The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-05
POLICE JOTTiNCS.
An Exciting MelOdrama Is En-
acted Last Night.
No Admission Was Charged by
the Managers.
SHOT REAL BULLETS.
One of the Actors Gets One CT
Them Through Arm.
Young Men Arrested for Steal
ing Safety RazOrS.

About the most thrilling and dan
gerous bit of acting presented in a To-
cal playground was pulled off last night
by the real original blaclface quar-
tette with the whole of the bottoms
for their stage.
The quartette consists of Felix Dot
son, Buss Cross, Steve Proudly, and Ell
mer Jackson. Their scenery was sup
Piled by nature and the homes of their
many friends; with the river for a
background, the streets. houses and
huts for laying of the scenes and the
pale moon furnishing a shadowy light
and there was a remarkably swift
change of scenes. This company with
several hundred adept understudies
have been in the habit of doing stunts
before the police department for a long
time, the number of previous engage
ments too numerous to remember.
Act 1. Felix Dotson induced by bad
whisky and a nasty disposition, clad
lightly and armed to the teeth moves
in zig gag course from the shadow
of Bee Adams house and begins a
fusillade at everything in sight. Buss
Cross, in a far shadow, hears speed
ing bullet and judging it too close. re
monstrates with Dotson. But Dotson
dislikes to be prompted so raps Cross
on the head with his six shooter. Scene
2. A crowd gathers about the couple.
a policeman, Mr.. Wonderly, attracted
by the bombardment is seen to APP
proach from the left, the lights in Bees
house go out, the gathering disbands
abruptly. Dotson rushes speedily to the
river, closely pursued by the officer.
Scurrying along the river bank, Dot
son wheels and fires at the pursuer.
He then disappears behind a row of
huts and is lost.
Act. 2. officer Costello arrives in the
rear of the stage. He and Wonderly
confer, then separate, one down the
alley, and one around First street,
hoping to intercept the runner. Out of
an alley D. appears crossing First
street. officer is seen to round a house
and espies D. Stop. or I'll kill you,
adds life to the jaded black and once
more he is lost.
Act. g. Steve Proudly. brother-in-law
of Cross, has stopped Dotson and is ex-
postulating about DIS conduct with G.
They are seen by officer WOnderly. He
approaches, gun and billy in hand, and
places D. under arrest. Steve applies
epithets unseemly to the officer and
whips a knife from his pocket backing
away. Drop that knife" commands
the officer, but Steve keeps backing and
cursing. The officer promptly swats
him on the head with the billy and
Steve falls. Arising, he shows the
meanest disposition the police have seen
these several months and no wonder.
Act 4. The officers are dragging their
prisoners to Jail Passing along Sec
ond street, cries are heard to emanate
from a lighted house. Listening at the
door man is heard commanding
woman to get out and rustic or he
would beat her. Taking their capitives
by the arm the little squad entered and
there find Elmer Jackson, who ran
away from the prison, when made
trusty some time ago. He is bending
threatingly over weeping woman. He
is considered a lucky catch, and added
to the line.
Act 8. On account of the time grow
ing too late for procedure, the finale
will be held at today's matinee.
Somewhere in the scuff1e Steve got a
bullet through the arm but no one else
was injured. This quartette is the
most dangerous in town, having re-
peatedIy warned the officers that they
better leave the city. Last night Steve
Proudly admonished officer WOnderly
that he had better save his life by get
ting out of town. That is the sort the
police have to contend with in the bot
toms'' When told to stop they run,
even from under gun Some of them
may have to be shot to set an exam
pie. AS demonstrated last night, every
body in the district help back the pO-
lice A runaway fees into, and through
any house he chooses and pursuit is
limited amount of nerve on the part
of a policeman to go searching through
this district alone when any one he
meets is after him and ready to knife,
shoot. or slug him but that is the way
these fellows are caught. Now that this
quartette are all in, something of note
will probably be handed them.
Three very penitent young men are
to be seen in the Jail today. They We're
arrested last evening for stealing safe |
tv razors from the Arnold drug store |
in North Topeka. The value of the |
goods taken is $45. Hence they are |
likely to be prosecuted for grand lar |
ceny The boys names are M. Holdings !
worth James Evans and Sam Foster |
all coming here from Usage City with
in the last two weeks. They were all |
distributing Bromo Settler circulars |
for Mr.. Downey, who has his headquar- |
tiers at Arnold's. During the afternoon |