The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-27
Topeka Labor Leader Had
Dealings With DR.. w. A. Nixon.
Man Accused of Great Bend
Murder Headed March Mob.
GLAD TO GET OUT ALIVE
Stevic Says Now That He Real
ICES Danger He Was In.
NOnpartisan League Organ
Tells of Mobbing Last March.

J. o. Stevic of Topeka, former state
organizer for the Nonpartisan league,
who was mobbed near Great Bend.
Kan, last March when former United
State Senator j. Ralph Burton and c,
O. Parsons, his companions, also were
subjected to indignities at the hands
of alleged American Legion members.
said here this afternoon that DIR. w. A.
Nixon, accused of having murdered A.
C. Banta, was at the head of the So
called American Legion mob that at
tackled him and his party.
Doctor Nixon was the commander
of the American Legion post and on
March IL, when Parsons and I went
to Great Bend to see what had hap
pened to Senator Burton. we were
taken to the offices of District Judge
D. A. Banta and there we met Doctor
Nixon" Stevic said. after we had
talked to Judge Banta for a while the
judge turned to Sam Hill, sheriff. and
told him to bring in Doctor Nixon.
When the latter came he was ques-
toned by Judge Banta but claimed
to know nothing about the indignities
that had been heaped upon US. Judge
Banta said something about giving us
protection until we could get out of
the county and Doctor Nixon said
something about not being able to do
this Then Judge Banta asked him
what was the matter, if he did not
have control of his men. Nixon re-
piled that he thought he could control
them"
Glad to Get Out Alive.
Stevic said this afternoon that fol-
lowing the arrest of DR.. Nixon and his
companions in connection with the
Banta murder he is more surprised
than ever that he and Burton and Par
sons escaped with their lives Stevic
unable 90 oifhoY nf
the men accused of having been i'm
plicated with DR.. Nixon in the Banta
murder were in the mob that attacked
his party, but he said that the man
who did him the most physical vio-
lence was a garage man who wore
overaIls. He said this probably was
the garage man implicated with DR..
Nixon.
See Hand of Fate.
Nonpartisan Leaguers in Salina ap-
pear to be inclined to see the hand
of fate playing the part of an avenger
on the Banta family as a result OF
Judge D. A. Banta's alleged indiffer-
ence to the mobbing of the Burton
Stevic party.
The Kansas Leader, Nonpartisan
League organ published at Salina, un-
der a double-column head in this
weeks issue, recalls the mobbing OF
Burton, Stevic and Parsons last March,
and, in connection with stories that
have been published to the effect that
DR.. Nixon had practiced in the Banta
family the Kansas Leader quotes
from a speech made by Senator Bur-
ton after the mobbing, in which the
senator said:
IF the leader of this mob be a law
yer he would sell out his client; if he
be a physician he would not be safe
to doctor your family"
Then the Leader says:
'1t will also be remembered that in
the first statement by Senator Burton
after the mobbing, he called attention
to the fact that Judge Banta called in
council the leader of the mob on the
afternoon of March 12, when J. O..
Stevic and c. 0. Parsons appealed to
the judge to have officials find Sen
ator Burton, his wife and Professor
Wilson and protect them from the
mob"
The Kansas Leader also quotes Doc
tor Nixon as having said in a public
address:
IF you will send Townley to Great
Bend, guarantee that you will not
be bothered with him any more"
j. o. Stevic said this afternoon that
he was positive Doctor Nixon was COM
mander of Argonne Post No. so of the
American Legion and that the Doctor
Nixon under arrest for the killing of
young Banta is the Doctor Nixon he
nqet in Judge Banta's office.