The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-02
Might Have Marched on Baxter
Springs.
Governor and Attorney General
After Liquor Sellers.
JOHN DAWSON THERE.
With Major f. w. Butler He
Sat on the Lid.
Soldiers Therefore Waited in
Vain for Orders to Move.

Fifteen hundred national guardsmen
and officers were ready at moments S
notice to move on Baxter Springs last
week to enforce prohibition at the Bax-
ter Springs reunion.
Just a hint of trouble from Assistant
Attorney General John Dawson who
was on the scene to see that no liquor
was sold and the drums would have
been beating, flags flying and guns
trained on Baxter Springs.
For years liquor has been sold in
large quantities at the Baxter Springs
reunion, formerly a G. A. r. reunion for
the veterans living in southeastern Kan
sas. northern Oklahoma and Indian
territory as well the adjoining por-
tions of Arkansas and Missouri, but
since degenerated into picnic for some
sc, 900 people. The G. A. R., refused to
cOuntenance some of the practices car
ried on in conjunction with the reunion
and nave Withdrawn their support
though a number OF old soldiers still at
tend.
The fragrant manner in which the
liquor has been sold to the picnickers
has attracted the attention of Governor
Hoch and Attorney General Jackson
and they agreed that it must be
stopped.
Acting under instructions John Daw-
SON assistant attorney general, accom-
panied by Major F. w Butler of Yates
Center AN officer of the K. n. G., went
to Baxter Springs last week and plain
ly informed the county officials and the
officers in charge of the reunion that
no liquor must be sold. Governor Hoch
and Attorney General Jackson antici-
pated that trouble might occur when the
representatives of the state attempted
to stop the jointists and they were pre-
pared to have the national guards called
out and hurried southwark to Baxter
Springs. Everything was carefully pre-
pared so that the transportation or
troops would have been accomplished
without the slightest delay.
But trouble was fleet footed and II
took only a few decisive words from
John Dawson. assistant attorney gem
eral to convey the impression that law
was to be enforced, an impression that
carried conviction when the parties
spoken to looked beyond the massive
form Of the assistant attorney general
and saw the uniformed officer of the
K. n. G..
Dawson returned Sunday from Baxter
Springs and was reluctant to confess
that a movement of the rational guards
had been contemplated
.sThey have been selling liquor down
there at the reunion for years" said he.
The governor and attorney general de-
cided that it must stop and l went
down to Baxter, arriving there Monday
night
were farmed out to one man who had a
temporary frame building put up out OF
pine boards in which he had the bar and
the gambling layout. The building is
in a kind of valley off from the main
grounds short distance. They had evil
IDENTIFY been selling all day Sunday and
of course on Monday. The gambling
tables were thick and a man was going
around from one ia able to another, car
rying a big sack of silver and making
change He would go over to this one
table and hand out a ten dollar Dill ana
go to another and hand out another bill. !
Piles of money were lying about on the
tables. One building held both bar and /
gambling layout, the building about 5O
by 100 feet.
Hatton, who agreed to do everything to
assist US. We had no trouble whatever.
The funny thing is that everybody put
the county officials knows who the man !
is in charge of the place; they don't
know anything about it whatever.
"One of the managers came to me ana
wanted to know if we would not permit |
them to sell 300 cases of per cent. He
said the people were making roar and
that he would like to bring the per /
cent over across the state line. L told /
him that if they did about 100 warrants t
would be flying about their ears and /
that we would fight them from the JUS /
tice court to the supreme court, even If
we had to bankrupt the county, that /
the United States would take hand i
probably under the pure food law. The !
news of the two edged weapon had not |
got down there yet, that if they claim
ed to sell 2 per cent and got from un-
der the state law that way we could /
get at them under the pure food law. /
1.-The reunion is an incorporation and /
all of the concessions are sold by this |
to individuals. They have /
streets laid out most of the main I
streets named after the presidents and /
the cross streets named after the poll
ticians The main street is called Red /
Hot street and is a mile and half |
long. From $4,000 to 100000 attend and
some of the buildings are used year af-
ter year, they are built of pine
boards"