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SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

GEORGE LATHAM FOUND DEAD

George Latham, a prominent cattleman of Kansas, was found dead twenty-five miles northwest of Wichita. (Newark Daily Advocate (Newark, Ohio), Tuesday, September 24, 1889, submitted by Cathy Schultz)

MOB VIOLENCE

A CROWD OF MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN CHASE A MAN FOR OBSCENE CONDUCT

A mob of half a hundred men, women and children made things lively on East Douglas last night about 8 o'clock. Some were on foot, some on horseback, some in buggies and some on crutches. They all had their voices with them and shouted vociforously to "hang the rascal" as they chased a ragged tramp through corn fields, potato patches, under barns and over hen coops until he fell into the arms of Detective Bedford Woods and was saved from death by violence.

The cause of all this uproar and mob violence was a man named Billy Myers, a tramp who once worked in this city several years ago. During the day the police heard frequently this man who roamed around the outskirts of the city making a spectacle of himself whenever he found little girls. Last evening he visited the home of a barber named Young, who resides on North Mosley avenue. The father was at work at his shop and the mother at work out in the town. To the 10-year-old daughter this tramp made an obscene show of himself.

The father was notified but when he called Myers fled, only to return later on.

The mother came home later on and found this man in her house and at once gave an alarm. A mob sprung up in a moment and the exciting chase began. When Myers was captured, the mother of the girl tried to stone him and was only prevented by the presence of the officer. The mob stood at her back and cheered her on and it was with difficulty that Myers was landed in the city prison. Mrs. Young will cause a state warrant to be issued.

The county attorney has issued a warrant for Myers on the charge of attempted assault on My Young and the case will come up for hearing next week.
(Wichita Weekly Beacon ~ Friday ~ July 13, 1894 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)

DISAPPEARS AFTER A SUICIDE THREAT

Now Police Search for Belpre Man Who Came Here to Join Shrine

"I am going to end my life Saturday."

This is what C. B. Peacock, 30 years old, wrote in a letter which he sent by registered mail last Friday to his sisters in Kansas City, Mo.

Peacock was last seen by acquaintances Saturday morning. When his sisters received the suicide letter, they notified the Kansas City police, who then notified Chief Zickefoose. The Wichita police department has been conducting a search for Peacock since Saturday night. It is believed he is demented.

For the past two years Peacock has been living at Belpre, Kas., where he was in the automobile business. Peacock was initited into the Shrine here Friday. He was a guest at the home of his uncle, Sell Boehme, 1202 North St. Francis Avenue.

Peacock, 30 years old, formerly was manager of the Ford Motor Company.

He was last seen by Boehme at St. Francis and Douglas Avenue at 10 o'clock Saturday morning. He did not return Saturday night. A report that he probably met with foul play has no foundation whatever, according to Chief Zickefoose, in view of the telephone message from Peacock's Kansas City relatives and a similr one later from the Kansas City police. He was said to have been in good health, when last seen by Boehme.

Peacock was accompanied to Wichita last week by his wife and 3-year-old son. He recently sold his business at Belpre. Mrs. Peacock and her son left Wichita for Kansas City Saturday afternoon with no information concerning Peacock's intended suicide. She did not learn of the srange letter until her arrival there.

It was said at Belpre today that Peacock had lived there more than two years. He had not been involved in any trouble, it was said. Friends at Belpre understood that he was planning to make Wichita his home.

Peacock is described as weighing 185 pounds, and wearing horn-shell glasses. He wore a blue serge suit and a striped silk shirt, a light-gray cap, a tan overcoat when last seen. He had a scar behind the right ear.

Mrs. Boehme this morning said Peacock had been acting queerly for several days. Friday evening he came home late. He arose late Saturday morning and appeared to be in a deep study, Mrs. Boehme said. He thanked her for his bed that night and she told him he was welcome to the Boehme home whenever he wished to come. Just as he left, he turned, looked at her steadily, and told her goodbye, altho he had not mentioned leaving town before.
(Wichita Beacon ~ Monday ~ May 17, 1920 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)

SHORT SENTENCED FOR BABY'S DEATH

He Suggested That Zelphia Loomis Kill Her Ill Baby

Harvey J. Short pleaded guilty in the district court this morning to manslaughter in the first degree and was sentenced to five to twenty-one years in the state penitentiary by Judge Jesse D. Wall.

Short was instrumental in influencing Miss Zelphia Loomis to drown her 5-months-old boy baby April 10, according to his confession to the county authorities. Shortly after the death of the child, Short pleaded guilty to first degree murder with the understanding that his attorney could withdraw the plea following an investigation of the time Short was said to have spent in various insane asylums.

Short's attorney produced two letters this morning showing that Short had been confined in Washington and in Missouri. It is understood that he will be placed on the state farm at Lansing for medical treatment.

Miss Loomis is now in jail awaiting her trial. She pleaded guilty about three weeks ago but was granted a trial by Judge Wall upon the request of certain attorneys.
(Wichita Eagle ~ May 15, 1920 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)

LEFT HIS FAMILY

Harry N. Campbell Deserts His Wife in This City

HE WRITES TO HER AND ANNOUNCES HIS DESERTION

A Threat of Suicide is Made in Case He is Followed

In a little frame cottage adjoining the Plymouth Congregational church on the corner of Lawrence avenue and Second street there is sorrow and trouble today. It is not the misery that follows the death of a beloved friend but woe and weeping known only to a deserted wife and mother. The little house is the former residence of Harry N. Campbell, who abandoned his wife and child last week to enter the regular army of the United States. Possibly he was laboring under the delusion that he was a patriot and the country needed his strong arms. Per chance he is now regarding himself in the light of a martyr while his wife and baby boy are left to the mercies of strangers.

Even to those unacquainted with the circumstances, the surroundings of the little house attract their sympathy. The house is a single story, two room building whose weather beaten boards present a cheerless appearance. A knock at the little door fronting on Second street, over which three jogged tin letters are placed announced that it is No. 313, and the wife makes her appearance. The visitor is immediately impressed with her modest bearing and intelligent conversation. Traces of recent weeping were plainly evident on the woman's face this morning.

She insisted that there was nothing to tel when asked about her husband's departure and only desired to be alone with her sorrow. Gradually she told the story, however, of her life and the actions of her heartless husband though with wifely instinct she shielded with him in every possible manner. She was born in the West Indies and is the daughter of a Moravion missionary. Her father is at present engaged in Germany. She came directly from her home to the city, five years since, visiting friends. Shortly afterwards she met and loved Campbell. The feeling was mutual and they were married. One child was born and the husband appeared contended. He was a cornice maker and all went well until he joined the local militia. Then the young wife declared he become dissatisfied, often threatening to desert her but she did not think him capable t such a thing.

Early last week he left the house to attend to business and has not since been seen. Friday she received a letter form him in which he stated that he had joined the army at Leavenworth and if she attempted to recall him he would commit suicide.

"No, I shall make no attempt to have him returned," said she, in answer to the question. "God alone knows what will be my fate, but I will try and make a living for myself and child."

She speaks with a decided foreign accent.

The furniture of the two little rooms of the house is meagre, though all is tastily arranged, showing the handiwork of a woman.
(Wichita Weekly Beacon ~ Wednesday ~ February 13, 1889 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)

NEGRO POLICEMAN SHOT HERE SUNDAY MAY NOT RECOVER

H. R. Brown Is Wounded Just Below Heart By Man Who Has Eluded Arrest

OCCURS IN NORTH END

H. R. Brown, 33, negro policeman, 1048 Indiana avenue, who was shot three inches below the heart by another negro who escaped following a gun battle, in the Makin Eye drug store, Thirteenth street and Wabash avenue, Sunday t 6:10 p.m., was near death by 2 a.m. today.

A blood transfusion, in which Mrs. Brown gave more than a pint of blood, was performed. He was shot through the spleen.

Residents in the neighborhood of the shooting claimed to have identified Douglas Kelley as the man who shot Brown, according to police.

Brown had been following the negro, who he had been told was carrying a gun. He had lost track of him and had gone to the drug store to call headquarters when he saw the man a few feet inside the door, according to Homer Turner, 1326 Indiana avenue, both negroes, the only witnesses to the shooting.

EMPTIED GUN AT ASSAILANT

Brown asked Kelley to speak to him a minute, and Kelley is said to have drawn his revolver from beneath his overcoat and fired. Brown ran to the door and emptied his revolver at the man as he fled up the street, then fell into the arms of Turner, who ran to his aid.

Although neither of the men saw Kelley escape, neighbors told police he had jumped into a Buick car and left towards Newton. Several officers, headed by Captain J. G. Yeager, immediately began a search for the assailant.

The bullet, from a 32 caliber revolver, entered Brown's body on the left side and ranged upwards towards his heart. It lodged in his body, and had not been removed late Sunday night.

As far as is known, Kelley has no police record. Roy Criswell, deputy sheriff, said Kelley's house had been raided several times but no liquor found. Kelley is married, and is described as being about six feet, three inches in height, weighing about 180 pounds; and was dressed in overalls, brown shoes, a black cap and a full length black overcoat. Neither of the eye witnesses had ever seen him before, but both said they could identify him.

PATROLMAN FOR THREE YEARS

Brown has been a member of the department for about three years and according to T. J. Thompson, is an efficient policeman. He was married about three months ago. He has worked on the Wabash and Thirteenth street "beat" only since last October, when the city commission ordered a man at that place because of numerous petitions from residents, complaining of the lawlessness of that district. Prior to that time he was on North Main street.

The City Undertaking Co. answered the call.

(Wichita Eagle ~ January 5, 1925 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)

PATROLMAN DIES AFTER ASSAILANT ADMITS SHOOTING

Duke Kelley, Arrested at Winfield; Will Be Charged With First Degree Murder

CONFRONTED BY VICTIM

H. R. Brown, negro policeman, died in a local hospital, Monday at 3:30 p.m., one hour and 15 minutes after he had identified Douglas (Duke) Kelley, negro, 1603 Ohio avenue, as the man who shot him at the Makin Eye drug store, Thirteenth street and Wabash avenue, Sunday at 6:10 p.m.

Kelley was arrested by George Nicholas, veteran officer of the Winfield police department, as train No. 11, Santa Fe, pulled into the city. He was brought to Wichita and made a full sworn confession to Robert L. Pryor, chief of detectives, after he had been identified by Brown, and other eye witnesses of the shooting.

BOUGHT TICKET AT MULVANE

"Yes, I shot him. He entered the drug store and yelled for me to put up my hands. I did not know he was an officer, so I grabbed my gun and fired as I turned. When I saw what I had done, I was scared and ran. I walked to Mulvane, and from there bought a ticket to Guthrie, Okla.", Kelley stated in his confession.

A charge of first-degree murder against Kelley will be filed Tuesday, it was said by Harry C. Castor, deputy county attorney. A complaint charging Kelley with assault with intent to kill was issued by Castor immediately upon the negro's return from Winfield by police. This will be dismissed in lieu of the murder charge.

A statement, given between gasps for breath, was made by Brown Monday afternoon before Mr. Castor and Frank Crow, deputy city court marshall. He denied knowledge of any motive Kelley might have had for the shooting declaring he had not met his assailant before the episode in the drug store.

BAD THREATENED PATROLMAN?

Police received sworn statements from several residents of the district, who claim to have heard Kelley threaten to kill Brown on sight. It was said by several members that Mrs. Brown was formerly the wife of Kelley. However, Kelley denied having ever seen her before, and the police had not questioned Mrs. Brown Monday night.

Witnesses of the shooting disagree as to details. Some say Kelley called him from the store. Kelley claims to have shot but once at Brown with his small revolver, and then to have fired a larger gun at him twice as Brown emptied his revolver in his direction. Both revolvers were found in his possession when arrested. He denied he had been drinking.
NOTE: H. R. Brown is buried in Shawnee, KS, in Shawnee Cemetery ~~ Lori DeWinkler
(Wichita Eagle ~ January 6, 1925 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)

FORTY YEARS AS MORTUARY

Gill Mortuary Founded By I. W. Gill

For a period of forty years the Gill Mortuary has been one of Wichita's leading institutions and few men are more widely known in this section of the state than I. W. Gill, the founder.

The Gill Mortuary was first established on Douglas Avenue in the location now occupied by Orr's store.

After 25 years at the original site, one of the finest funeral homes in the middle west was built at 243 and 245 North Emporia, the present location of the concern. At the time of moving, 15 years ago, no one could find a key of the old building, it having been open day and night for so long, and it was necessary to call for a locksmith to close the place.

Owners of the Gill Mortuary are I. W. Gill and Hugh W. Gill, his son. The present establishment was built and equipped new from the ground up, including Cunningham equipment in the motor vehicles. Ever since the day of horse and carriage, Mr. Gill has always carried the Cunningham equipment. He was the first funeral director in Kansas to motorize his funeral cars and ambulance.

Two ambulances, two limousine funeral coaches, two limousines and one truck, all motorized, are included in the mortuary's equipment and the personnel numbers eight employees.

Mr. Gill has been a figure in the life of Wichita these forty years. He reflects with considerble satisfaction on the growth and development of the city over this period and looks forward in the future with confidence and optimism.
(Wichita Beacon ~ August 28, 1927)

MURDERED HIS WIFE

Dr. Hall Who Called This City His Home for a Time

Dr. Nathan C. Hall, who came to Wichita during the boom and invested money for Consider H. Willett, an attorney of Chicago, who loaned him the money and never heard of it again, has had quite a history.

He was for many years a practicing physician of the village of Davisburgh, Michigan. Previous to his moving there he had married Miss Anna Glough, whose parents reside near Byron. After living at Davisburgh for some time, his wife became sick and died under peculiar circumstances, but nothing was done until Dr. Hall had talked so much about her singular death that it aroused suspicion to an extent that it caused his arrest for the murder of his wife. The body was stolen and hid under a straw stack to avoid a post-mortem examination, but was found not long after, and the stomach was found to contain poison. The coils were constantly winding about him closer and closer and he was tried in greed. He was again tried at the next term of the court and was found guilty as charged, and was sentenced to state prison for life at hard labor. Through some error his attorneys secured him a new trial and a change of venue and the case was tried in Clinton county. this trial also resulted in a disagreement.

He moved to Cascade, Wisconsin after his trial; and it was while there that he commenced the libel suit against the Milwaukee Sentinel. His former career was the gossip of the town there and he was compelled to leave. While at Cascade he was married to Mrs. Murgittroyd, who, it was thought was the woman in the case. She soon died and since then he has been somewhat demented. He has been an inmate of the asylum, where he died, for sometime, and it is said that while there he was constantly talking to his wife in heaven. He also imagined that he was an angel.
(Wichita Weekly Beacon ~ Wednesday ~ February 13, 1889)

DESPONDENT MAN BELIEVED TO BE VICTIM OF ACID

George M. Green, Telegrapher, Is Found Dead In Room---Poison Nearby

WELL KNOWN OPERATOR

Despondency is thought to have been the cause of George M. Green, a telegrapher formerly employed by the Western Union, ending his life by drinking carbolic acid at his room at 519 East Douglas avenue, sometime Saturday night.

The body was found by Mrs. Ellen Ateranmus, who has charge of the rooms, about 10:30 o'clock Sunday morning, when she knocked on the door for admission to clean the room. Receiving no reply and finding the door locked, she looked over the transom and saw Mr. Green lying in a cramped position on the bed, with an empty bottle which had contained carbolic acid, lying on the floor beside the bed. Suspecting that he was dead, she notified M. Puls, the proprietor, who called the coroner. Mr. Puls and other employees of the Puls restaurant forced the door to Green's room. Mr. Green was lying on the bed without covering.

DEAD FOR HOURS

It is thought that he had been dead for a number of hours, as two men who were occupying an adjoining room and retired about midnight, stated that they had heard no noise or anyone moving about the room the night before or early Sunday morning.

The body was taken to the Flanagan and Bourman Undertaking parlors where an inquest will be held at two o'clock Monday afternoon. Mr. Flanagan stated that there were no marks of any kind on the body and no burns appeared on the lips or in the mouth.

Coroner Miller and Mr. Puls searched Green's clothing for a possible message which might give a reason for the suicide, but nothing was found except his union card and five cents in money.

Mr. Puls stated that he had known Mr. Green for a number of years and he was usually a great joker and merrymaker. Saturday evening about eight o'clock Green came to him and asked for a room. Mr. Puls gave him the last room he had and remarked that he had not seen him for some time. Green replied that he had been in the south. He then went to his room and it was the last he was seen until his body was found Sunday morning.

WELL KNOWN OPERATOR

Mr. Green was well known throughout this section of the country by the telegraphers of the country by the telegraphers as he ahd worked in Wichita and on the railroads running into Wichita for the past 19 years. He will be remembered by many others on account of having a crippled left hand, the result of sickness when he was a child. He was a member of the Commercial Telegraphers Union.

Mr. Green was a nephew of Grant Green, who was formerly a member of the Wichita police force and is also a relative of Mr. and Mrs. A. T. Heller and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Ransom of this city. He had one brother, Lawrence and one sister residing in Texas.
(Wichita Eagle ~ Tuesday ~ December 31, 1918 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)

WICHITAN NEARLY LOSES NOSE AS CATSUP BOTTLE EXPLODES

Police, However, Contend Home Brew Figured In Explosion Injuring J. W. Hanson, 49; Faces Liquor In Possession Charge

The hot weather apparently had dire results for James W. Hanson, 49, 1718 Lulu, Tuesday evening.

First, it caused a catsup bottle to explode in his face, nearly cutting off his nose, and second, it landed him behind the bars of the city jail.

Hanson, perspiring from the heat, decided to put a catsup bottle on ice last night. He had no more than set the bottle in the refrigerator when an explosion rent the air and glass was sent flying in all directions.

"A catsup bottle exploded in my face and nearly cut off my nose," said Hanson, when police and an ambulance arrived.

BLOOD COVERS KITCHEN

Blood, which had dripped from Hanson's nose, was all over the kitchen. He lives alone.

Officer George London, who answered the call, smelled a mouse.

"Yes," he said to himself, "it was 107 degrees today, but I don't believe that was hot enough to cause a bottle of catsup to explode."

"Let me see that catsup bottle," the officer asked Hanson, who had been given first aid treatment.

London scoured around the kitchen and found several more catsup bottles, but instead of catsup they contained home brew, according to police records.

FIND MUCH HOME BREW

The officer found approximately seven gallons of home brew at the place. Three-quarters of a pint of whisky also was uncovered.

"I got that to go fishing," Hanson volunteered.

This is only the second arrest made by police this summer in which home brew has been confiscated. With the return of beer home brew almost has become a thing of the past.

All the home brew was destroyed with the exception of two bottles, which were brought to the station.

Sergt. Howard Hoyt, acting lieutenant of the second detail, ordered the two bottles destroyed as he feared they might explode due to the hot weather.

Hanson, his face swathed in bandages, was charged with liquor in possession.
(Wichita Eagle ~ Wednesday ~ July 15, 1936 ~ Submitted by Lori DeWinkler)