Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-03-14
SEN. BURTON.
0-H
B
RUN OUT OF
GREAT BEND
Nonpartisan Leaguers
Grabbed by Crowd Of
200, Meeting Stopped.
Victims Stripped. Made
to Roll on Grass, in
Lieu of Feather Coat.


Lieu of Feather Coat.
Great Bend, Kans., March Is,
"Details Of the anti-Nonparti-
san league demonstrations in
Barton county Saturday and
late Saturday night which
reached a climax in the escort
ing from Great Bend Of J.
Ralph Burton, former United
States senator from Kansas
and the ta1ring of ]. o. Stevic
and A. A. Parsons, officers Of
the league, revealed that Stevlt
and Parsons were compelled to
apply a coating Of tar to them
selves after their clothing had
been removed.
After they had been forced by sew
erai hundred men to roll on the ground,
their clothing was returned and they
We're told to leave the county.
Inc whereabouts Of Stevic and Par
sons, who are state organizer and
state secretary, respectively, of the
league, were not known Sunday night.
Neither had word been received here
as to the whereabouts OF Burton or
OF Professor Wilson, another orsani-
zer of the league who was with Burton
when he was forced to leave Great
Bend.
Grabbsd by Mob.
Burton and Wilson were on their
way to Ellinwood, small town in this
county where they were to address a
meeting Saturday afternoon. When
they did not appear, Stevic and Par
sons came here to learn what had
become of them. The latter pair was
then taken out Of the c;ty and told not
to return. Later when they appeared
again in Ellingwood they were taken
IN hand by the mob and tarred.
When it became known at Lyons.
q 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 after them. Bugle calls
were used to rally a crowd to make
The trip and the gathering departed at
> O'Clock. They interrupted a Non
partisan league meeting and brought
stevic and Parsons to Great Bend,
arriving about $50 p. m. The party
vas augmented by reinforcements from
Elllnwood and this city and numbered
about 200 men.
Smeared with Tar.
They took Stevic and Parsons on a
'oad leading north from, here. NJ
opposition was encountered as they
marched the men away. A few miles
rom town halt was called and a
ruff voice commanded the men to
take off your clothes"
The men. while protesting, obeyed
md supply of tar was brought forth.
Smear that on" was the command
ssued and the two. trembling from the
hilly night air, began application Of
he substance to their naked bodies.
When they had finished daubing them
elves with the tar they were ordered
o lie down and roll in the grass. A
ack of feathers made this imperative,
1embers of the crowd said.
After this procedure had been com.
leted their clothes we're returned to
hem and the mob turned back to town
'arning Stevic and Parsons never to
eturn. To Stevic it was explained
nat this treatment was given him be-
ause he had violated promises to re.
lain out of the country.
Townley's Return Stirs.
Following the meetings of the lea
ne here and at Ellinwood last sum.
er feeling had been high against it.
ne meeting here was marked by thu
sglng of Mr.. Mills, q national organ-
er for the league. At Ellinwood
Getting was broken up and Stevic at
lat time went to Governor Allen with
protest demanding that Sheriff Yancy
taken from office. Yancy is now
putty sheriff.
No effort, it is said. had been made
J the league to enter Barton county
ter these disturbances, but after A,
Townley, head Of the league came
Salina recently and launched
embership campaign, it was indicat.
that the league intended to enter
arton county again.
Preparations were made BY American
,gion men and other opponents Of the
ague to oppose their entrance. The
gion men made it plain that they
,re not acting as members Of the
terans' organizations but u indiId.
Is.
Burton 10 jadioaaat.
Stevic's home is in Topeka. He has
en- active in Nonpartisan league cir.
.s more than year.
Former Senator Burton announced
Hutchinson just after the Ellinwood
Iturbance that he would make FORM
statement relative 10 what be term.
s'this outrage" when he returned
Salina.
Sheriff Sam Hill. of Great Bend, said
nday night that he had b4en umabk
secure any evidence that there Aai
N tarring party. Stevic md Par.
10 were in town Saturday, he said
] after there had been several near.
hts, he accompanied them out 81
N for several miles. 4