The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1921-03-17
TOWNLEY AIDS
GET COAT OF TAR
Kansas Crowd Forces Pair to Remove
Clothing and Smear Own
Bodies

Great Bend, Kan, March l4.AQuiet
prevailed today following the anti
Nonpartisan league demonstrations
Saturday which only temporarily ruff
fled the peace of Barton county.
With former United States Senator
j. Ralph Burton of Salina, Kan, safe
ly escorted over the county line and
presumably enroute to Salina after
stop at Hutchinson, Kan. last night,
the demonstrations which eliminated
in J. o. Stevic, state organizer, and
0. E. Parsons, state secretary OF the
league, being stripped of clothing and
painted with, tar Saturday night,
seemed definitely passed.
Burton, who was on his way to de-
liver speech on Nonpartisanism at
Ellinwood, when seized by world war
veterans and citizens, was reported to
be preparing to issue formal state
ment" on the Outrage" when he
reaches Salina.
Stevic and Parsons were compelled
to apply coating of tar to themselves
after their clothing had been removed.
After they had been forced by the
crowd of several hundred men to roll
upon the ground their clothing was
returned and they were told to leave
the county.
The whereabouts of Stevic and Par
sons, who are state organizer and
state secretary, respectively, Of the
league, are not known here. Neither
has word been received here as to the
| whereabouts Of Burton, or Of Prof
essor Wilson, another organizer of the
! l., L.
| was forced to leave Great Bend.
Bugle Calls Former Soldiers
Burton and Wilson were on their
way TO Ellinwood, a small town in
| this county, where they We're to adj
| dress a meeting. When they did not
appear Stevic and Parsons came here
to learn what had become of them.
The latter pair then was taken out
Of the city and told not to return.
Later when they appeared again in
Ellinwood they were taken in hand by
the mob and tarred.
When it became known at Lyons, a
small town nearby. that Stevic and
Parsons had returned to Ellinwood
again, former service men are report
ed to have gathered for the purpose
Of going there after them Bugle calls
were used to rally crowd to make
the trip and the gathering departed
at 6 p. m.
They interrupted a Nonpartisan
league meeting and brot Stevic' and
Parsons to Great Bend, arriving about
9:30 p. m. The party had been great
ly augmented by reinforcements from
Ellinwood and Great Bend, and NUM-
bered about 200 men.
Ordered to Remove Clothing
Stevic and. Parsons were taken out
on road leading north. No opposi-
ton was encountered by the crowd as
they marched the men away. A few
miles from town halt was called
and a gruff voice commanded the men:
"Take off your clothes"
The men, while protesting. obeyed
and a supply of tar was brot forth.
Smear. that on was the command
issued The two, trembling from the
chill night air. began the application
Of the substance to their naked bodies.
When they had finished daubfng them
selves they were ordered to lie down
and roll in the grass.
"Tarring Party Victim is Confined
to Bed.
Salina. Kan, March l4.-C. O. Par
sons, a Nonpartisan league worker
said to have been tarred in Barton
county Saturday night, is confined to
his bed here today. J. 0. Stevic, also
said to have been victim in Satur.
day nights trouble, is also here but
is able to be up. The heads Of both
men are matted with tar and they eX-
hihited hrl1ises and Hack ewes