The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-17
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Mules for War Shipment in To-
peka, Nights Victims.
Persons Attempted to Enter
Barns in Early Morning.
TRIED TO PUT THEIR EYES OUT
Preparations Made, Too, TO
Throw Acid on Them.
Flour Mill Fire Another Indicas
tiOn to Police.
TRIED TO PUT THEIR EYES OUT

Has the epidemic of underhanded
work against the war trade" of the
! United States with the allied nations
of Europe spread to Topeka? Sew
eral members of the police force are
wondering.
Early this morning a fiend or
fiends entered the feed yards and
barns at GIG North Kansas avenue.
owned by Bud" White. and made an
attempt to mutilate two valuable
mules White had purchased for an
eastern buyer who is shipping thou-
sands of horses and mules to the All
lies.
Put Out Their Eyes.
An attempt was made to put out
the eyes of the mules. From all ap~
pearances acid had been thrown in
them
The shoulders of one of the mules
was scared and mutilated slightly.
over the bodies of both the animals
the hair was clipped close in several
places and White believes that the
man or men who entered the yard were
preparing to put acid the skin OF
the animals when frightened away.
The police in North Topeka have
been notified to keep a close watch on
the yard, particularly at night.
Several horses and mules are being
kept In the yards and barn. Whits
expects to send some of the animals
" NdIiSdS lily lIoil WHERE lntN VIII
be shipped to Europe.
No trace of the fiend who entered
the yard has been found.
f. Bechtelheimer. partner of
Whites, stated today that armed
guard would be placed at the stables
where the mules were mutilated this
morning. beginning tonight.
White and BechteIheimer have 81
head of horses in the yards ready to
ship to firm at st. Joe which is sup
plying allied agents with horses
Fires in Flour Mills.
The recent attempt to burn tho
Inter Ocean mills is another incident
pointed out by the police as an aid II
the war feeling theory. This mill has
been manufacturing flour for export
to France to be consumed in the
French and English armies.
The fact that there have been ten
incendiary fires in Topeka in the last
sixty days-and many of these fires
in factories-brings out the "firebur'f
theory Armed guards have been
placed around many of the mills at
night that no more successful attempta
may be carried out
No Results from Probe
Further investigations of the incen4
diary fires at the -Inter-Ocean miila
and the Schick Mattress factory this
week have yielded results but the
Investigations are going right on.
Joseph Hanlon. fire marshal is satis-
fled that the fires were started pur-
pOSeiy ana VIII use every means at hiH
disposal to place the blame He u
urging mill and factory people in TOT
peka to take precautions and il pos-
sible to employ watchmen day and
night outside the building. The Inter-
Ocean mill is being guarded night and
day by two men who are armed ana
authorized to use the arms If occasiou
requires.
The only thing the mill fire Il
traceable to at present" said Chief
Hanlon, "is war contracts. That MAJ
have been the reason. The fire was III
ployed at night and of course II the
elevator had burned the mill would
have been out of business for "a tirnes
Also, if the elevator had burned We
would have had hard work saving tho
mill. One peculiar thing about these
ince ndiary fires is the fact that when
we have had one we have had two. It
looks like an effort to make the work.
more certain by splitting up the fire<
force"
Fire Kept on Burning.
The fire at the Kaw Package Manu%
featuring company which occurred
Wednesday night was still burning
last night. The department made an.
other trip to put it out. The building
they burn slowly. 1t may be daya
before the fire is completely extln-
guished. There was absolutely no way
for these baskets to take fire unIesE
the fire was started by some person
or persons, according to Chief Han
Ion, and 1t Is the third fire there in
month