The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-13
CALLS ON MILITIA
Escort Furnished at Request of
the Sheriff.
Greensburg Official Fears At.
tempt to Lynch Bitler.
FEELING is BITTER.
Accused of AtrOciOus Murder of
Aged Woman.
Detail From Co. E. Accompany
Prisoner From Hutchinson.

For the second time since the Dewey
Berry feud in Cheyenne county. the
governor has been obliged to call out
the militia to aid in the enforcement
of law.
On application of Sheriff c. A.
stephenson of Kiowa county, Cover
nor Hoch has ordered out a detach-
ment of national guard troops under
personal charge of Col. P. NJ. Hoising-
ton of Newton to assist Sheriff
stephenson in protecting Samuel
Bitler from mob violence.
Bitter is to betried today at Green's
purg, the county seat of Kiowa county,
The feeling against him has been and
is very strong, and he has been un-
der confinement at Hutchinson.
Governor Hoch has been notified by
Sheriff Stephenson that it might be
necessary to have an escort of sol
diers bring Bitter to Greensburg but
not until late Monday night was any
call received from Mr.. Stephenson.
Governor Hoch telephoned Col. P. M.
Holsington at Newton to go to
tional guardsmen from the company
at that place, and take Bitter to
Greensburg and stay with him as long
as he seemed to be in any danger
from mob. The depatchment left
Hutchinson at o'clock this morning,
arriving at Greensburg at 9:45.
A wire received from Col. Hoising-
ton this morning, dated Hutchinson,
stated that he had, by working all
night. collected a detail of 80 members
of Company E. Second infantry, at
Hutchinson. together with Adjutant
Asad V. Williamson, Capt. F. L. Lem
mon and First Lieutenant w. r. Flee
man, and with these men would pro-
ceed at once with the prisoner 20
Greensburg.
Adiutonf canar,1 T NY Z, rJ,,o.z-
has been in frequent conferences with
Governor Hoch this morning about the
situation, but nothing of a sensational
nature has developed, because no news
of importance had come from the seat
of war.
IT talked with Sheriff Duckworth OF
Reno county over the distance
telephone" said General Hughes, land
was informed by him that he thought
the conditions warranted sending
prisoner Apparently Sheriff Stephen
son was unable to trust his own people
in Kiowa county county to act as dep
uties. He was afraid they would not
protect the prisoner. Sheriff Duckworth
will go with the prisoner and the mill
tia to Greensburg, understand"
Governor Hoch said: "I don't like to
call out the military forces of the state
without there is absolute need for so
doing, but am determined to prevent
any lynching, so long as I am in this
office told Sheriff Stephenson on Oct.
5. when he wrote to me about the pos
sibility of his needing some help, that
he should have all he wanted, provided
he was certain that he could not ham
die the situation alone"
This is the third time that Governor
Hoch has been obliged to call out the
militia during his term of office. The
first time was during the Dewey feud,
and the second time occurred in May,
1905, when Sheriff Welfelt of Cowley
county thought he scented a mob end
demanded help in protecting a prisoner.
The probability is that Welfelt did not
need any help and was merely scared,
but there is also the possibility that
1t was the presence of the troops that
averted trouble.
The crime charged to Bitter is the
murder of Mrs. Rosenberger, an elder
ly woman, wife of farmer and moth
er of family. She had gone to town,
but failed to return when darkness
came on. A search resulted in finding
her body in a pasture not far from her
home, near the road, with three bullet
wounds in 1t. The theory is that Bit
Ter was riding with the woman In the
buggy, leading his own horse. The
course of the rig was traced by Pc
culiar hoof mark of Bitler's horse. The
hoof had been broken and the break
appeared in the print left in the road
Circumstantial evidence pointed to the
killing of Mrs. Rosenberger by Bftler
shortly before she would have reached
home. A motive for the crime seemed
to be lacking.
While Bitter was confined in the Reno
county Jail, he was married to a wo-
man with whom he is alleged to have
been living with for three years. His
parents live at Eureka. Kan, his faith
er being a banker there.