The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-24
Shocking Outrage Committed at
High School Chapel.
Statues Ruined and Wall Smear
ed With Paint.
MILLER is WRATHY
Principal Confident Tt Is Work
of Outsiders.
Room Closed While the Place is
Redecorated.

sembly hall was the scene of one of
the most atrocious acts of vandalism
ever perpetrated, Sunday night, when
some hoodlum with no sense or pro-
priety or decency broke into the as
semby hall, and with a brush and an
elaborate snnearing of red paint, trans
formed the beautiful statues of Venus
and Diana, from works of art to the
most vulgar and suggestive specimens
of being.
1t has been prevailing custom at
the high school for the past 10 years
for every graduating class to leave some
present of some nature for the beato-
fication of the high school. OF late many
of these presents have been LETT to the
manual training building, but for ten
years every present was LETT IN the as
sembly hall With but one exception
these presents were desecrated with
obscene figures. either in pictures or in
words.
A beautiful desk which had been left
on the rostrum of the hall few years
ago, and which was purchased by one
of the graduating classes at an ex-
pense of a hundred dollars was be-
smirched with vile and lewd language.
A large clock which cost one class
$40 was disfigured with vulgar language.
Pictures hanging on the walls, re-
productions of famous paintings OF an
Fcient Greece and Rome, were Literally
2destroyed by the foul epithets which
were painted on their faces.
AS soon this morning as H. L. Miller,
the principal of the high school, was
informed of the hoOdlumism,
he ordered the assembly hall closed
for the day. A number of assistants
were put to work with the custodian
this morning in tearing out the beauti-
full presents, many of which are total
ruins and the room was put out OF
commission for the day. The once
beautiful furnishings of this room were
torn down and when the students enter
this hall for chapel exercises tomorrow
morning they will not see the once
pretty room, but a room with barren
walls and destitute of identifying fix
ture, all because of some work of van
daHsm. |
Mr.. Miller Is Indignant.
Supt. Miller was very indignant |
when seen today by a State Journal |
reporter. THE best that I can say |
for it" said Mr.. Miller. "is that it is |
dirty piece of vandalism and no one |
with the least symptoms of brains |
could perpetrate so foul dissertation |
of property. How any person in a |
civilized community could do a deed |
so vile is beyond understanding. Yes,
we will surely use every means pos
sible to have the offenders brought to |,
justice. Such things give the school |
a wrong impression. I do not think |
that it was the work of any pupil of |
the Topeka high school, for no pupil |
could have such morbid DISPOSE |
tion."
There are practically no clues as
yet. The work was all perpetrated
by one individual. This is evident
from the similarity of the lettering
and a sameness which is observable
in the painting of the statues. But
there were probably others in it. The |
work was all confined to the assembly
hall. There was not a trace of paint |
in any of the other rooms No clue
has been found in the vicinity of the
building. There were probably sew
eral persons implicated, as it is not
likely that one person would attempt |
so much dissertation. There is a !
slight trace of paint leading from the |
assembly hall to the fire escape, and |
he theory is that the marauder |
ither entered or left by this route.
Looking for Evidence.
Judge T: F Carver who is presi-
hunting for evidence as to the guilty |
rarties, and will look after all the |
legal phases of the detection of the |
guilty parties. The police have been |
enlisted, and every clue will be run |
down in an effort to bring the
offenders to justice.
This information will be a sad !
blow to the alumni of the school. |
Every present ruined was left by
some class and these interior decora-
tions and works of art were always
pointed to with pride. The alumni
of the school is not organized. but
if it were it is likely that there
would be an indignation meeting of
some sort or other.
Not the slightest suspicion is at
tached to any member of the high
school. The red color is the color of
one Of the classes but this color was
taken by the marauders as no other
color would accomplish the vile pur-
pose.
The students this morning were a |
grief stricken lot. All were visib1y
disappointed that the room in which
a good deal of the time of their
school life is spent. was so badly
mutilated and .despoiled of its
elegancy. Many expressed them
selves in bitter terms over the work
and none would like better to see
Justice melted out to the guilty, than
the students of the. high school.