Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-07-15

week resulted in a near riot early last
SATURDAY. morning. On Friday night
the inhabitants of the town retired
for their usual quiet nights rest
W hen at 2:30 a. m. >the fire bell sound
ed its sharp staccato warning.
People dressed hurriedly and hasten
ed to the streets to locate the fire
but there was no fire in sight. The
trouble was traced to the county
Jail where about one hundred /. w.
W.'s had assembled, gained enter
ance and covered the sheriff with a
number of guns demanded the pris-
oner who was one of their number
The sheriff was not anticipating
trouble and opened the door to see
what was wanted thus giving them
the drop on him. They took his gun,
keys, handouts and locked him in
the cell. took their prisoner and in
quiet and orderly fashion marched
him down the street. They sent the
prisoner out of town on the morning
train west. They did not leave town
and by the time it was daylight
and showed no disposition to move on
and assumed a braggadocio air over
what they had done.
j. F. Jones, mayor of the city, who
| is to be congratulated upon the splen-
did management of an affair that be-
gan to take On a serious aspect,
proved himself to be the right man
in the right place and the people
have him to thank for averting
trouble that was hourly growing more
threatening. Mr.. Jones organized
posse of armed citizens and rounded
up in all about $50 /. w. WIS and
told them to move on. The posse
escorted them out of town taking
them east and when about four miles
out they halted and it seems young
colored lad who had joined the posse
was carrying an automatic shot gun
and striking it on the ground acci-
IDENTIFY discharged it. Some of the
shot (bird shot) took effect in the
chest of one of the I. w. w. men
who was sitting at the side of the
road The man was at once brought
back to Wa-Keeney where DIR. Jones
tdressed his wound which proved to
be only of superficial nature and not
at all deep or dangerous. The err
lcumstance, however, caused an ur-
heaval among the /. w. WIS and
they were for wreaking vengence.
Mayor Jones was forced to summons
more assistance from town before
order was restored. At Ogallah the
men were put on trains, some going
east and some west. Before their de-
parture they threatened to return
with thousand men and burn the
town and shoot up things generally.
The mayor and his posse returned
and in the afternoon another gang
was rounded up and among them
the two leaders of the gang that
broke Jail were found and promptly
locked up and the others driven out
of town.
On Saturday night The mayor made
call for every available man in
town and country to bring his arms
and help guard the town. The cal
was we'll responded to and by nine
O'Clock the streets looked like the
Kansas border might have looked il
the early fifties. The town was pat
rolled at all of its entrances anC
when freight train came in from
the west at about 1870 word haC
been telephoned that it was full o
L. w. w. s and when the train pulled
: in the report proved true for the top
of the cars were full of men will
bundles ready to jump off but wheI
they looked down on either side o
the train at some hundred or NOR
winches5ers leveled with siniste
meaning they thought better of i
and went on
On Saturday afternoon Mr.. Jone
wired Governor Capper of the sit
uatien and asked for some re-enforce
ments and ammunition but owing T.
the Mexican border trouble his re
, quest could not be granted but tn
home guards proved adequate and a
the present time everything is quiet
G. J. Anderson, of Ogallah, lost tw
: stacks of wheat presumably fired b
. a couple of L. w. W's with whom h
n had had some trouble.
, The ajjutant general from Topek
; and the state fire marshal came ou
!. to look over the situation. TIL
: most danger anticipated is fire an
Il the farmers are taking out insuranc
on their wheat as fast as possible an
= precaution is being taken each nigh
that guards are on duty Vigilenc