The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-16
Someone Shouted "Here Comes
Law" and They Ran.
CAUSE is DISCOVERED TODAY
First Believed That She Died
of PeritOnitis Here.
County Officials Are Conduct
ing an Investigation.

Following a negro beer party in a
pasture near town. a wild stampede
when someone shouted: THE law is
coming" Mary Walthaw, a 2O-year-old
negro girl, was taken to a local hos
pital where she died in an operation
a few hours later.
Whether the fact that she was
knocked down and tramped upon by
many scared and fleeing negroes had
anything to do with her death Is
thing w. E. Atchison, county attorney,
wants to know. And he is looking for
facts in that connection.
The physicians certificate says the
girl died of peritonitis. DIR. Robert
Stewart, the physician, vouches for the
correctness of the certificate. But a
colored girl who attended the party
and who says she may have been one
who walked on the Walthaw girl, says
Mary Walthaw was all right until the
stampede started.
Joseph Holman, deputy sheriff. has
had some of the facts in his possession
for a week and has been trying to ar
range for an inquisition.
The story as it has reached county
officials is that a large party of ne
groes, including a NUM- ber of strange
negroes who were here with a show
took sixteen gallon keg of beer to
pasture near town, probably a week
ago Monday night. There were both
men and women in the party.
The keg was started" and that was
quickly followed by shouting, singing
and dancing. There was noise in the
brush nearby sufficiently loud to be
heard by one of the negroes.
Here comes the law" he shouted,
here comes the law"
Keg Was Deserted.
The keg was deserted instantly. The
thirty or more negroes all started in
one direction, instead of scattering.
Mary walthaw, well in the lead, fell
down. According to the story of the
other colored girl, one after another
of the frightened negroes stepped on
and walked over the PROSTATE girl.
was over and after it was discovered
that the law" was not near, she was
picked up.
The information Atchison has is
that the girl was in so bad shape from
the continuous trampling that it was
necessary for others in the party to
help her home. The next day she was
in serious condition and that night she
was operated upon. She died under
the anaesthetic.
Body Was Examined.
week ago Robert Carver, assistant
county attorney, and DR.. c. NJ. Hens
ley. acting coroner, made a short in
Doctor Stewart, who handled the case,
dropped it. The body was examined
at the Hamilton undertaking rooms
There were three incisions in it. Doc
tor Stewart said he made two of them,
one to operate for peritonitis and the
other to massage the heart when the
girl began to fail The other in
cision, in the leg, was made by the
undertaken.
The Walthaw girl was a member OF
the negro troup showing on Eleventh
street. She had no relatives nearer
than Alabama where she was born.
Her age was given at 20 years.
IF the surgeon who had her case
said she died of peritonitis, said
Atchison today. cit seems to be useless
to go back of that statement. But
outside facts all seem to indicate that
she was well, or at least able TO be
around and enjoy herself previous to
the stampede out in the pasture.
can't say what will be DONE"
If it were shown that death result
ed from injuries received in the negro
stampede warrants charging man
slaughter might result.