The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-09
IN A PISTOL DUEL.
Patr0lman Bundy Engages in
Battle With Burglar.
Shots Exchanged in Alley Near
Seventh Street.
THE MAN GOT AWAY.
Believed He Carries a Bullet in
His Leg.
Was Trying to Break Into Store
When Detected.

When Detected.
A running fight with pistols took
place in the business center of town
| about o'clock this morning between
policemen and burglar who had
been scared away from the rear en-
| trance of the French harness store at
718 Kansas avenue. Although the
man finally escaped it is believed that
he cafries a pistol bullet in his leg
which may finally cause his detection
The shot which is believed to have
struck the fighting burglar was fired
by Patrolman Mitchell Bundy at
whom the burglar had discharged a
revolver. c. C. Smith, a merchants
policeman, was the man who fright
ened the "yeggman'' away from his
work and he, also, fired a shot after
the fugitive who finally lodged the
| policemen in an alley and got away.
On rumor that man whose trou-
sers bore stains of blood had been seen
! making his way out of the city on
East Eighth avenue, near the city
limits early this morning, several Of
ffcers have been searching in that di-
rection since daylight, but no definite
trace of the man had been reported
until this noon.
1t was just at clock this morning
that Merchants Policeman Smith dis
covered the burglar at the back door
| of the harness shop. He was busily
trying to pry open the double doors
with a short Jimmy and the sound
| of the rending wood first attracted the
watchman's attention. There is
screen door outside the double door.
Thls had been opened by the tearing
away of a corner of the screen suf-
| f1ciently to admit the hand to remove
the peg that fastened a hasp. With
the screen door swung back the house
| breaker had commenced work on the
main doors.
Door Well Barred.
A strong hasp with paddock which
held the two doors fast had resisted
the prying bar in the burglars hands
after the weaker fastenings had given
away. The lock of the door had brok-
en- loose and the force of the Jimmy
| had bent the hasp before the burglar
was frightened off. A few minutes
more would probably have been suf-
ficfent to get the door open.
At the approach of the policeman,
| the burglar ran, carrying his tools
with him and going directly down the
alley toward Sixth street Smith
whistled, his call being answered by
Patrolman Bundy, who was near Sixth
and Kansas avenue. Bundy entered
the alley from Sixth street and en-
countered the burglar near the CEN
ter of the block where the alley has
| a sharp jog between high buildings.
| Finding himself blocked in front the
burglar fired at Bundy and retreated,
| going back toward the alley opening
| at Seventh street
He dashed past Smith, who had been
unable to see his movements in the
absolutely dark alley, and kept on his
| flight east on Seventh street unheed-
| full of shot which the merchants
policeman fired after him. 1t is be-
| lieved that he turned into the alley
behind the city building, but he dis
| appeared completely for the time
Other responses beside that of Bun
| dy had been made by this time and
within ten minutes after the skirmish
a POSSE headed by Sergeant Frank
| Summers who hastened from head
quarters was searching the streets
and alleys in the direction toward
| which the fugitive had turned. Pa
trolmen Lawson, Pinkston, England
Nash, Palmer and Mead spent the bal
ance of the' night in a fruitless en-
| deavor to locate the man but outside
the assertion of a woman who had
been aroused by the shots, that she
thought she had seen the man emerge
from the alley between Quincy and
| Monroe streets at Eighth, there were
no traces of him.
Patrolman Bundy was certain OF
having struck his man, for the two
shots exchanged in the alley had been
at close range, and the burglar had
fired. But he had not been sufficient
" crippled to prevent good use OF
his legs so that at noon today there
were diminishing hopes of finding
him.
People living in the locality where
the battle with the burglar occurred
were aroused by the firing and many
excited persons this morning were
exchanging their versions of what ha6
happened. According to the reports
made by Sergeant Summers not mere
than the three shots were fired. bu
they echoed among the tall building:
along the alley in a most alarming
way.
Description Is Meager.
The description given by the officer:
is of a large white man wearing a ligh
hat, dark coat and light trousers. Hi.
features were not described by hi.
| pursuers, who caught sight of hin
only as he ran through the diml,
!; lighted cross streets.
| Chief of Police Jenkins is, he says
, hopeful of making the arrest of tn,
, burglar who is, he believes, a loca
; product The probability is believed
to be strong that the wound in th
leg will serve to aid in his final de
lection.
t Her Dream Came True.
} Kansas City, July 9.-After NOR,