The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-27
MOB STORMS JAIL
Infatuated Citizens Seek to
Lynch Fred BisSell
The Man Accused of Numbering
Little Edna DinSmOre.
THOROUGH SEARCH IS MADE
Finds That Prisoner Had Been
Taken to Lawrence.
Big Crowd Follows to That City
in Autos.

In a frenzied effort to reach Fred
Bissell suspected of having ASA ulted
and murdered little Edna Dtnsmore,
three separate mobs stormed the city
and county jails late Tuesday night.
For more than five hours the throngs
that were swelled by thousands of
men, women and children surSed
about the county prison and not until
early this morning could they be con-
WINGED that their quarry had been
moved beyond their reach.
Accompanied by former prisoners
who had served time in the county Jail
and who were acquainted with every
inch of the ground, committees from
the mobs thoroughly searched the
building Every cell in the east end
of the building, the sheriff's quarters
occupied by Mrs. L. L. Kiene and her
children; the tower and roof were
swept by the determined delegations
from the mobs Even the court house
was searched before the crowds dis
persed.
Firmly believing that officials were
hiding Bissell in the Jail, mobs sur
rounding the building refused to be-
1ieve reports of the committees that
the suspected murderer could not be
found. AS excitement increased and
the former convict could not be found,
suggestions to blow up the building
were heard from the crowd.
Call for Dynamite.
Let's dynamite the place" was
heard above the murmer when a COM
mittee reported shortly after $50
o clock that Bissell could not be found.
The first suggestion 20 demolish the
building was followed rapidly by 9TH
ers
Bring on the dynamite some
one shouted. Come on" came from
a dozen others.
Frightened by the demonstrations,
Mrs. Kiene who with her children
were alone in their residence adjoin-
ing the Jail, had summoned Major and
Mrs. A. NJ. Harvey and Oscar Swayze,
county clerk.
Swayzc Takes Charge.
From the steps of the Jail Swayze,
who was the first to reach the build
ing, vainly attempted to calm the mob
Threats to tear down the prison were
quieted when Swayze and Hixon, dep
-uty sheriff, permitted a committee to
search the place again.
The first crowd began to form be-
fore the city Jail shortly before
o'clock. At first it was believed that
Bissell was being hidden in the small
structure at Fifth and Jackson streets
Gradually the mob began to become
compact and calls for a leader were
made.
chief of Police Harvey Parsons met
the crowd at the door. His assertion
that Bissen had been taken from the
prison was greeted with boots and
shouts. Grumbling and increasingly
grow.
At Parsonss invitation. the city
Jail was searched and the investi-
gators reported that the suspect could
not be found. Failure to find Bissel
was followed by accusations that
Parsons was hiding him and from sew
eral places came threats of violence
against the chief The suggestion was
equelched at once, however, by sanel
members of the crowd.
On to Lawrence.
From the city prison. the crowd
moved toward the county Jail. Re
ports of the attempts to get BisseH rap
idly spread through the city. At the
same time that mobs in front of th'
county prison were being swelled
crowds began to gather at Sixth and
Kansas avenues.
AS soon as the first intimation tina
Bissell could not be found reached
Kansas avenue. jitney drivers were be
sieged to carry men to Lawrence. Au
tomobiles rapidly began to collect OF
the corner and shortly after o'clock
headed by several of the largest jit
neys in the city the march to the uni
Versity town commenced. Nearly q
ears were in the first detachment.
Following movement of the frs
body to Lawrence. automobiles con
-tinued to carry loads until long afte
midnight. No difficulty was encoun
tered in securing passengers Imme
diately after it became known that
car was available for the journey
waiting men and youths piled into il
Several automobile drivers bent OF
CARRYING loads to Lawrence, offere'
free use of their cars. Other less eX
cited drivers increased their fare.
Tried to Board Freights.
Half a dozen rumors were circu
lated. A report that university stu
dents had been closely guarding tn
iau since BisseIl had first bee
brought there and that it would b
impossible for officers to remove hir
safely, added impetus to the crow
bent on joining assault on the Law
renee prison. Following circulation
the story. the jitney business whic
had slumped slightly took on mark
ed squirt
Unable to obtain cars, a number G
youths attempted to board freigh
trains leaving the Santa Fe yards
few minutes after midnight.
Crowds at Sixth and Kansas ave
nues refused to be convinced that Bis
sell was not in the city. Shortly be
fore l. o'clock, after practically ever
available car had been pressed int
service, a mob made up mainly of hig
school boys and young men marche
to the court house. A window in tn
basement of the building leading int
the engineers office was opened an
the crowd poured into the building
crs thinned out.
The search of the court house al