Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-08-14
IT WILL COME UP TO TROUBLE MIR.
LEEDY ON ELECTION DAY.
SLAP AT A. o. U. W. AND M. W. A
APPOINTMENT OF DUNCAN A DIRECT
AFFRONT TO THEM.
They Had Been Prosecuting Him for
Body snatching at Topeka-He
Is on Trial at Thorough
fare Gap for Grave
Robbery.

TOPEKA, Aug. 13.-(Special) The arrest
Of DR.. Louis c. Duncan. assistant surgeon
of the Twenty-second Kansas regiment of
volunteers at Thoroughtare Gap, Va,
charged with desecrating the grave of an
eX-Confederate officer, besides showing
thai Governor Leedy made a mistake in
thinking it possible to break a dog of sheep
killing, recalls how the governor has treat
ed the members of the A. o. U. w. and
Modern Woodmen of karsas, by showing
favors to men who were connected with the
ghoulish work of robbing graves and steal
ing the bodies of wives of members of those
orders. The story of the Topeka grave rob-
berry cases is still fresh in the minds of the
people, more especially, probably. in the
minds of the members of the A. o. U. w.
and the Modern Woodmen. Three graves
were robbed at the Topeka cemetery and
the bodies of the dead wives of three secret
order men We're stolen. The bodies were
found at the Kansas Medical college. In
dignation ran high, and the destruction of
the college was only averted by the au-
thorities establishing strong guard around
it for many days and nights. A number of
students of the college were arrested for
completely in the crime, among others
Louis c. Duncan and man named Lowe.
Suspicion pointed strongly to Duncan and
Lowe as being more closely identified with
the crime than the Others
The "A. o. u. w. lodges and Modern
Woodmen lodges here helped to locate the
criminals by offering rewards. Resolutions
We're adopted denouncing the criminals in
the strongest terms after the arrests were
made. Members of these secret orders were
all stirred up over the matter. For this
reason the cases were sent to Wabaunsee
county on change of venue and. after
considerable parleying, the students all
m q lSrAI 10
convicted. however, and sentenced to the
county Jail. He appealed the case, and the
higher courts affirmed the decision of the
lower courts. Then Governor Leedy showed
his friendship for the A. o. U. W and the
Modern Woodmen by pardoning Lowe.
In the organization of Kansas volunteers
three months ago Governor Leedy added
insult to injury against these orders by
appointing Duncan as assistant surgeon
of the Twenty-second regiment. The ap-
pointment was looked upon with scorn by
the members of the two orders, and sew
eral Of them predicted that Duncan would
be into trouble of some kind before the
war was over. They were given no op-
portunity to protest against Duncan's ap-
pointment. because the governor made it
without consulting anybody who belonged
to those orders. and had Duncan mustered
INTO the federal service the same day. 1t
aroused the indignation of local members
OF the order. but they said that in the
light of the Lowe pardon most any kind
OF an insult might be expected from Leedy,
and they felt that it was useless to con-
suit him about it. They are talking among
themselves. however. and some trouble is
ahead for the governor. He is relying on
Webb McNall to whip the A. o. U. w.
into line. McNall is one of the high Off
Gals of the order. He is counted upon to
take care of that end. while Leedy catches
EN- from the other end. Leedy may work
his end all right and get the vote of the
grave robbers and their friends. but Nc
Nall will hardly be able to control the vote
of the A. o. U. W.; these are two factors
that will refuse to fuse
Up until the time of the grave robbery
aftair Duncan was a Republican, and was
temporarily assistant surgeon in the To-
peka insane asylum under the Republican
tiI aGiministration. AS soon as his connection
with the affair was discovered, the Repub-
lican board of charities discharged him.