News Items from The Kansas City Journal ~ Old News That's New to You from Vintage Kansas City.com

June 10, 1909

CLAIM HE HYPNOTIZED

ATHENAEUM WOMEN.

SIX MEMBERS CAUSE ARREST OF

AFFABLE BOOK AGENT.

A. W. Johnson Alleged to Have In-

duced Them to Give Up Money

and I. O. U.'s Totaling $120.

Held by Justice.

Six members of the Athenaeum Club went to the prosecutor's office yesterday and on behalf of themselves and three others declared that A. W. Johnson, a book agent, had hypnotized them into giving up money and I. O. U.'s totaling $120.75.

The women who complained to M. M. Bogie, assistant prosecuting attorney, were the following: Mrs. Anna S. Welch, wife of a physician; Mrs. E. T. Phillips, wife of a physician, residence the Lorraine; Mrs. Paul B. Chaney, 3446 Campbell street; Mrs. George S. Millard, 4331 Harrison street; Mrs. W. W. Anderson, 2705 Linwood avenue; Dr. Eliza Mitchell, 1008 Locust street.

Besides these, the following complained of Johnson, but did not appear yesterday: Mrs. Willard Q. Church, 3325 Wyandotte street; Mrs. Wilbur Bell, 200 Olive street, and Mrs. S. S. Moorehead, 3329 Forest avenue.

The women confronted Johnson in Mr. Bogie's office. It was declared that he had exercised hypnotic power. Said Mrs. M. H. Devault, 3411 Wabash avenue, prominent in the Athenaeum:

"This man sold a set of books called 'The Authors' Digest' to these members of the Athenaeum on representation that I had purchased the volumes and had recommended them. They bought largely on this recommendation."

"Yes, and we were hypnotized," said the women.

In addition to the books, Johnson sold a membership in the "American University Association." This, the women say he told them, would enable them to buy books, and especially medical works, at less than the usual price. After correspondence it was found that the lower prices could not be secured.

From all but one woman named, except Mrs. Devault, Johnson secured $5.75 and an order for $115. From Mrs. Millard he got $20 in money.

Johnson, a well dressed, affable young man, was arraigned before Justice Theodore Remley on a charge of obtaining money under false pretenses. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a bond of $500. He said he had an office in the Century building.

Labels: books, con artist, doctors, Forest avenue, Harrison street, hypnosis, Judge Remley, Linwood avenue, Locust street, Olive street, organizations, Wabash avenue, women, Wyandotte street

May 28, 1908

TEACHERS FEARED A TORNADO.

Dismissed Pupils Yesterday When

Black Clouds Appeared.

Fearing that the black cloud which approached Kansas City from the northwest yesterday morning was bring a tornado, Miss Emma J. Lockett, principal of the Linwood school, Linwood and Woodland avenues, dismissed the 735 children under her care, and sent them scampering to their homes.

But she first called up P. Connor, the weather forecaster. After being assured that the coming storm was not a twister, she remembered how many times she had failed to take an umbrella when he said "Fair today," and had come home dripping, so she was not satisfied, but tried to call the school board. After several ineffectual attempts, the board's telephone being in use at each time, she noticed that the cloud was much nearer. At the rate it was coming, the children could barely have time to get to their own roofs before trees began to be uprooted. She rang the dismissal bell, telling her charges to go home at once.

But Mr. Connor was right, and Miss Lockett very sweetly admitted it after the cloud had passed. School was resumed at the afternoon hour.

The Catholic sisters in charge of St. Vincent's academy, Thirty-first street and Flora avenue, also dismissed their 250 pupils when the threatening clouds appeared.

In 1886 the Lathrop school, Eight and May streets, was partly wrecked by a storm. Several children were killed.

Labels: children, Eighth street, Flora avenue, Linwood avenue, May street, schools, Thirty-first street, weather, Woodland avenue

August 2, 1907

BUT THEY WERE TOADSTOOLS.

Book Agent Ate One, Taking It

for a Mushroom.

W. S. Bundy is a book agent. He is 37 years old and lives at Lister and Linwood avenues. He has a "neat little patch of ground," to use his own words. Bundy stepped into his back yard and saw what looked like a patch of "pretty, round, fresh mushrooms."

"I believe they are toadstools," said his wife.

"Well, I'll just taste one," said Bundy. "If they are toadstools I'll find it out. If they are not, you can cook them for supper."

Thereupon Bundy made his word good by "tasting" one. That was 9 a. m. The pursuit of his business found him on the third floor of the R. A. Long building about noon. Not until then did Bundy realize that he had eaten a toadstool. He was so completely prostrated that the ambulance from the emergency hospital called and took him away. When he reached the hospital he was unconscious. Dr. Paul Lux worked with him all afternoon. At 5 o'clock he was considered out of danger.

"Telephone my wife not to cook those toadstools," were his first words.

Labels: books, food, health, illness, Linwood avenue, Lister avenue, R A Long building