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

January 10, 1910

SON OF ACTRESS IS BURNED.

Father Dead, Mother Away, Boy

Hurt Fatally Playing Indian.

While playing with some other boys in a vacant foundry at Nicholson and Prospect avenues yesterday morning at 11:30 o'clock, Eddie Campbell, aged 8 years, was so badly burned that he died four hours later at the University hospital.

The lad was attempting to make an Indian fire with some logs, and as the timber would not ignite readily he poured some kerosene on the heated portion. An explosion followed and young Campbell's clothes caught on fire. His playmates made frantic efforts to extinguish the flames, but did not succeed until after the boy had sustained fatal injuries. The body was taken to Stewart's undertaking rooms.

Eddie Campbell had been living with an uncle, Albert Campbell, at 728 North Chestnut street, for some time. His father is dead and his mother, Stella S. Campbell, who is an actress, is touring Michigan.

Labels: Chestnut street, children, death, explosion, Fire, Nicholson avenue, Prospect avenue, theater, undertakers, University hospital

August 8, 1909

KILLS SISTER-IN-LAW

AND COMMITS SUICIDE.

GRANT SIERS SHOOTS MRS.

MARY SIERS AND HIMSELF.

Jealousy and Continual Quarreling

Alleged Cause -- Negro Witness of

Tragedy Says Woman Also

Used Revolver.

Jealousy and continual quarelling is the alleged cause of the death of Mrs. Mary Siers, 1025 Jefferson street, who was shot and instantly killed yesterday afternoon about 4:45 o'clock by her brother-in-law, Grant Siers, who then turned the pistol upon himself and sent a bullet into his head, dying before anyone reached his side. The only witness to the murder and suicide was Susie Richardson, a negro woman, who lives in a house in the rear of the Siers residence.

Siers had lived at the home of Mrs. Siers for the last two years, after being separated from his wife, who lives in Humeston, Ia. Mrs. Siers' husband is divorced and is an inmate of the Soldiers' home at Leavenworth, Kas. From boarders in the house and Chester Siers, a son of the slayer and suicide, it was learned that the couple quarreled most of the time. Jealousy on the part of both is said to have caused nearly all of the domestic trouble.

ORDERED TO LEAVE HOUSE.

About 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon Mrs. Siers was busy showing two real estate men over the house when Grant Siers returned home and began to quarrel with his sister-in-law. She told him to leave the ho use and he entered the hall to get his suit case. The woman threw the suit case at his feet with the admonition not to return. Siers requested time to get his clothing from his room, but she again told him to leave. His son, Chester, finally induced him to leave the house, and the two men went to a saloon at Eleventh and Jefferson streets. Later in the afternoon the father left his son at Eleventh and Main streets.

The next heard of Siers he was entering the yard at the Jefferson street residence. Instead of going in the back way, as was his custom, Siers entered from the front and went around the house to the rear door. A latticed porch is just off the kitchen door, and as Siers walked upon the porch Mrs. Siers appeared in the doorway. She ordered him off and according to the theory of the police he drew a revolver and shot three times. Two bullets entered her body, one on each side of the chest. The third bullet lodged in the wall back of her. Then Siers placed the muzzle of the pistol behind the right ear and killed himself.

SAYS WOMAN USED PISTOL.

The version of the double killing as given by the Richardson woman differs greatly from that of the police theory. She said she was standing in the yard and saw Mrs. Siers point a revolver at Siers and fire twice. Siers, she said, turned and fell, and while on the floor of the porch took a pistol from his pocket and fired at Mrs. Siers, afterwards shooting himself. However, when the deputy coroner, Dr. Harry Czarlinsky, examined the bodies only one revolver was found and that was under Siers. the body of Mrs. Siers was slaying in the kitchen and Siers's body was on the porch.

Mrs. Richardson said that Siers was asking for his clothes and that Mrs. Siers finally ordered him away and said:

"I'll see you dead before I will give you your clothes."

"My God, please don't kill me," Siers exclaimed, she said.

Immediately after this conversation Mrs. Siers began to shoot, according to the negro woman. She was positive two revolvers were displayed. As the police could only find one pistol, and that underneath Siers's body, the discredit the negro's story.

Dr. Czarlinsky also found five shells, which were for the pistol, in the coat pocket of Siers.

SON TELLS OF QUARRELS.

Chester Siers, who is a restaurant cook, said yesterday evening that his father did not own a pistol so far as he knew, but that his aunt had one. He said his father and aunt were in love with each other, but that he had never heard them discuss the subject of marriage.

W. L. Haynes and Charles Callahan, boarders,were in the parlor during the shooting and counted four reports of shots fired. Mrs. Moyer, housekeeper, was in another part of the house. The son of Siers said that in the past when his father had left home after a quarrel with his aunt she always sent him money to come back. About a month ago she had him arrested on a charge of disturbing the peace. He was sent to the workhouse, but after serving a short sentence, Mrs. Siers paid his fine, it is said.

Siers, who was 54 years old, was a barber and had a shop at the corner of Nicholson and Monroe streets. He leaves a widow and six children. The widow and three children reside in Humeston, Ia.

Labels: barbers, boarding house, domestic violence, Dr Czarlinsky, Eleventh street, guns, Jefferson street, Main street, Monroe avenue, murder, Nicholson avenue, saloon, Suicide

March 13, 1909

LOOKED LIKE MINSTREL MAN.

Lampblack Was Ineffective Disguise

for Elmer Gray.

When Elmer Gray of Salina, Kas., was arrested yesterday afternoon by Captain Patrick Bray at 2817 Nicholson avenue on a warrant sworn out by officers from his home town, his face was disguised with a thick coat of lamp black and he would have been mistaken for a negro under ordinary circumstances. He denied his identity at first, but when he was confronted by S. P. Heck, sheriff of Saline county, Kas., he admitted that he was wearing the lampblack to prevent recognition.

He is wanted in Salina, according to the sheriff, on a charge of dismantling a steel bridge under construction near Salina and selling the steel to a junk man. Gray and the sheriff left for Salina last night.

Labels: crime, Nicholson avenue, police, race

December 3, 1908

ASLEEP, HE WALKED A BEAT.

Charge Made Against Policeman G.

L. Burton by His Captain.

Probably the most unusual case ever tried before the board of police commissioners is set for next Wednesday. A policeman, George L. Burton, by name, is to be tried for walking the beat in his sleep, so the report of his captain, Patrick Bray, charges. Briefly, the following is Captain Bray's report:

"While making my rounds on the afternoon of November 29, I found George L. Burton walking Beat 4, in Precinct 8, dead asleep. In a restaurant on the northwest corner of Nicholson and Monroe avenues, I had to shake him two or three times before I could awaken him. I asked him if that was the way he was doing police duty, and he replied that he had a sick headache. He acted like he had something. He missed his signal point at 2:10 p. m. and I found him at 2:20 p.m. He was walking about asleep then, and I told him I would report him."

"Now, the question is, Was he waking in his sleep, or was he asleep on his beat instead of walking it?" said a commissioner. "If we could find men who could walk a beat in their sleep, we could discharge half the force and let the remainder work day and night -- get in double time, you know."

Burton will be called upon to explain what ailed him on the day the captain found him.

Labels: Monroe avenue, Nicholson avenue, police, police board