The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-26
Lewis Whistler, Who Murdered
Four Men at Funston, Was
Raised Near Colby.
WAS KEAOSTROAG As 4 BOY
Old Playmate Tells of Early Life of
the Army Murderer and Bank
Robber.

county, iowa, and came TO InOmaS |
company, Kansas, in 1892, with his
parents, MIR. and Mrs. ]. M Whistler.
The father filed on a claim three |
miles south of Colby and built lit !
tie sodhouse there. Lewis was the /
next to the Oldest of eight children, |
four boys and four girls. Each day |
Lewis and his elder brothers pilote6 |
the smaller children to school, three I
miles away. They walked In the |
late SOS the family moved to Achilles, |
town in southeastern Rawlins coun-
ty. where the father lives with his |
second wife, Lewis mother having |
died several years ago.
AS boy Whistler was a stubborn !
fellow and rather headstrong," said !
E. A. Versen of Colby, who went to |
school with Whistler. However he |
had no bad habits. He was always |
good to his brothers and sisters, a |
hard working and rather poor pupil, |
because it was apparently difficult for
him to learn. He worked for his |
father and, when he was old enough
he worked for other farmers in the
neighborhood and turned his earnings
over to his father to help support the
family during the hard years in 1893
and 1894
Il remember he was never afraid of
anything. We killed rattIesnakes to-
gether and caught ground squirrels
and did the things most of the coun-
try boys did together.
whistler was ambitious to have an
education, and when he could not at
tend district school during the winter
he came to Colby and studied the COM
mon branches at the normal institute
ia the summer when work was slack
on the farm. He wasn't a quarrel
some boy and was liked very much
WhisIer's former wife last March
told relatives here she was obtaining
the divorce because he was losing his
mind.
Milk Condensary CIosed.-The Hell
vetia Pet milk cOndensary, which
has been in operation at Mulvane for
several years, has been closed in
definitely Poor freight facilities and
the inability to get containers for the
milk are given as the cause. The
company has built up a big business
there, and nine hundred dairy farmers
sold milk to it. The aggregate in
come to farmers there was $4,000 a |
day, and the idle mandatory will
be hard blow to them.
X X
Snow Caused Mans Death.-Snow
packed on the heels of James r. Chap
ms shoes caused him to fall backward |
from the porch of his farmhouse near
Winfield causing death, when his head
struck the frozen ground. He was 81
years old and left many relatives |
there.
Secretary to Aid corps.-Ross Clay
ton, secretary of the department OF
journalism at K. u, has resigned to
enter the aviation service. Clayton
has handled all accounts in the de-
partment of journalism for two years.
X x
Train Killed Railroad Man.-Forrest
Reed, AZ years old, signal maintainer
for the Frisco, was struck and killed
by a northbound Missouri. Kansas &
Texas passenger than two miles south
of Olathe recently.
Dynamite in Schools CoaI.-A pint
of blasting powder with fuse attached
was found in each of two large Jumps
OF coal at a district school five miles
Shot Son by Accidental NJ. Cush-
man, a farmer ner Portland, shot at
a rabbit under a shed. At the same
time his 9-year-old son was peeking
at the animal from the other side of
the shed. The bullet missed the rab-
bit but struck the boy in the shoulder
and caused a wound that may be
dangerous.
Used Gasoline on Fire.-To heat
water for a sick husband, Mrs. ]. H.
Branham of Wichita used what she
believed was kerosene to replenish the
fire 1t was gasoline and exploded in
her hands. She cannot live.
= X X
Gets Military Home Job.-Frank c.
Kibbey of Olathe was appointed ad-
iutant of the National Military Home
at Leavenworth to succeed Captain NJ.
E. Drew. Captain Drew succeeded
George C. Vogelsong as Quartermaster
of the home.
Drop German in Wichita.-The
Wichita Board of Education has adopt
ed a resolution abolishing German
from the high schools there. The rule
will not go into effect until next term.
Students have shown a tendency to
drop German and the board decided
to aid them.
II X Il
Accepted LeaVenworth Caf.-The
Rev. Ernest Seibentha1, pastor OF the
Christian Church at Cummings sew
eraI years, has accepted call as pas
tor of the Christian Church at Leav-
enworth.
=
Offered Camp Posiition.-Dr. W. E.
Tflberg, dean OF Midland College at
Atchison, has received an offer of a
position as a special instructor il
Camp Oglethorpe, Ca, near Chatta-
nooga, Tenn. and probably win &C
cent. He has been member OF the