The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-11-24
CRIME
ASSailant Enters Parsons Home
and Attempts TO Wipe Out
Entire Family.
THE MOTHER AND SON KILLED
Wick Dangerously Wounded
One Arrest Made.

shot and killed in their home at Par
sons by an unknown man. A daugh-
ter. Winifred, Z years old, was shot
| through the abdomen and died later,
and another daughter, GenevieVe, 9
years old, was shot through the thigh.
H. o. Wick, a travelling salesman
for a Joplin bakery company, was in
| Henryetta. Ok, and was apprised Of
the murder Of his wife and son.
Mrs. Wick and her son were shot
about $3.50 o'clock in the morning.
The murderer then entered the room
where the two girls had been sleeping
and fired at them. He then ran out
of the house.
Mrs. Wick lived about five hours
after she had been shot. She could
give no clew to the murderer beyond
telling that he was a large man who
wore a white mask over his face.
Genevieve Wick said that they were
awakened by the shots fired at their
mother and brother and then the man
came into their room and fired at
them. AS he went down the steps, she
says, he said: This is IT, or some
thing that sounded like it.
Neighbors who were aroused by the
shots saw the man fleeing down the
street
So far as is known the Wick fam
lily has no enemies and the mother
and the girls were at a loss for the
motive in the shooting.
Bloodhounds later pointed out a
strawstack where someone had slept
| and where a mask was found. They
then went to the home of 1aborer,
| who, the officers stated, might be the
man wanted. A pair Of bloody over
alls and a pair of pliers were found,
they stated. The laborer is being held
in the county jail.
x X x
Cudahy to Build in Wichfta.-Plans
have been drawn at Omaha, Neb., by
the Cudahy Packing Company for the
erection of a new beef packing house
in Wichita in the near future. Off
Gals of the company stated that the
plant will cost about 100000.
x x x
Legislator DESC. T. Goodier, rep
resentative from Logan county in the
last two sessions of the state legisla-
ture, died suddenly at Oakley, re-
Gently.
X x x
Start Survey of New EIectric.-The
survey of the Wichita to EIdorado In
terurban has begun between EIderado
and Augusta. It has been completed
from Augusta to Winfield and all the
right of way bought The building Of
the road will be started this year.
X x x
Four Deaths at Funston.-Four
deaths have resulted from cases of
spinal meningitis among the men at
Camp Funston, national army canton
ment, it was announced at the base
hospital there. Thirty-nine cases have
been reported, it was added. The four
deaths occurred, it was said, and only
the names of the men were available.
They were announced as Sam ]. Mar
tin, Willis Tace, Carl Jarboe and Ell
mer J. MorrelI. Their records are
being traced. Every precaution is be-
ing taken, it was said at the base
hospital, to segregate men as soon as
they are discovered to have contract
ed the disease, and companies in
which cases have been found have
been guaranteed
Favor Coal Shipments-Preferen
tial movement of coal over all other
commodities handled in open top cars
will be sought by fuel directors of the
Midwest states as a result of the
meeting Of the Kansas Fuel Admins
traitors Advisory Board. This action
was urged on the government by the
board and a meeting has been called
for the fuel administrators OF six
i. states, to be held at Kansas City. The
administrators will discuss their
work there and if necessary go on to
Washington to lay their plans before
DR.. Harry Garfield, national fuel ad-
ministrator.
Land Brought $3.50 an Acre.-The
highest price paid for land in Harvey
county outside of the city limits was
reached when Fred Haiber purchased
forty-seven acres of T. F. Burrows
for $3.50 an acre.
4
Meningitis Fatal TO SoIdier.-Cor.
poral Alexander Christie of Fort Leav-
enwortn is dead Of meningitis, accord
ing to unofficial but authoritative in
formation. This is the first time the
disease has appeared there.
X x x
Baked 700 Pies for Troops.-When
two troop trains, filled with more than
one thousand men, arrived at Good
land the other day they found seven
hundred homemade pies waiting for
them The local Red Cross had heard
Of their coming, and women baked
the pies as the feature of a brief
entertainment
Atchison Firenen On Strike.-Eight
Of the fourteen men in Atehison's fire
department went out on strike the
other day, leaving Atchison without
adequate fire protection.
j. D. Botkin Has Breakdown. D.
Botkin or Greeley, former warden of
the Kansas penitentiary, who has been
speaking In Ohio through the prohi-
bition campaign, is in a hospital at
7 Columbus SUFFERING from q 1a-vo,,,