The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-25
Capper Wires President Urging
Drastic Action Today.
This Step Follows Duel Trag-
edy in Border Brawl.
IT is THE ONLY LEGAL WAY
Officers Cannot Close Saloons
Unless President Acts.
Feeling Growing Between Mis-
souri, and Kansas Citizens.

Two men were killed in a revolver
duel in the Val Blatz saloon, Drydale'
Saturday evening and a reporter for
a Leavenworth newspaper was, at the
point of a gun held by a deputy sher-
if, forced to leave the saloon village
in order that the details of the affair
might be covered up.
incidentally. in the double killing
Drydale wrote another paragraph TO
It's epitaph LeaVenwOrth. located just
across the Missouri river with a toll
bridge connecting, is aroused over the
places existence.
Information received today by Gov
ernor Capper to the effect that Mis-
souri, state officials had declared
themselves unable to close the saloons
and that relief could only be AFFORDED
by President Wilson, caused Governor
Capper to wire the president In MS
telegram the Kansas governor points
to Saturday nights tragedy, the
drunken conditions of soldiers that
night and the opening of tie saloons
Immediately after THE murder as ad-
ditional reasons for executive actloh
against the saloons in Missouri
The closing of the Drydale saloons
was put directly up to President VIII
son by Francis NJ. Wilson, United
states district attorney of Missouri.
Mr. Wilson stated that he was not IN
position to take the initiative IN the
province of the war department.
Await Washington Orders.
"Drvdale." he said. will be closed
immediately after orders are received
from the war department to the effect
that a restricted zone has been estab-
l.shd around Fort Leavenworth.
Then the law, under which the pres
ident may act, was quoted. 1t reads:
THE president of the United States,
as commandments of the army. is
authorized to make such regulation
governing the prohibition of alcoholic
liquors in and near military camps and
to the officers and enlisted men of the
army as ne may from time to time
deem necessary or advisable"
The two men killed in the duel Sat
urdav night were William e. Harvey,
said to be a Leavenworth gunman, and
Edward Patsy Culver; a deputy
sheriff The shooting followed inter-
ference of officers in a fight between
Harvey and Fritz Boeppler of Leav
enworth The duel occurred at
O'Clock while the saloon was crowded
with the usual Saturday nighters.
Feeling on Border.
Antagonism was shown. according
to several present at the affair Satur-
day night. by the Missourians toward
Kansans in the village. Deputy sher-
ifs clearly indicated that they be-
lieved persons from across the riv
err had no right to take any hand
y atever in the affairs of the sordid
place. Sheriff J. A. Vestal, it Is said.
disapproved of the action of the dep
uty in marching the Leavenworth
newspaper man out of town at the
point of a gun and caused him to be
admitted again.
Kansans who have crossed the river
into Drydale since the shooting have
been forced to strictly mind their
own business" The fact that the duel
was between a Kansan and a Mis-
sourian served to add to the antagon-
ism.
Every saloon in Drydale. including
the Val Blatz, closed Immediately af-
ter the shooting and remained with
their doors shut until the bodies of
the two dead men We're taken away.
According to information received
here over long distance telephone
from Leavenworth it is said that
Sheriff Vestal told the saIoonkeepers
they could open again.
At any rate the saloons opened and
in five minutes, the "wettest town in
the world" having added another
page of lawlessness to its sordid his
tory. was in full swing with the bars
crowded