The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-12
Surrounded in q House at 3O1
Crane Street Today.
OFFERED NO RESISTANCE
Admitted Shooting to County
Officers After Arrest.
May Have Been Hiding Near
Topeka for 6 Months.

Sampson Porter. the negro wanted
for the murder Of Frank Bayless, whom
he shot on the night Of December of
last year, after a days carousing in re-
sorts in the "Bottoms'' Of Topeka, was
captured in his uncle's house at 301
East Crane street at II o'clock this
morning by a posse Of officers led by
Sheriff L. L. Kiene. While the sheriff
and Deputy ]. J. Holman, who deserves
credit for locating Porter. watched ront
and rear doors. Under Sheriff Hugh
Larimer, accompanied by Deputy Ed
Carver. entered the house and covered
his man. whom he found sitting in an
upstairs room
The negro fugitive offered no resist
ance. Few cleaner arrests have been
made than the quick raid which gath
cred in Porter this morning after
Deputy Holman had ascertained his
hiding place, working nearly all night
on trail Of his own devising. Sheriff
Kiene took occasion after the arrest to
congratulate his under sheriff on the
nerve with which he walked into the
room where he expected to find a man
who, with ore mans blood on his hands,
had eluded pursuit for six months and
was expected to put up a struggle.
Deputy Ed Carver stopped on the
stairway to cover Anderson Porter,
the uncle. for whom the officers car
rted fake warrant on a liquor charge.
Entering the house the two Off
GERS found third negro named Wash
tngton in the rear room. His nervous
manner convinced them of the near
ness to their man and they pushed
forward to search the premises, meet
ing the older Porter on the stairs.
Oh refused passage until Larimer
served his warrant and the deputy
hurried on up while Carver stayed
with the older man. Sampson Por-
ter was sitting barefooted on a, bed
where he had evidently been asleep.
Their prisoner was whisked away
to jail in Sheriff Kiene's automobile
within q quarter of an hour after the
omcerss had started ON their hunt.
Admitted the Shooting.
In tho presence Of County Attorney
Atchison and two members Of the
sheriff's force, Porter admitted the
shooting and told disconnected story
Of his flight since the night when he
inflicted the wound which resulted in
Bayless' death two months ago. Bay
less, who was q youth Of about %,
had spent the day in the bottoms.
drinking with negroes and displaying
money.
In a dying statement now in posses
sion of Sheriff Kiene he detailed the
events Of the day which led up to the
fatal attack. In 1t he told how he
had become convinced the negro
meant to assault and rob him and had
left the place where they had been
drinking to go to Annie Wisdom's
restaurant, q negro resort, on Monroe
street between Crane and First streets.
q few doors away. 1t was then late
In the evening. Bayless was running
when he reached the door of the Wis
dom place. Porter fired upon him
from behind, the ball piercing the
spinal cord between the shoulders
leaving him a helpless paralytic for
three months. The negro fled across
the Santa Fe bridge, caught q freight
train near the North Topeka junction
and slept in a box car at Lawrence un-
til he could catch a train for Baldwin
where he was heard of q day or two
later.