The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-10-25
THE KANSAS v1DETrRs.
Startling Disclosures Regarding the Origin Of
the Secret Order.

Special Dtspatcn 70 the 0looe-Oen1OcraJ
Topeka, Kan, Oct. 22.-Since the
terrible mutilation of the wife and
daughter of Agent Upham, of the
Pacific Express Company, at Coffey-
vile, Kan, by the explosion of an in
fernal machine, excitement over the
alleged existence of a powerful organi-
zation of anarchists in that state has
reached fever heat. 1t has been known
for years that Kansas contained
strong anarchist element, but the Chi
cago dynamite plan was first intro
duced in the terrible affair at Coffey-
vile. That the situatian in the state
| is grave is made apparent by the recent
| solicitous inquiry made by Sena-
| tor Plumb as to the actual strength and
intentions of the so-called ''VidetteS."
A prominent citizen of Emporla admits
| that he is member of an oath
bound secret order, but disclaims its
anarchistic tendencies. From Parsons
comes another admission OF the. exist
ence of the order, but a second disclaim-
er that it is loyal to the red flag of an
archy. More than year and half
ago the leading citizens of Topeka, or
a number of them, employed detectives
Il to ascertain who were the members OF
this secret organization. The result
startled the Safety Committee, and it
was determined to suppress publication
| of the facts. but no less than 200 men
were quietly discharged by their en-
ployers without the true cause being
assigned. Among the number were
dozens of Santa Fe employees
and young men who had been
regarded as good citizens. There was
| a strong element with anarchistic ten
denotes which gathered at the city
park in Topeka, the state capital,
!, every Sunday afternoon, to listen TO
| fiery speeches against monopoly and
the arraignment of capital, and the
speakers as rule were not over pru-
dent in their remarks. The leader OF
the dissatisfied element was q lawyer
, named Clemens, once one of the most
brilliant orators at the Kansas bar.
and his denunciation of law and order
! as melted out by the courts became so
: alarming that a Topeka paper began
: | warfare against these Sunday meet
: ings. It reproduced seditious circulars
) scattered broadcast in the city, printed
: in blood-red ink, threatening the city
authorities, and revived an occasion
when Clemens headed wild mob with
! the cry, ION to the bastile, and down
. | with its walls
The following Sunday there was an
o immense attendance at the City Park
+ and some wild scenes. One speaker,
young man with talr command or
language and oratory, openly advocated
the shotgun policy. and the police then
=. took cogniZance of the meetings and
u forbade further proceedings of like
q kind. Clemens openly avoWed that the
N execution of the anarchists at Chicago
q was murder in the first degree, and
- during the time efforts were being made
~ to save the necks of the doomed men
g. he made wild speech at Kansas City,
le winding up in frenzy with the query;
g How many of you will meet me In
Chicago the morning of the eXecutionp'
1p Later on Clemens sued the editor OF
n the Topeka paper for asserting that he
ia was an anarchist and favored blood
he shed and the overthrow of law. Moth
ar ing ever came of the suit. a few
a. months before the Haymarket tragedy
Y. in Chicago, Anarchist Parsons visited
+. Topeka and made violent harrangue
,e TO great crowd from the steps of g
"a leading banking house. In the course
re of his address Parsons said: "TherE
,o is no law in this land. The man who
,S steels loaf of bread to save himself
n from starvation is sent to prison. But
O. turning and pointing to the bank
''these robbers are not only let 90 free
but are aided and abetted by the so
called courts of Justice"
d. He was wildly applauded, but the
:, business community was deeply Wor-
ried over the event, and precautions
IL were taken to prevent repetition
1t of it.
r. The night before the execution OF
the Chicago anarchists the representa-
VI tives of the ''Videttes," or whatever
s. the order may be called, were in con-
z: slant receipt of kilograms from the
IL leading anarchists OF Chicago, and
a among the many received there were
sd several which stated that Spies, Par
% sons, Fischer, Engel and Lingg would
lie be rescued at the eleventh hour. There
at was no city in the country whose sub
~. 4
the final announcement that the an
archists had been executed with as
much satisfaction as those OF Topeka.
is 1t had the effect of putting dampeI
E. on the growth of the order in Kansas
IA and until quite recently there have
been no exciting occurrences due to its
10 existence in the state, for that it does
t, exist is. conclusively known by many OF
k the leading and best men in the state
OF On Sunday, August s, 1887, mass
&c meeting was held in the City Park
IS Topeka, which was called by distribu-
OF ton of circular printed in red ink.
ly citing the alleged outrages perpetrated
IN by the police, and stating that the
&c meeting was called for the purpose OF
demanding that the police court and
jail be abolished. Clemens presided al
the meeting, made the opening address
b, ship of the anonymous blood-red circu.
III lar, defied the authorities, to the great
~ delight of the motley crowd, who boot
ed and Missed at the few police present
to preserve order.
'That there is not repetition of the
Chicago Haymarket scene here to-day
is no fault of the police or authorities, ,
shouted Clemens. who was angered al
the presence of the officers. I'VE dare
, them TO interfere"
Turning to reporter on the stand
Clemens continued: There stands a
representative OF the subsidized press
He has belied the masses assembled
here to-day. He is beneath my con
Tempt
This sally came near resulting In q
lynching, the wild crowd crying oui
for the blood of the unfortunate youns
" man, with shouts of ssstring him up,
p. but Clemens, seeing the mischief be
nd had wrought, allayed the excitement
X by saying he did not refer to the re
4. porter personally, but to his paper
&c He then went on to demand the dis
missal of the police and adjustment OF
police courts, and characterized the
'e- police judge as drunken lout and 3
d. paUper upon the bounty of Taxpayers,
to all of which the police present
offered no objection. Clemens cloeed
by saying that If riot and bloodshed
came in Topeka the authorities would
- be to blame.
5; Free at Last.
N Two convicts were liberated from