue, which he forgot to re-
turn to the owner. Peterson de-
clares that he left the wheel at the
Union Cycle Co., for repairs and that
he did not write check for So for
the payment of the repairs on the
from the accommodating bicycle peo-
pie. as was reported to the police.
And he declares further that he
notified Nelson by letter where he had
left the latter's wheel. Nelson has
the wheel listed with the police as
missing or stolen property.
"Brevity is the soul of wit and te-
diousness its outward limbs and -four
ishes." declares the bard of Avon, and
little old dwarf of negro this
morning in the office of the jail SEEM
playwriter. The negro had been ar
rested on some petty charge or other
and had gained permission to tele-
phone a friend to try and raise the
necessary coin with which to liquid
ate his fine. The negro called for his
friends number and when the latter
answered him the prisoner said: I'm
in Jail" That was all. No preface
No sequel.
But these three words were surely
emphatic enough and conveyed more
real meaning about the situation
the subject than ten thousand words
of description could have done Nah
fren' is on de way" said the little ne
gro, as he shuffled back to his CELL
Solomon in all his glory was never
called upon to decide such a perplex-
ing case of law and equity as was
Chief Eaton this morning in the mat
ter of two negroes who asked him to
arbitrate their differences over a suit
of clothes which had been pawned by
one son of Ham and redeemed by the
other one. 1t was this way: An Ok
lahoma negro came to Topeka and had
so much trouble in keeping the wolf
from the door that he had to pawn a
new suit of clothes as last resort. He
got So. rs for the clothes and on this
capital went to Kansas City to take
/ TTGSn
in the Missouri metropolis proved pro-
fitable and he wrote to a friend here
to get his clothes out of hook, send
ing the pawn ticket in the letter. The
Topeka negro paid 1915 and got the
clothes The Oklahoma negro return
ed to Topeka and demanded his wear
ing apparel. offering to pay SO for the
suit The Topeka negro declined to
part with the clothes at a loss and
proceeded to put them on and wear
them. Storm clouds appeared in the
sky The Oklahoman watched his
chance and stole the coat The for
mer friends met on Kansas avenue
and war was averted only by the in
| terference of Detective Hopkins, who,
when called upon to settle the dispute,
gave it up and took the pair before
| Chief Eaton. The chief hemmed and
hawed 1t was mixed up case. es-
pecially as the Oklahoma negro claim
| ed a rebate on the original 1915, for
the reason that his Topeka friend had
worn the clothes at least 75c worth,
making the SO offer fair one. The
chief finally decided that the Okiaho-
man must paid the original 1915 call
ed for by the pawn ticket which was
redeemed by the Topekan. The lat
ter went away exclaiming: "a Daniel
come to judgment" and the chief is
swelled power his perspicacity.
Sergeant Ross has been painting his
house on Jackson street during his va
cation and Jailer Kinney declares that
the sergeant has spread more paint on
his own clothes than on the surface of
the building.
Wabash Promotions.
St Louis, Aug. 19.-Announcemen
was made today of the promotion of