BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS
NEWSPAPER STORIES
Attorney General Hopkins Orders Douglass, Kan., Meeting Stopped
Topeka, Oct. 21---Richard J. Hopkins, attorney general, directed the county attorney of Butler County today to stop a Ku Klux Klan initiation near Douglass, scheduled for tomorrow night. The word seems to have gone out quite generally over Butler County that there was going to be an open air initiation ceremony in a big pasture near Douglass. Governor Allen was advised of the proposed ceremony and at once advised the attorney general of the proposed plan. the attorney general got in touch with the county attorney by wire today and directed him to take whatever steps might be necessary to stop the ceremony.
"But stop it," was the final word of the attorney general.
(Kansas City Star ~ October 22, 1922)
Barred From Open Ceremony at Douglass, Kas., It "Went to Church"
Topeka, Oct. 23---The Ku Klux Klan did not hold an initiation ceremony in the open air at Douglass last night, as had been arranged, according to reports received by the governor. But the klan did put on a demonstration at a revival meeting at Douglass. The klan menbers, said to number one hundred and fifty, went to the revival in full regaila, marched into the church and delivered to the evangelist $160 for the WEsley hospital at Wichita.
Richard J. Hopkins, attorney general, had directed the county attorney of Butler County
to stop any open air ceremony of the klan. The officials there apparently made no effort to stop the demonstration
at the revival. The attorney general said today he was gathering information about the demonstration and expected
to use it in proceedings to be brought against the klan to drive it out of the state. Governor Allen directed the
attorney general to bring whatever legal action was necessary to put the klan out of business in Kansas.
(Kansas City Star ~ October 23, 1922)
EL DORADO, KAS., Sept. 13---The Ku Klux Klan made its first public appearance in Butler
County last night. Eight mounted members, masked and wearing white sheets, with the red K. K. K. letter across
their breasts, rode through the streets of Douglass. They carried banners proclaiming "100 per cent American,"
"America for Americans," and "Bootleggers, Beware."
(Kansas City Star ~ September 13, 1922)
Mrs. Shaff of Douglass, Butler County, Had Been Ill For Months
EL DORADO, KAS., Aug. 1---Mrs. C. L. Shaff of Douglass commited suicide last night by shooting
herself in the right temple with a revolver. The husband was in an adjoining room with their baby when he heard
the shot. Rushing to his wife he found her dead. She was 21 years old and had been married four years. She ahd
been ill for several months and had been home from a Winfield hospital only three weeks. It is supposed despondency
was the cause of the suicide.
(Kansas City Star ~ August 1, 1905)
THE NEW $70,000 AUGUSTA THEATRE
Augusta Is One of Best Equipped Theatres In U.S.
"Augusta has as good equipment as any theatre in the United States regardless of size," writes J. H. Kelley of the National Theatre Supply company of New York City. This company furnished all of the equipment and furnishings for the new Augusta theatre.
Dave Bisagno spared no expense in securing the very latest and best equipment in the way of latest type super-Simplex projectors, only used in a few of the best houses of the country; the latest type of lamp-houses, giving the best light obtainable. The booth is equipped with automatic changeover devices and is absolutely of the latest construction and fire proof. The screen is of the best quality flat white surface, so as to give the best picture obtainable anywhere.
The foyer and aisles are carpeted with a very high grade velvet carpet. The seats have a velour upholstered back and spring bottom seat. The colors of the seats blend with the carpet and decorations. The front curtains are automatically controlled from the booth.
Augusta the First Theatre To Have Neon Illumination
The Augusta theatre is the first theatre in the world to use Neon illumination entirely throughout the interior. This new installation opens a new method in lighting and is considered the most beautiful and restful illumination in history.
Combination colors of scarlet, jade and blue behind etched carved glass fixtures on modernistic chromium plated fixtures are used throughout the interior. Six modernistic ceiling fixtures and eight wall brackets are used in the theatre proper. Four brackets are used in the large lobby.
The large panels on each side of the theatre proper are illuminated by indirect Neon lights. Over five hundred feet of Neon tubing are used for illuminating the interior of the theatre.
The brilliant Neon decorating on the front and design on the inside and sides of the canopy require over one thousand feet of Neon tubing. All this equipment was designed and built by the Lite Craft Neon company of Joplin, Mo.
This is the first company to introduce Neon theatre illumination and also Neon decorations
for theatre fronts. The bright blue, red and green illumination has won the praise of theatre officials throughout
this section of the country.
(Augusta Daily Gazette ~ Wednesday ~ June 19, 1935)
FRANK WHITEHEAD DROWN EARLY SATURDAY
A strong south wind chopped the water of Lake Bluestem today as weary workers entered the
third day of a search for the body of Frank Whitehead, 55 year old El Doradoan who drowned early Saturday. A request
was placed today for a McConnell Air Force base helicopter to be used in an aerial search of shoreline areas.
A scuba diving team from Emporia was on its way to look below the surface as the grim two days and two nights of
fruitless efforts.
At the same time, a lake wide ban on all pleasure craft on the larger of El Dorado's two municipal reservoirs continued.
Department of Public Safety spokesmen said qualified volunteer help is needed to man recovery craft in the around
the clock effort, but emphasized additional boats are not being sought.
The tragedy climaxed an early morning fishing trip on which Whitehead, 1419 Lowe Avenue, and his father had gone
Saturday.
Whitehead's boat apparently started to drift from a ski dock as Whitehead, ashore was intending to help his father
into the boat.
The El Doradoan disappeared while swimming for the craft.
Richard W. Colby, director of public safety said the boat containing fishing gear and other personal belongings
was found in a cove across the lake. It was removed from the reservoir.
First notice of the suspected drowning was given to Butler County Sheriff officers shortly before 7 a.m.
Efforts to recover the body began soon afterward.
At times, seven to ten craft, including two amphibians have been used in the slow search with grappling hooks and
drag lines.
Over the weekend, hundreds of curious persons, watched from ashore.
Members of Whitehead's family also were at the scene.
Department of Public Safety police ordered all persons not involved in the operations to leave the area Saturday
night.
People have been cooperative, City Manager David L. Doty said today.
Workers kept an eye on the sky as rain appeared possible today.
Precipitation, in addition to the wind, would further hamper recovery work.
Colby said difficulties have included "wind, rough water and the lack of being able to pinpoint just where
he went down."
Wind direction changed at least three times Saturday he noted.
The first Army amphibian was rushed to the scene Saturday afternoon by the Sedgwick County sheriff's department,
Rudder and generator trouble developed, forcing the "duck" to cease operations for a time.
A second amphibian used by the Sedgwick County fire department arrived shortly after midnight Saturday.
Department of Public Safety personnel have been placed on 12 hour shifts and all days off have been cancelled for
the duration of the search.
City boats, a Forestry, Fish and Game commissioner and other craft are being used in the search.
Working at the scene or lending assistance are personnel from the Fish and Game commission, Augusta Safety department,
Sedgwick County sheriff and fire departments, Department of Public Safety men's and women's reserves, Skelly refinery,
city water, refuse and public works departments, Haysville Civil Defense, Flint Hills Amateur Radio Club and Air
Capital CB Club.
The women's reserve and the Salvation Army have set up canteens for feeding workers at the scene. (El Dorado Times,
July 14, 1968)
AFFAIRS IN BUTLER COUNTY - Outlaws Fleeing to the Woods - The
Previous Reports Confirmed
This morning Office Malone and P. McGraw, Esq., returned from Butler County. They left Emporia yesterday evening,
and bring the latest reports from Butler County up to that date. The Adjutant General is now at the front with
a sufficient force of men to compel order and quiet. It is expected that Douglass will be occupied today and the
lawful authorities reinstated. Very authentic reports from Douglass state that the Vigilance Committee is not disbanded,
but the members have scattered and taken refuge in the woods to avoid capture. The vigilantes, we understand are
headed by Capt. Tanner, and a man named Douglas, both of whom have been in the Texas cattle trade. In many instances
where citizens have been murdered or driven from the country, the murderers jumped their claims and appropriated
the property which could not be removed.
It may be interesting for our readers to know how the late difficulty commenced, and therefore, we publish in brief
a statement given to our reporter, from a reliable source.
On the 2d of December, four men were hung by the vigilance committee on suspicion of being desperate characters.
While there is no doubt but some of the men lynched were bad men and deserved hanging, yet others whom the citizens
regarded as entirely innocent were hanged and the Sheriff was called upon to arrest the parties who did the lynching.
The parties were therefore arrested and imprisoned. The principal witnesses against them were Mike Dra, formerly
of this city; Mr. Quimby, Dr. Morris and his son, a lad about eighteen years. The vigilantes threatened the life
of the men, if they appeared as witnesses, and to prevent their appearance charged them with cattle stealing, and
proceeded to deal with them as cattle thieves are dealt with. Quimby, it is understood, procured a bond with the
names of twenty citizens signed to it, for his security to answer the charge. The Committee then having ascertained
the names of the citizens who were prepared to vouch for Quimby, threatened to hang every man on the bond and did
lynch Quimby in the presence of his wife and hung Dr. Morris while his wife was standing by, and to complete barbarity,
hung young Morris in the presence of his mother. Mike Dra resisted to the last, and was killed in a hand to hand
encounter with the desperadoes. Mr. McCabe, who was reported killed, escaped. The Sheriff and Prosecuting Attorney
were obliged to flee for life. (The Leavenworth Bulletin, December 10, 1870)
Community Shocked at bridge tragedy; Story Pieced together
during week
Shortly before 7:00 p.m. on February 25, a grain truck driven by Robert W. Steffens crossed the Walnut River Bridge
west of Douglass. A short time after the truck crossed the bridge, two persons died and four were injured when
their vehicles plunged from the road level to the water line, 571/2 feet below. The dead were Lloyd Mitchell, 38
driver of one vehicle and his daughter Vondell 15. The injured included Mitchell's wife Joan; another daughter,
Mary Ann; a family friend, Rita Yarbrough; and the driver of the first vehicle into the void, Edward Johnson.
It is reported that Steffens continued on to Douglass after crossing the bridge. He stopped at a service station
on the east edge of Douglass and informed an attendant that he had heard sounds as he had crossed bridge. His spare
tire was missing from its rack under the trailer, and he wanted to borrow a pickup or have someone take him to
the bridge to see if he could locate the tire.
Meanwhile, Johnson coming from the west had plunged into the open span of the river. As his pickup plunged downward,
it nosed into a fallen bridge railing which served to absorb some of the shock and to turn the vehicle completely
around until it faced westward. It landed on its wheels.
John dazed and considerably shaken, managed to free himself, and after recovering his sense of directions, set
off immediately to get help from Douglass. He met another vehicle while on his way into town, and they established
a roadblock to prevent westbound traffic from approaching the bridge.
When Steffens asked for transportation to return to the bridge to search for his tire, the station attendant called
Douglass Marshal Jim Peak. Marshal Peak drove to the station, picked Stefffens up, and was on his way to the bridge
when he was informed by radio that the bridge had been reported collapsed. Marshal Peak, fearing the worst, gave
order that sounded the siren calling the fire department. Witnesses estimated that no more than two minutes passed
between the first siren blast until the fire department was rolling to the scene.
Meanwhile, the Mitchell car had crossed two spans of the bridge and plunged into the vacant space, bringing a shocking
tragedy to the Mitchell family and to the Douglass community.
Men worked throughout the night. Hilyard Funeral Home mobilized three ambulances and one was called from Dunsford's in Augusta to stand by. Marshal Peak, the Butler County sheriff's Department, the Kansas Highway Patrol, Marshal Cox of Rose Hill, the Douglass Fire Department, and the Augusta Department of Safety worked late into the night at the scene. Some worked on into the next day. Investigations continued throughout the rest of the week and into the next. By the first part of the week following the accident, information began to piece together.
Steffens had been temporarily held by Butler County authorities; then released. Monday, March 1, a warrant was issued by Butler County Attorney Fischbeck for the arrest of Steffens, charging him with fourth degree manslaughter. Steffens truck was loaded to 83,720 pounds, or about 411.2 tons, with grain. The bridge was posted with a safe load limit of 10 tons. The truck weighted over four times the posted limit.
According to Trooper Persinger of the Kansas Highway Patrol, Steffens had loaded his truck at Clearwater and was enroute to Pittsburg, Kansas. He claimed to have stopped in Derby in search of a friend. This was the reason he gave for using the Douglass- Rose Hill route.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that Steffens trailer had sustained a shock to the rear tires that was sufficient to drive them upward, damaging a crossbeam just below the floor. This indicated that the bridge collapsed just as the truck was about to clear the east end of the span.
Two consulting engineers and the Butler county engineers conducted as investigation of the fallen bridge. County engineer T.L. Farmer told the Tribune Tuesday that there was no question whatever that the investigation was confirming the fact that the bridge was structurally sound at the posted limit of 10 tons.
Stories circulated that the bridge had been condemned years ago were refuted. These stories possible had their origin in the fact that the county has been saving and accumulating funds over the past several years with the replacement of the bridge in mind. The decision to replace the bridge was made in view of the amount of traffic the Douglass-Rose Hill road carries, the narrowness of the roadway on the bridge, the poor vision to the west, an the frequency with which the Walnut floodwaters render the road useless.
The old bridge is now closed and with a definite finality. (Douglass Tribune Thursday March 4, 1965 - Submitted by Kyle M. Condon)
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