The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-04
A BETTER CLASS
Kansas Is Experiencing Less
Trouble in Harvest Fields.
Considerable Numbers of /. W.
w. Are Infesting Wheat Belt.

State Fire Marshal L. T. Hussey,
who with Assistant Attorney General
c. d. Griffith has just returned from
a. conference with railroad representa-
tives and county and city officials,
held at Hutchinson, relative to the ac-
Invites of the 1. w. w. in Kansas dur
ing the present harvest season, de-
clared today that a better class of
men generally is coming into the state
this year for the harvest. altho con-
siderable numbers of the I. W. w. are
still infesting the wheat belt. Har-
vesters, this year the fire marshal de-
ciared, are scattering more than in
past years and where crowds of 200 or
500 men used to congregate, small;
squads of eight or ten men now are
found. This scattering. he said. tends
10 lessen the work of peace officers.
Representatives of the Rock Island
railroad, the Missouri Pacific and the
Santa Fe, chiefs of police of Hutchin-
son and surrounding towns. sheriffs
and county attorneys from nine of the
large wheat producing counties in
that section, the assistant attorney
general and himself attended the con-
ference, Mr.. Hussey said.
Twenty Under Arrest.
Some twenty 1. w. WIS are now
under arrest in this state, Mr.. Hussey
said Those held at Hutchinson were
questioned by the officials gathered
there and the fire marshal exhibited a
SNNAC u AAIlAG kubGS WUdl
is purported to be phosphorus which
were taken from the men. These
tubes, more Familiarity known as kit
ties" are about II inches long and
as big around as pencil, covered on
one end with a brass knob under
which is a thin layer of paraffin and
on the other end is a drop of magni-
flying glass. When laid in a shock
of wheat so this glass faces the sun,
Mr.. Hussey explained, the contents of
GhnTf
to smoke and then flame. When the
tubes are hidden in a stack of grain
or hay and the brass covering re-
moved, the heat of the straw soon
melts the gum and when the air
strikes the powder, flames leap forth.
The tubes were wrapped in slips
of paper bearing an advertisement
that their contents were meant for
illuminating dark rooms, etc. No in
dication as to the manufacturer is
contained on this paper, however, and
the fire marshal said his men were
at a loss so far as to- who prepares
this combusible- The contents of one
of the tubes is being anaylzed at
Hutchinson, Mr.. Hussey said, and he
hopes to gain some valuable informa-
ton from this examination.
Most of the men arrested with these
incendiary machines, the state fire
marshal went on, have plenty of
money in their pockets and Invariably
carry full credentials and parapher-
naIla Tor stamping membership cards
for their organization. One man
taken into custody, and believed to be
an I. w. w. organizer. had $42O in
travellers checks Most of the men
are unnaturalized, Mr.. Hussey said
and nearly all are of foreign types
Many of those questioned. he said, told
the authorities that attorneys were en-
route to Kansas from Chicago to de-
fend them.
Forced to Contribute to i. w. w.
Railroad officials attending the
Hutchinson meeting, Mr.. Hussey said,
told of several instances of I. w w.
organizers going thru on freight trains
carrying large numbers of men riding
to harvest fields, and forcing them to
contribute to the I. w. w. or leave the
trains.
Several officers present at the meet
ing the marshal said, said they had
evidence that the I. w. w. is now
organizing under a new name-''The
Red Feathers" Until this year, most
correspondence found on I. w. WIS
bore Chicago postmarSs, but this year
their communications seem to come
from widely scattered points. Mr..
Hussey is of the opinion that the
RED Feather" organization is in
tended merely to divert the attention
of the office from the activities of the
parent organization.
Five deputy marshals are in the
wheat counties this week making sur