The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-07
SHOOTS A NEGRO.
Officer Bryant Seriously Wounds
Prisoner Who Tried to Escape.

hcer, who has the night beat on the
east side of Kansas avenue, shot and
badly wounded zip Walker, a negro
last night at o'clock at the corner
of Tenth and Kansas avenue. Walker
was under arrest and was trying to
make his escape. He got away from
Bryant and refused to stop when the
officer called upon him to halt.
got away. Later a call was sent in
for DR.. Keith from 1921 Harrison
street. The doctor found Walker
there suffering from bad wound in
the hip where Bryant's bullet had
taken effect The injured man de-
clared that he had crawied all the
way from the place where he was
shot to the Harrison street house.
Walker lives at zoos Harrison street.
In an interview today Officer
Bryant gave the following account of
the shooting:
while 1 was walking my beat on
Kansas avenue last night about 9
O'Clock noticed disturbance at
Chas. KohIs place at Tenth and Kan
sas avenue. walked up there and
ing pretty loud. The cause of the
disturbance, was told, was zip
Walker, a brother of Ransom, who
had been threatening Mr.. Dykes, a
colored painter, who lives in South
Topeka. Zip had butted into a con-
some other parties. I took hold of
Ransom and shook him and told him
to go home. He started, and just at
that minute Zip came up. Zip
cursed me and they disappeared in an
alley. Dykes came to me and said
he was afraid to go home. He said
Zip had threatened to kill him, and
as they both lived in South Topeka,
he would have a good chance to carry
out his threat. told Dykes to go to
the police station and get a warrant
for Walker, and walked part Of the
way down there with him. The fell
low appeared to be scared to death.
I turned back on my beat to try to
find Walker. I met him on the ave-
nue. between Ninth and Tenth street
and arrested him. I took him to
Lees drug store and told a boy there
to call up the police station for the
patrol wagon. The boy seemed to be
afraid to do so. Finally he went back
to the phone, but was so long about it
that looked back there to see what
he was doing. At that instant Walker
made break to get away. I grabbed
him around the neck but he wriggled
loose and ran out of the store. 1 ran
to the door and saw him running
across the street southeast. I called
on him to stop, and as he paid no at
tention pulled out my gun and took
one shot at him. He disappeared in
the darkness. At this minute a street
car and automobile collided on the
avenue and I went to see what that
trouble was. A big crowd had coll
lected Immediately after the shooting
and another around the street car
| and auto. I did not know whether or
not had hit Walker until this morn
| ing. I went and looked where he had
| disappeared but saw no trace of
| him.
Officer Bryant has been on the po-
4 nr,a tie
gives him a splendid recommendation
as a good officer. and says he has
been of great help in dealing with the
| tough negroes of the city. Bryant is
| fearless. He was a barber before he
went on the force and bore a good
| reputation. He ought to be more
| careful in the use Of his gun, how
| ever.
| The corner Of Tenth and Kansas
! avenue is regarded as a tough place
| at night, as bad characters gather
there. Bryant has been in the habit
| and keeping close watch on this cor
ner. Walker does not pear a good
| reputation. He has been arrested be-
| fore. A year ago when Bryant had
his beat in the bottoms he had trouble
| with this same Walker and the latter
cursed him and threatened to shoot
him. A street car came between the
| men at that time and Walker got
away. Bryant reported the circum-
stance to Chief Eaton at the time
Witnesses say that when Bryant
| first appeared upon the scene of last
nights trouble and Walker first came
up he cursed the officer, and placing
i his hand at his hip, ran down the
street. Bryant started to draw his
i gun then, but the crowd on the
i street was such that he did not at
| tempt to shoot at Walker and the lat.
ter got away. The witnesses, Dykes
especially, appeared terribly afrai6
of Walker and did not give the Officer
much information about the trouble.
i The officers should be slow to use
their revolvers The man was mo-
charged with committing felony in
this case and there is great danger OF
killing or woundfng innocent people
EUCHRE PLAYERS ARE FINED.