Our Past Is Present March 27, 2017

This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Today’s story is about a missing boy who ended up being in trouble with officials of the M.K. &T Railroad Company.  His name was Henry Rand and he was about 13 years of age.  He was a frequent visitor to Junction City during the early months of 1873.   At one time, Henry was a news boy on the M.K. & T. Railroad and was in the habit of hanging around the depot.  He was supposed to be an honest boy, but subsequent events proved that this was not the case.  One Sunday evening and soon after the express had passed going west all employees were absent from the depot, when Henry broke into the Katy Post Office.  He had pried open the money drawer with a pair of scissors and took a few dollars from the drawer.  The loss was discovered when a Mr. Kugler, who was an agent for the Railroad Company, returned to the depot office. 

            Mr. Kugler and a Mr. Munro had no clue as to who to suspect if it were not Henry.  So they instituted a search for him. After looking for some time they decided to look in the M.K. & T. passenger car, which was to go south in a few hours.  That is where they found Henry.  After questioning Henry they concluded that he was NOT the guilty party.  However, for some reason they later went back to Henry to search his pockets.  Henry told them “Don’t you put your hands in my pocket or there will be trouble!”  And so there was trouble.  But it was not the kind Henry had thought.  Mr. Kugler and Mr. Munro did search Henry’s pockets and found M.K. & T. tickets as well as the missing money.  However, with the stolen items found, Henry was allowed to leave without further confrontation.