Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-14
Tar and Grass for
Non-Partisan League
Officers in Kansas

OIk1CCI6 III xAU1t000
Great Bend. Kas.. March 13.-De-
tails Of the anti-non-partisan League
demonstration in Butler county yes
terday and last night which reached .
climax in the escorting from Great
Bend Of ]. Ralph Burton. former Unit
ed States senator from Kansas. and
the tarring of ]. O. Stevio
and A. A. Parsons, officers of the
league, revealed today that stevic and
Parsons were compelled to apply a
coating of tar to themselves after
their clothing had been removed. Aft
er they had been forced by the crowd
of several hundred mem to all on 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,
were not known tonight. Neither had
word been received here as to the
whereabouts of Burton or of Prof.
Wilson. another organizer Of the
league. who was with Burton when
he was forced to leave Great Bend.
Burton and Wilson were on their
way to Ellinwood, a small town in this
county, where they were to address
a meeting yesterday afternoon. When
they didsnot appear, Stevic and Par
sons came here to learn what had be-
come of them. The latter pair was
then taken out of the city and told
not to return. When they again ap-
peared they were tarred.
When it became known at Lyons,
small town nearby that Stevic and
Parsons had returned to Ellinwood
again, American Legion men are re-
ported to have gathered for the pur-
pose of going there after them. Blu
to make the trip and the gathering
left at six O'Clock. They interrupted
Ia non-partisan league meeting and
brought Stevic and Parsons to Great
Bend. arriving about $3.50 P. M.
The party numbering about 200
men, took Stevic and Parsons out on
a road leading north from here. No
opposition was met. A few miles
fl ON town a halt was called and the
tiicu WeIc oIucIcu W ISAlioNC IhOh
clothes.
Protesting, they obeyed and a sup
ply of tar was brought forth.
Smear that on" was the command
and the two, trembling from the cold
night air began the application of
the substance to their naked bodies.
When they had finished they were
ordered to lie down and roll in the
grass. Lack of feathers made this
imperative members of the crowd
said.
Their clothes then were returned
to them and the mob turned back
to town, warning Stevic and Parsons
never to return. To Stevic it was
explained that this treatment was
given him because he had violated
promises to remain out of the coun-
ty and that the purpose was to keep
him out through fear.
The Legion men made it plain that
they were not acting as members of
| the Veterans organization but as in
dividuals.
Stevic's home is in Topeka. He
has been active in non-partisan
league circles more than a year.
/ Former Senator Burton announced
at Hutchinson just after the Film
wood disturbance that he would
make a formal statement relative to
what he termed this outrage" when
he returned to Salina.
Sheriff Sam Hill, of Great Bend,
said tonight that he had been una
BILE to secure any evidence that there
had been tarring party. Stevic and
Parsons were in town yesterday, he
said, and after there had been sew
eral near fights, he accompanied
them out of town for seven miles,
following behind in second automo-
! bile as a matter of protection. He
saw no other machines or any evil
dence of demonstration, he said He
also said that he had not seen Sena-
tor Burton.