100 Year Old Weblog ~ News From 100 Years Ago That's New to You from Vintage Kansas City.com

September 15, 1908

SHOULD A SANDWICH BE BREAD.

No, Biscuit, Said the Cook, and

Slashed Off Waiter's Fingers.

Following a dispute as to whether a sandwich should be made out of biscuit or bread, John H. Koester, 24 years old, a waiter in a restaurant at Twelfth and Mulberry streets, was struck with a butcher knife by James Dalton, a cook, and lost the third and fourth fingers of his left hand last midnight. He was taken to the emergency hospital, where Dr. Ford B. Rogers dressed the wound and Dalton was locked up at the St. Louis avenue police station. Koester lives at 810 East Tenth street, but his home is in Chicago. The cook contended that biscuit was the proper planking for the sandwich; the waiter contended for bread.

Labels: Chicago, doctors, emergency hospital, food, Mulberry street, restaurants, Tenth street, Twelfth street

September 14, 1908

"I'LL KILL MYSELF," SAID HE.

But James N. Allen's Fellow Work-

men Laughed -- He Is Found Dead.

For three years James N. Allen had worked as a dishwasher at the Manhattan restaurant. Saturday night he packed up all of his clothes at the restaurant and bid his fellow workers goodby. He informed them that he would commit suicide that night. Believing that Allen was joking, the men suggested various methods of suicide and jested with him until he left the place.

Going to the Henry house, on Walnut street near Fifth, where he roomed, Allen passed through the office, went to his room and locked the door. Then he sat down and wrote a note to his only friend, Sam Grassberger, a cook at the Manhattan restaurant, 420 West Ninth street. The note said: "I am going to end it all by killing myself. God bless you."

Before going to his room, he had purchased a bottle of morphine and the supposition is that he took the contents before going to bed. A maid found his door locked at 10 o'clock yesterday morning and the manager broke it down and found Allen dead.

Labels: Fifth street, narcotics, Ninth street, restaurants, rooming house, Suicide, Walnut Street

August 11, 1908

TAUGHT IT TO DRINK BEER.

"Bottles" Was a Model Dog Until a

Vagrant Canine Came Along.

This is the story of a dog that was tempted and fell into bad ways. Henry Miller, a Kansas City saloonkeeper, owns a fox terrier named "Bottles." For two years Bottles was all that any self-respecting fox terrier should be. Then one night a dog of uncertain breed walked into a saloon and from appearances was nearly starved to death. Miller fed the dog, which stayed in the saloon from then on. She was named Rags and developed an abnormal appetite for beer, drinking all of it that was given to her. She would become so intoxicated that she could not walk. Within six month' time "Bottles" had acquired the hait of drinking beer and the two dogs would get "gloriously full" together.

Recently Miller purchased a saloon in the North End and Rags was taken to the new location, but not being acquainted with the patrons she refused to spend all of her time there. She goes out to the corner of Fourth and Main streets about noon every day and boards a Vine street car and rides to Nineteenth and Troost avenue, where she gets off and goes over to Eighteenth and Troost avenue, where she has lived for some time. "Bottles" is also an old street car rider. Each morning "Bottles" boards a Troost avenue car and rides to Twelfth street, where he transfers onto a Twelfth street car and rides down to a restaurant near Holmes street. The waiter in the restaurant gives the dog a meal, after which "Bottles" makes the return trip, including the transfer at Twelfth street and Troost avenue.

Not long ago Miller started out to attend a circus on the east side of town. He took "Bottles" with him, but the dog became separated from his master at Eighth street and Grand avenue. The owner retraced his footsteps, believing that he would find "Bottles" playing with other dogs on the street. When he reached Tenth street and Troost avenue he boarded a car to go to Eighteenth street and Troost avenue to his saloon. When the car arrived at Twelfth street he saw "Bottles" get off a Twelfth street car and run and jump on the rear end of a Troost car on his way home. "Bottles" has a son known as "Booze," but so far "Booze" has refused to partake of intoxicating liquors, nor has he learned the art of using the street cars in his travels around the city.

Labels: alcohol, animals, circus, Eighteenth street, Eighth street, Grand avenue, Holmes street, North end, restaurants, saloon, streetcar, Troost avenue, Twelfth street

August 6, 1908

TOOK POISON WHILE

EATING HIS SUPPER.

Fred Guy Died in Front of

"Saffire" Restaurant.

Frequenting regularly the "Saffire" restaurant, 908 Walnut street, where his divorced wife, Frances, was employed as a waitress, Fred Guy, 31 years old, about 9 o'clock last night ended his troubles by drinking nearly two ounces of carbolic acid and dying a few moments later on the sidewalk just outside of the restaurant door, where he had been removed by the proprietor, J. W. McCracken.

Guy entered the restaurant about 8 o'clock last night and was given a seat near the center of the room. He ordered a light meal from Mrs. Belle Smith, a waitress, and then motioned to his wife to come to his table.

When she reached his side she smelled the carbolic acid, which he had evidently drunk before entering the restaurant. She asked him what he had done and he replied by shaking his head, but did not speak. She ran to the front of the restaurant and informed Mr. McCracken that the man had taken poison. The manager said he believed the man was drunk and led him out of the restaurant. On reaching the street Guy dropped a bottle which had contained the acid, and then McCracken summoned the ambulance.

Dr. George H. Pipken of the emergency hospital gave emergency treatment to Guy on the street where he had fallen, but he was beyond relief when the doctor arrived. Mrs. Guy said last night that she had married Fred Guy in Leavenworth, Kas., nearly three years ago, but had obtained a divorce from him about four months ago.

She said that he daily importuned her to return, but that she had refused to listen to his peleading.

Labels: Divorce, doctors, Leavenworth, poison, restaurants, Suicide, Walnut Street

July 27, 1908

FLED IN HER NIGHT ROBES.

Essie Waldron Ran From Rough Hus-

band and Was Arrested.

A clerk named Shields and two women were the only ones in Bolen's candy store at 112 East Twelfth street last night about 10 o'clock when the rear door opened and a young woman, clad only in a nightdress, rushed in calling for help. Her feet were bleeding and her arms were begrimed from climbing over the roofs. Mr. Shields promptly blushed and turned his back, and the women took off some of their own clothing and gave it to the woman. Then she explained.

Her name is Essie Waldron, and she is the wife of Vergil Waldron, a cook in the Saffire restaurant. They have been married three years, but separated three weeks ago. Mrs. Waldron first moved to 311 East Fourteenth street, but when her husband found that she was there, she moved to the Canadian hotel, Twelfth street and Grand avenue. There her husband found her yesterday and went up to her room last night and hid behind a curtain. Then, according to the story Mrs. Waldron tells, he waited until she had disrobed and then jumped out and choked her. She broke away from him and leaped out of an open window, landing on a rear porch. Crazed with fear she made her way to the ground in some manner she cannot explain and ran into the nearest doorway, which happened to be that of the candy shop.

A patrolman arrested both the husband and the wife and took them to the Walnut street police station, where the man was locked up and the woman released on bond. A charge of disturbing the peace will be placed against them in police court this morning.

Labels: domestic violence, Fourteenth street, Grand avenue, hotels, restaurants, Twelfth street, Walnut street police station

June 9, 1908

TWENTY ESCAPE WHEN

BUILDINGS COLLAPSE.

NONE WAS INJURED IN GRAND

AVENUE WRECK.

Roof and Second Floor of Two Old

Structures at 1403-1405 Grand Ave-

nue Fell to Basement -- Were

Condemned Yesterday.

Twenty persons had a miraculous escape from being crushed to death at 11:45 o'clock yesterday morning when the front section of two buildings, located at 1403-1405 Grand avenue, collapsed and the walls fell inward carrying the roof and second floor to the basement. The buildings were condemned yesterday by the building inspector and ordered torn down. Adolph Dose conducts a saloon in the building at 1403 Grand avenue and there were ten men in his saloon when the collapse came. All escaped without injury. Henry Carter, a porter employed by Mr. Dose, was in the basement when he noticed a section of the sustaining wall on the south side of the building had fallen out. He went upstairs and reported the matter to Mr. Dose, who telephoned John E. Lach, a furniture dealer, the owner of the building. When Mr. Lach reached the saloon he and Mr. Dose went to the basement to examine the wall and had returned to the main floor when a rumbling noise was heard and the patrons in the saloon ran out.

The bartender, Charles Wedlick, was behind the bar at the time. He said he was walking towards the front end of the bar and noticed that as he got nearer the front end he was sinking below the bar. Wedlick ran from behind the bar and down into the basement, where he stood beneath a large girder in the center of the building. He was not struck by any of the flying bricks and timber, but the lime dust nearly suffocated him.

In the saloon at the time were Adolph Dose, Charles Wedlick, Peter Fielding, a contractor; Fred Hay, and insurance agent; John Baird, a constable; Henry Carter, the porter, and John E. Lach, the proprietor of the building, besides three strangers.

Above the saloon Kim Ying Woy conducts a chop suey restaurant. He was in the rear of his place with his cook. They were not hurt and walked down to the yard in the rear.

When the wall of the building at 1403 Grand avenue gave way the roof and second floor of the building at 1405 caved in. In the latter building Louis Lustig conducted a grocery store and the second floor was used as rooming house, occupied by Mrs. Edna Cooley. Persons in this place failed to get out when the first rumbling noise was heard. When the front wall fell to the sidewalk Mrs. Cooley and Flora Everest, a roomer, were in the front room and were dropped to the sidewalk with the falling walls. Mrs. Cooley was in bed at the time of the accident. Two men were also pitched out the front part of the building Charles Graham, a hack driver who was in the house, ran out the back way.

Only the clerk, J. B. Routh, was in the grocery store. He escaped through the rear door when he heard the crash. Mr. Lustig was standing in front of his store and his driver, Clinton Smith, was in the yard in the rear. The building at 1405 Grand Avenue is owned by A. P. Thurman.

Mr. Dose estimated his loss at about $3,000. He did not know whether his insurance covered accidents or not. He said his stock of goods was not damaged, but the bar fixtures are a total loss. He erected a small frame shed in the rear of his saloon and will continue in business there until he can secure a location. Mr. Lustig could not estimate what his loss would be.

Forty-five years ago two frame buildings collapsed in the same block in which the buildings fell yesterday. In one of the buildings was Josephine E. Vaughn, sister of the desperado Vaughn, who was caught among the falling timbers and killed. Those buildings were erected in 1857, and their collapse was occasioned in the same manner which ruined the buildings yesterday afternoon. At 1302 Grand avenue a frame building collapsed about eighteen years ago. No one was injured in the accident.

Labels: Grand avenue, grocers, restaurants, saloon

June 7, 1908

POLICE RAIDS FOLLOW

JONES'S MIDNIGHT TRIP

THIRTY WOMEN ARRESTED AND

RELEASED ON BOND.

Cafes That Made a Specialty of Serv-

ing Drinks to Women and

Their Escorts Visited by

Plain Clothes Men.

The recent midnight visit of Police Commissioner Elliot H. Jones to the wine rooms in the vicinity of Eighth and Central streets resulted in wholesale raids last night, in which the police gathered in thirty women, took them to police headquarters, wrote their names on the "arrest" book, and then turned them loose on bond. Four wine rooms were raided in less than an hour after 10:30 o'clock, when the first swoop was made by policemen in plain clothes. The thirty women were secured at three of these places, commonly called cares, while at the fourth place, the Bull Dog care, at Eighth and Wyandotte streets, the raids had been tipped off, and a number of women and their escorts had disappeared.

Captain Walter Whitsett led the raid at Levy's cafe at 123 West Eighth street. It was just 11 o'clock when he and Patrolmen J. F. Murphy and J. F. Brice and D. C. Stone walked into the care and announced that the place was "pinched." The women were ordered out into a waiting patrol wagon. A second trip was made before twenty of them were safely transported to police headquarters.

Women only were arrested in these raids In some instances the escorts were allowed to go to police headquarters in the patrol wagon bu they went only to give bond for the women. Of the twenty women arrested at Levy's cafe, escorts gave bond for six of them, while Levy gave bond for the other fourteen.

IN A HOTEL CAFE.

The first raid was made at 10:30 o'clock at the Hotel Moore cafe at 206 West Ninth street. Patrolmen C. E. McVey, J. F. Brice and J. F. Murphy were the arresting officers. Three women fell into the clutches of the law in this cafe. They were sitting at the tables drinking with their escorts when the men in plain clothes walked in and arrested them. Simultaneously a raid was made on the Aldine cafe at the southwest corner of Eighth and Central streets. Patrolmen Ben Sanderson, John Julian and D. C. Stone conducted this raid. When they entered the place they found seven women and their escorts and as in the other cafes, they were drinking. The escorts of the women who were arrested in these places went to police headquarters and put up a bond for them.

Immediately after these raids the sortie was made on Levy's place. This is a favorite restaurant-wine room for the men and women who frequent such places, and there is always a crowd there. Especially is this true on Saturday night. Last night was no exception.

BLOCKED THE CARS.

The operations of the raiding squad were soon made known in the district. By the time that the squad had reached Levy's place and the patrol wagon had been backed up to the main entrance, a large crowd had gathered. East bound street car traffic was tied up while the women were being loaded into the wagon. Passengers on the cars had an excellent opportunity to see the raid and they availed themselves of that opportunity.

The raid on Levy's place was conducted with so much publicity that the news ran over the district like wildfire, and ten minutes afterward every one of these places was deserted by women. The programme had included a raid on the Bull Dog cafe over Harry Lunn's saloon at the southwest corner of Eighth and Wyandotte streets. This cafe has been growing in favor with the class of people who frequent such places, but the tip had gone out and when the raiding squad arrived they found the place practically deserted.

JONES LOCATED THEM.

All of those places raided last night were visited by Mr. Jones Wednesday night. Clad in motor car togs, he drove around over the district in his motor car, stopping at every place that gave evidence of being frequented by women. His was not a perfunctory examination of these rooms. Invariably he stepped inside and surveyed the scene. He also made not of the fact that invariably the rooms were connected with the bar room by an open doorway, a direct violation of an order of the police board.

Thursday night came and there was no cessation in the patronage. The word has gone out that the visit of the commissioner was simply a bluff or something to that effect, and Friday night sufficient confidence had been restored to enable the proprietors of such places to practically insure protection to their patrons. If there had ever been a scare there was no evidence of it last night until the raiding squad swooped down upon the unsuspecting proprietors and patrons. Contrary to precedent, the escorts of the women who frequented these places, were not arrested. The police gave no reason for this action. All the women were subsequently released on bond.

Labels: alcohol, Captain Whitsett, Central street, Commissioner Jones, Eighth street, Ninth street, police, restaurants

May 31, 1908

NEW CAFE VALERIUS OPENS.

The First Meal Served Yesterday.

Rich in Furnishings.

The new Cafe Valerius opened yesterday and was visited by hundreds of patrons. It is the swellest place in the city by all odds. The new cafe is in the basement of the Victor building. The mahogany used in the furnishings is of the finest. There will be a seating capacity of 125, with individual tables for parties. The mahogany is in its natural color, except the chairs, which are of darker finish. The glassware has been imported and is of the colonial style, while the ceiling decorations are simple but rich in design.

The comfort of patrons has been carefully guarded in every detail. The room will be ventilated by the latest devices. Fresh air is brought in from the roof and, passing under the floor, makes it exit at the roof again on the opposite side of the building.

The bar fixtures are as elaborate as the balance of the furnishings. All the wines and liquors are kept in refrigerators, the refrigerator being supplied by a local corporation and is carried into the building in pipes. All the metal parts of the bar are made of German silver.

The kitchen is supplied with every idea that possibly can add to the preparation of foodstuffs, with big ventilators reaching to the roof, through which the odors and smoke of the room are carried off.

The new cafe is splendidly lighted and represents the ideas which Mr. Valerius says he has been working out.

Labels: restaurants, Victor building

April 20, 1908

BOWDEN WILL STOP

THE 'BOOZE' JOINTS.

CHIEF IS DETERMINED TO DRIVE

THEM OUT OF BUSINESS.

Three Arrests Were Made Yesterday,

and the News Caused Other

Blind Tiger Operators

to Close.

The police of Kansas City, Kas., are prosecuting the crusade against the keepers of "blind tigers," and individual "drunks" vigorously. Between midnight Saturday night and sunup yesterday morning three "blind tigers" were raided, in which the alleged proprietors and eleven patrons were taken into custody and locked up at No. 3 police station. In addition to the arrests made in these raids twenty-six individuals were arrested and locked up at the different police stations on the charge of drunkenness. All of these offenders will be arraigned before Judge J. T. Sims in police court this morning, an it is more than probable that the court will follow out the administration's policy in its efforts to rid the city of this particular class of lawbreakers.

"I propose to make it my personal duty to see to the elimination of all 'blind tigers,' petit gambling games, and the like, which now infest the city," said Chief of Police Bowden last night. "I was out until 1 o'clock yesterday morning with a squad of patrolmen in plain clothes, and I propose to keep the good work up until the town is cleaned up of this class of offenders. Police Judge Sims is tendering material assistance to the department in showing those convicted but little mercy, and we hope to put a stop to the illegal sale of 'booze' on the Kansas side of the state line."

The chief says he will work every night for an indefinite length of time with the plain clothes squad, and visit every section of the city. In the raids made early yesterday morning, Jim Pullum was arrested in his place of business, across Kansas avenue from the Swift Packing Company's plant. Seven male frequenters and two women were taken into custody, the men being taken to jail and the women allowed to go home. Nealie Butler, who conducts a restaurant near Kansas and Packard, was taken in tow along with four frequenters.

The raids of Saturday night and early yesterday morning were noised around the city yesterday, and many of the proprietors of "blind tigers" closed. The crusade, however, is being kept up, so the chief states, and those who shut their doors yesterday figuring that the closing would only be a temporary move, may expect trouble the minute they resume business.

Labels: alcohol, Kansas City Kas, Police Chief Bowden, prohibition, restaurants

April 14, 1908

JEWELED BOX

HELD CIGARETTES.

DINERS IN HOTEL BALTIMORE

CAFE GIVEN A SHOCK.

WOMAN BREAKS

HOUSE RULES.

SMOKE WREATHS THAT CHECK

BUZZ OF CONVERSATION.

Waiters, in Panic, Appeal to House

Detective, and He Tells Inof-

fensive Citizen That Wife

Mustn't Smoke There.

A faultlessly dressed couple occupied seats at a table in the main dining room of the Hotel Baltimore cafe last night. It was plain to be seen that they were English.

The dining room was well filled with men and women. The orchestra was playing a piece in waltz time. Jewels gleamed beneath the many lights.

Suddenly the buzz of conversation died away. All eyes in the dining room became centered upon the table where sat the English man and English woman.

With graceful ease the woman had extracted a cork-tipped cigarette from an exquisitely jeweled case and lifted it to her lips with dainty fingers. A moment more and a thin wreath of smoke curled above her head and -- Kansas City received its first touch of the Continent and the Orient.

What to do?

The whites of the eyes of the waiters grew larger, whispered words passed over the adjoining tables and the orchestra played on.

The waiter at the table where sat the English hurried to the side of the head waiter. Everybody except the man and the woman watched the conference of waiters. The cause of the commotion apparently saw nothing of what was transpiring about them. The head waiter hurried to the lobby. He conferred with the house detective.

"Sure," said the detective. "I'll fix that."

The head waiter returned to the dining room. He looked as though he had just received a liberal tip. The diners eagerly awaited the outcome.

They were not kept long in suspense. Soon the form of the house detective loomed large in the doorway. He really looked the imposing majesty of the law as he crossed the threshold. The head waiter moved his head to one side. The detective veered his course in that direction. Then he did the most detective like thing imaginable. He walked up to a well-known private citizen of American extraction who, with his wife, had just finished a light meal and said:

"I wish you wouldn't let your wife smoke in here. It's against the house rules."

Did the private citizen laugh? Indeed he did not. He didn't even smile over the detective's blunder. What he said was direct and to the point, and when he had finished saying it the house sleuth apologized and cast his eagle eye over the dining room for the real offender. Then he made the same request of the Englishman that he made of the professional man. There was a hearty:

"All right -- very sorry -- we didn't know it was against the rules."

And that ended it. The lights still shone brightly, diamonds glistened, the orchestra passed from adante doloroso to allegro furioso.

The Englishman was Mr. C. Murray, secretary of the colonial office, London, and the lady was his wife.

"It was embarrassing," said Mr. Murray afterwards. "We didn't intend to break any of the house rules and when the man came to me and asked my wife to desist she did so at once. I asked the man if it was against the law of your country for a lady to smoke in a dining room. He said it was not, but that it was against the house rules."

Secretary Murray said it was the custom for ladies to smoke in public dining rooms in London and nothing was thought of it. This is his first visit to America.

Secretary Murray said his wife is prominently connected in England, but declined to divulge her name before her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Murray have been traveling through Mexico.

"We have been over your city," said the secretary, "and I consider it a well laid out city, capable of great extension and a very progressive metropolis, but," he added, "you have not progressed to the point where ladies are allowed the freedom that they are in the old country."

Mr. and Mrs. Murray will depart for Chicago this evening.

Labels: Chicago, detectives, Hotel Baltimore, restaurants, tobacco, visitors, women

March 31, 1908

TOUGHS BEAT AN OFFICER.

Sheffield Policeman Is Called Into a

Restaurant and Disarmed.

Patrolman Charles Seright of the Sheffield station was beaten and robbed of his revolver and club in a restaurant at 7208 East Fifteenth street before daylight Sunday morning.

Arthur and Harvey Leopold, Jr., and Frank Clay, who brought the officer's revolver and club to the police station, said that two other men had come across the officer jollying the divorced wife of the Leopold boys's father in the restaurant and had beaten him for it.

The officers in charge of the Sheffield station and Seright insist that Seright was called into the restaurant and set upon by five men, three of whom brought the revolver and club to the station. The assault, they claim, was for the purpose of settling an old grudge. Harvey Leopold, father of the two young men, at one time ran a saloon of Fifteenth street in Sheffield, and Seright arrested Frank Clay and Arthur Leopold on a vagrancy charge. They were released in police court Saturday morning. Seright was on duty as usual last night.

George Winkler, a dishwasher, was beaten unconscious in the fight and is in the general hospital.

Labels: Fifteenth street, general hospital, police, restaurants, sheffield, violence

March 27, 1908

HE SHOT A MESSENGER BOY.

Charles Greenburg Fatally Wounded

by Restaurant Keeper.

Fearing that he was about to be mobbed, as he claims, J. A. Quinlan shot and fatally wounded Charles Greenburg, a messenger boy, in the restaurant conducted by him at 105 East Thirteenth street, at 12 o'clock last night. There are several different versions of the shooting, each one who witnessed the affair having a different story to tell. The one which seems the most probably, however, is that Greenburg entered the restaurant with the intention of securing change for a quarter which he had borrowed from a fellow messenger boy, Joe Kelly.

Quinlan says that Greenburg became boisterous and drew a dangerous looking knife, threatening to cut up everything and everybody in the place. What caused Greenburg to show signs of violence is not known.

At any rate, Quinlan says he threw the boy out of the back door, and that Greenburg immediately returned, brandishing his knife and starting towards Quinlan. Quinlan then drew a revolver and fired three shots, one of which struck the boy in the stomach The police ambulance was called and the boy taken to the general hospital, where he was operated upon. The doctors express small hope for his recovery.

Just before he was placed upon the operating table one of the surgeons told him how serious was his condition and asked if he wished to make a statement. Greenburg told him that he did not know the man who had shot him nor why it was done. He gave a description of the man and it tallied with that of Quinlan.

Quinlan was arrested and taken to the Walnut street police station, where he admitted that he shot the boy.

Greenburg lives at 1827 Oak street, and was out on parole from the workhouse where he was sentenced a year ago to work out a $500 fine imposed for carrying concealed weapons. He is 19 years of age.

Labels: general hospital, Oak street, restaurants, Thirteenth street, violence, Walnut street police station

January 16, 1908

BOGUS NOBLEMAN

ARRESTED HERE.

POLICE MAY HAVE MAN WHO

SCANDALIZED PITTSBURG.

SOLD ENTREES TO SOCIETY.

POSED AS A TITLED ENGLISHMAN

AND REAPED A HARVEST.

Many Smoky City Millionaires Paid

Him Large Sums in Hope of

Gaining Admission to the

Court of St. James.

The police believe they had a foreign nobleman for a guest last night. If they are not mistaken their prisoner is none other than the person who recently set Pittsburg ablaze by collecting money from those funny Pittsburg millionaires on promises to introduce them into real British society.

For two weeks, the police say, this supposed nobleman has been in Kansas City part of the time visiting an East Twelfth street hotel. Ostensibly he was here to seek a profitable business investment, and was negociating for the purchase of property on Troost avenue. For some reason the suspicions of the police were aroused, and he was watched by detectives. Among others, Detective Ghent was working upon the case and he came to the conclusion that the man was none other than the Pittsburg celebrity. Tuesday night the detective traced the suspect to the Coates house, where, with a woman, he registered as from St. Joseph.

NO CHARGE AGAINST HIM.

Yesterday Detectives Boyle and Oldham were put upon the case. They traced the man and woman from the Coates house yesterday evening about dinnertime to the Morton Restaurant on Main street, and from there to McClintock's restaurant in Walnut street. As the two were entering McClintock's, the detectives placed the man under arrest. He was taken at once to police headquarters, booked for "investigation" and locked up in the holdover. Before he was locked up, he is said to have admitted that he was J. R. Spaulding, and that he was the man concerned in the Pittsburg scandals of last December. "Investigation" prisoners cannot be interviewed by reporters.

It is said no charges will be placed against the man. He will be presented at "show up" this morning and if he is the Pittsburg nobleman, will be ordered to leave town at once. The woman was not held.

MILLIONAIRES HIS MARK.

Reginald Spaulding, alias George Frederick Spate, alias Oscar F. Spate, by all of which names he was known, created a sensational scandal in Pittsburg last fall, when it was discovered he was an imposter, masquerading under pretenses of noble English birth. One of the most picturesque adventures of modern times, he readily won his way into the confidence of Pittsburg's millionaires by pretensions that were, to say the least, romantic. He offered, for a monetary consideration, to use his "social position" to obtain the introduction into the court of St. James of Pittsburgers who were able to pay the price. When it was discovered he was an ex-convict, a high-class confidence man and a bogus nobleman, Pittsburg was scandalized as much as it is possible for Pittsburg to be scandalized.

Investigation of his record disclosed some remarkable enterprises. Once as a representative of a fake South African trading company, he appointed a number of "agents" who were required to deposit $100 with him to secure their commissions in a promising get-rich-quick scheme. For this he was convicted and served two years in an English prison. That was 1903.

In 1902, he was married to Muriel, daughter of Lord and Lady Suffield, who had left her home because of a difference with her parents, and gone to South Africa as a Red Cross hospital nurse. Her name was removed from the records of the British nobility.

Spate, who is said to be of a younger son of a noble English family, had served as a subaltern in the British South African army. It was then he met and married the Lady Muriel. Later he is said to have interested his wife in a "salted" diamond mine, by which he realized a neat profit. Then he is said to decoyed the lady into the heart of Zululand, where he "lost" her. In order to find her, he made himself chief of a new Zulu kingdom and was starting out to avenge the disappearance of his wife, when she herself appeared in Johannesburg. It was after this he was sent to the British prison.

When the story of these adventures reached Pittsburg, the man was arrested, sat for his picture in the rogues' gallery and was ordered out of that city. Since then he has been lost. If the man arrested last night is really he, the police will be interested to know whether he was contemplating some other business coup in Kansas City.

Labels: Coates house, con artist, detectives, police headquarters, restaurants, Twelfth street, visitors

Special Report -- C. W. ANDERSON

WHERE ANDERSON HAS BEEN..

Details His Life Since Escape

From Leavenworth Penitentiary.

LEAVENWORTH, KAS.--(Special.) Charles W. Anderson, late this afternoon, in the presence of Warden R. W. McClaughry, of the United States penitentiary, covered in detail his career from the time he escaped from prison in October, 1898, up to the time he was arrested in Kansas City a few days ago. This is the first statement Anderson has made covering his nine years of freedom and it was made for Congressman Ellis, of Kansas City, who wrote Warden McClaughry today that he would present Anderson's application for pardon to the president and he wished to get all the facts possible concerning the man.

In the first place Anderson said his right name is John W. January. He said he and Walter Axton, upon their escape from prison on the night of October 9, 1898, went to Atchison, where they parted next day. He went from there to Winfield, Kas., and secured work in a rock quarry. In a few days Axton showed up there and he also took a position in the quarry.

About two months later Axton was found dead, but it was never determined whether he committed suicide or died a natural death. Anderson continued to work in the quarry another month, when he took a position, going from house to house, selling tea and coffee. He continued at this work about a year, when he went to Kansas City.

Upon arrival in Kansas City he became an insurance solicitor, but did not work on that long, as he did not like the work. Then he began selling tea, coffee and spices on his own account. He followed this a while, when he became a street car conductor and remained in the service until he started in the restaurant business.

This he sold out a few weeks ago and was seeking another location when arrested.

Warden McClaughry is satisfied that Anderson covered his record exactly as it occurred and he believes the prisoner's statement will go a long way toward securing executive clemency for him. Warden McClaughry said tonight that Anderson's chances for getting a full pardon from the president were exceedingly bright.

Labels: Charles Anderson, Congressman Ellis, Leavenworth, restaurants

March 3, 1907

LOCKED UP THE PEACEMAKER.

He Waded Into the Fight When He

Was hit in the Eye.

Skimmed milk caused all kinds of trouble at the Alamo restaurant, 420 Main street, last night. There is a sign on the front window reading, "A Great Big Meal All for 10 cents." Last night, a customer didn't like the taste of the milk.

"What do you call this?" he asked.

"That's skimmed milk," he was told. "We are complying with the law, for there is the sign on the wall. Only Skimmed Milk Sold Here."

Before the waiter knew what was up he had been soaked right in the face with the glass of milk. Then Peter Cankles, the waiter, and the customer went at it.

When the combatants reached the sidewwalk the time for a peacemaker arrived, and one bobbed up. In the melee he got a good clout in the right eye. That angered him and he sailed into Pete Cankles and smote him hip and thigh; winding up by bouncing a sugar bowl off of Pete's head. The customer who had taken exception to the skimmed milk and had dashed it on the waiter, saw his chance to make his escape while the peacemaker and Cankles were fighting. And he did so hurriedly as the police were arriving in force. They arrested Cankles and the peacemaker.

"I wasn't in that fight at all," the peacemaker said. "I acted soley in the capacity of peacemaker and then I got socked in the jaw I got sore. That's all there is to it. If you don't believe I got the wors of it, look at this lamp on me. Where's the man who satarted the fight?"

"What's your name?" asked Fred Bailey, desk clerk.

"I haven't any," he replied firmly, "I oughtn't to have any either. But to complete your records, I'll say that my name is John J. Jenkins, journalist, and I want that milk-throwing, bomb-bursting scoundrel brought in here and charged with creating a riot and then letting a peacemaker get the worst of it.

John J. Jenkins, journalist, was locked up, as he could not give bond, and Cankles was released on a bond arranged by Thomas Boblos, his employer. Cankles was taken to the emergency hospital, where eight stitches were taken in his scalp.

Judge Kyle will hear the case of the skimmed milk, the irate customer, the waiter and the injured peacemaker this morning. But the cause of it all, the customer, will not be present.

Labels: emergency hospital, Judge Kyle, Main street, restaurants, violence