Jim Potter's Blog, page 12

It Was All a Terrible Mistake

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Reno-County-It-Was-All-a-Terrible-Mistake.mp3· It Was All a Terrible MistakeHutchinson News, June 20, 1934, page 1 caption: Mrs. Dorothy Cunningham, 25-year-old wife of Sheriff Ed Cunningham and Jack H. Huffman, alias Meinhard Ernest, 23 itinerant musician, whose elopement was halted with their detention at Columbus Sunday. They went their separate ways yesterday, Huffman continuing east and Mrs. Cunningham returning home. She was reported to have arrived last night. (AP Photo).

It’s Thursday night, June 19, 1934, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Dorothy Swafford Simon Cunningham, 25, wife of Reno County Sheriff Ed Cunningham, age, 37, has just returned to town after running off with a saxophone player. Having been apprehended days earlier in Columbus, Ohio, Dorothy is welcomed by her father, Tom Swafford, 45.  

*

Tom opens his arms to greet his daughter, “Dorothy, we’re so glad you’re safe.”

“Oh, Daddy, I’m so sorry; it’s all my fault,” said Dorothy, with tear-stained eyes, referring to her running off with a musician who had been working in an orchestra at Whatisit Club, a Hutchinson westside roadhouse, while Ed, her husband, the sheriff, was picking up a prisoner in West Virginia.

*

On the evening of June 13th, Frank Swafford, Dorothy’s brother, had accompanied her to the Whatisit Club. Later that night, he was the last known person to see Dorothy driving her Chevrolet Coach with Jack Huffman as a passenger. She told her brother that she would return after taking Huffman home, instead, she disappeared into the night.

The questions asked by family and the authorities were, “Where is Dorothy?” “Is she safe?” “Could Huffman have stolen Dorothy’s motor car and diamond ring?”

Once Dorothy’s disappearance had been recognized by friends and family, they searched for her in town before notifying the sheriff’s office. When authorities assumed Dorothy had been kidnapped by Huffman, who had been living at a nearby federal transient camp, they notified Sheriff Cunningham, and sent out a nationwide wire about the possible abduction.

Jack H. Huffman, 23, is wanted for car theft and kidnapping. He is described as six feet tall, blue eyes, and blond hair. The kidnapped party is Dorothy Cunningham, 25, five feet, five inches; blonde hair, brown eyes, at 126 pounds. The two are traveling in a 1932 Chevrolet Coach, Kansas license 6402.

After Dorothy and Huffman—whose real name was Meinhard Ernst—were apprehended in Columbus, Ohio, Dorothy told the authorities that she had not been kidnapped. She had left town on her own free will; the car belonged to her, not her spouse; and that she would never return to Kansas or her husband.

Ernst, the saxophone and piano player, said he and Dorothy had known each other six weeks. “I met her in a night club in Hutchinson. I was playing in the orchestra and Dorothy asked me to play a number for her. I knew she was married and her husband out of town, but I only learned later that he was the sheriff.”

Ed Cunningham was at a loss to explain his wife’s action. “She’s had a good home here, clothes, a car and about everything a woman would want. She had a nice savings account, and I can’t understand why she would pick up with a tramp like that,” referring to Huffman’s brief stay at the transient camp.

It was bad enough Ed’s wife had run off with a man; it was worse he was a tramp. The idea of a transient camp was valid, but too many of the people seemed to be living better than hard-working citizens, including the sheriff’s employees who had their wages cut while their work increased.

Ed agreed with the state director of the Transient Service, who said that an increasing number of clients believed that Kansas “is a land where the coffee tree grows and the sandwiches hang from twigs.”

*

Laura Swafford, mother of Dorothy, sat quietly in the darkness, listening to her husband and daughter, until she had to speak. “What about your Billie? He’s only six. He kept asking us, ‘When is mom coming home?’ We didn’t know what to tell him.”

“Mother, it was all a terrible mistake. I don’t know why I did it. I must have been crazy, leaving a home, a husband, and a son. I’ll make it up to Billie and Ed.”

“Ed’s not forgiving you,” said Laura. “He’s hired John Fontron to file suit for divorce. Your second marriage is over. As for Billie, time will tell if and when he trusts you again.

“Did you have your sister, Helen, participate in your night club visits to see the piano player?” continued Laura. “Because if you did, you may be helping wreck her marriage, too. Ed trusts his brother Paul, and this could destroy their relationship.”

“Helen hasn’t done anything wrong,” replied Dorothy. “It’s all my fault.”

“We’re glad you’re back,” said Tom. “You were crazy to leave, but you’re courageous to come back.”

*

Upon her return to Hutchinson, Dorothy had to face a community of people who would judge her as unworthy as a tramp. While she had to live with her choice of playing around, her former public paramour, Ernst, seemed immune from negative consequences. He took advantage of his free ride to Ohio.

Ernst was released from jail without criminal charges. He continued alone on his trip to Atlantic City, where he had a job waiting for him to play his saxophone and the piano. In his future, he would be judged for his looks, his clothes, and his music; not for romancing another man’s wife or for stealing the suit of clothes he wore at every performance.

At least his matched outfit didn’t belong to Sheriff Ed Cunningham.

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

The post It Was All a Terrible Mistake appeared first on Sandhenge Publications.

Hello Girls

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Sheriff-Fay-F.-Browns-Badge-Episode-11.mp3· Hello GirlsThe Reno County Jail, 15 Avenue B east, Hutchinson, Kansas, opened May 1888. The front (north) portion was the jailer’s/sheriff’s residence. Photographer: W. B. Glines. Credit to Reno County Historical Society.

It’s Wednesday, March 16, 1927. Cora Brown’s thirty-third birthday isn’t until Thursday, but she’s expecting her sister, Occie, and brother-in-law, to arrive any minute to help her celebrate. Occie’s promised to bring a freshly baked cake; Cora and Fay, her husband, will provide tea.

*

“It’s Occie and Sidney,” said Fay. “I’ll get the door.”

“Hello, Fay,” said Occie, handing him a picnic basket and receiving a kiss. “Where is she? Does she suspect anything?”

“She’s got the playing cards out,” said Fay, “and paper and pencil. I’ll take your coats.”

“Hello, Sidney,” said Cora.

“Happy birthday!” chirped Sidney.

“Thanks, Sidney,” said Cora, as she kissed him on the cheek.

“You’re gaining on me now,” said Occie, as she hugged her sister. “You’ll be forty before you know it.”

In minutes, the four were preparing to sit down when the doorbell rang. “If that’s an officer with a prisoner, I swear, I’ll tell him to come back in an hour, and I’m not joking,” promised Fay.

When Fay returned, he wasn’t alone. In filed a chorus of thirty off-duty Bell Telephone operators, all friends of Cora’s from her fourteen years working as an operator or information clerk. Originally hired at the Missouri & Kansas Telephone Company, Cora had gradually met most of her female house guests at Southwestern Bell Telephone. They had worked together until her resignation in November, after Fay’s victory in the county election.

*

“Fay,” asked Bertha, “what are you getting Cora for her birthday?”

“I’m taking her to the Midland Theater to see the movie The Taxi Dancer,” replied Fay. “It stars Joan Crawford and Owen Moore.”

But I thought you two already attend the movies every weekend, when you’re not out catching criminals,” Bertha said.

“That’s right,” Fay agreed with a wink and a smile, “but it’s the one gift I’m sure she’ll like and one she can’t exchange.”

*

Sidney said to Fay, “I read in the newspaper that you were called out to Partridge last night around midnight. Is that right?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” said Fay, “a county resident was threatened by four men. Right now, I’ve got them charged with disturbing the peace, but I’m not getting the full story just yet from any of them.”

Did you get any sleep at all?” asked Sidney. “The newspaper said you arrested Matt Allen on a warrant at 3 o’clock this morning for intent to kill.”

“Yeah,” said Fay, “I was already up and figured I’d rouse him from bed. The felony warrant alleged Allen had thrust a gun into the side of an employee at Anderson’s Restaurant. This was after the worker refused to let Allen spike a beer.”

*

Cora asked Myrtle, “Has Mr. Quigley said anything about the Senate voting to keep the ‘blue law’ ban in place?”

“He’s got a renewed bounce in his step,” answered Myrtle. “None of us were prepared to work seven days a week. We’re pleased the Public Utilities Commission is fighting any changes to the law; so are the street car conductors. Sunday should remain a day for ourselves, church, and the family.”

*

“Sheriff,” said a guest, “have you any word on those Colorado bank robbers who were nearly caught outside Garden City?”

“The Finney County sheriff thinks they wounded or killed two of the suspects who robbed the bank near Colorado Springs,” answered Sheriff Brown. “Two of the men have been identified as Eddie Jenkins and Bob Collins. Collins is an escapee from the Pratt County Jail.”

The newspaper said the car they used in the bank robbery had been stolen right here in Hutchinson,” said the guest. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” agreed the sheriff, “that’s one reason why our men and the Vigilantes have spent so much time watching the roads into Hutchinson, in case they retrace their route.”

*

“Are our subscribers still forgetting to hang up their phones?” Cora asked a few nearby ladies.

The women shook their heads disgustedly, as if the public purposefully ignored a fundamental rule of life. If a receiver was left off the hook, the company sometimes had to send out trouble men to notify the subscribers to replace the receivers on the hooks.   

*

“What’s this world coming to?” asked Miss Iva Lewis, speaking to anyone who would listen.

“Whatever do you mean?” asked Lois Gish, “we’re much better off today than we were a few years ago.”

“Increasingly, our country has more bank robberies,” stated Iva. “I couldn’t believe that bandits cut the telephone lines and then bombed the money truck on the way to the Pittsburgh Coal Company mine. I heard the driver of the truck and two guards were injured badly. Is anyone safe anywhere, anymore?”

Fay had stopped talking and was listening to Iva, who was increasingly anxious. This wasn’t the birthday celebration he had envisioned for Cora.

Fay caught Occie’s eye, rotated his wrist like he was reeling in a fish, and gave a sideways head-motion towards the nearby Victrola. It was time for some music, dancing, games, and food. Fay hadn’t planned the party, but he figured that either a game of charades or some Charleston dance music could spark a fire and encourage an evening of fun and laughter.

In the future, at the office, Fay was willing to talk to Miss Iva Lewis about common criminals, gangsters, and machine-gun mobsters, but not during Cora’s party.

*

Flossie Pate, 20, had received her on-the-job telephone operator training from Cora.

Playing a round of charades, Flossie silently read the written phrase to herself. Ready, she hunched over and held her hands open with the palms facing up, inches above her ears. Cora, her teammate, guessed the word ‘Atlas,’ then ‘world.’

Flossie held up one finger and Cora shouted, ‘first.’ Flossie nodded, then she used both hands in a fluid, parallel motion, from top to bottom, showing a curvy human figure, and added a half-circle above her chest to represent breasts. “Woman,” was Cora’s knowing response.

Finally, Flossie sat on a chair, put on a pair of imaginary ear coverings, and started pushing invisible cords and plugs into holes on a wall. Ready to guess the answer, Cora announced confidently: “World’s first woman telephone operator, Emma Nutt.”

“Correct!” announced the judge, followed by cheers, and a round of applause.

*

Fay turned off a few of the lights in the room. Occie entered carrying a cake with green icing and lit candles as part of the double Saint Patrick-Cora Brown anniversary celebration.

“Speech!” someone yelled.

Cora obliged before making a wish and blowing out the candles.

“Each of you will always be my family,” said Cora. “We’re the ‘Hello Girls,’ the ones who are a much better fit connecting phone calls than any young boy or man. We’re the efficient worker, the soothing voice, ‘the voice with a smile.’ Unfortunately, we’re barely paid half as much as men for our labor, but better days are ahead.

“I’ve learned tonight that while you connect each call, instead of repeating the phone number as I did, you follow a new procedure using two powerful words. I’ll use the same words right now. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

Cora took a deep breath, opened her mouth, leaned forward, and blew out thirty-three birthday candles.

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

The post Hello Girls appeared first on Sandhenge Publications.

Reno County: What Happened to Morality?

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Reno-County-What-Happened-to-Morality.mp3What Happened to Morality?•Reno County Courthouse, SE corner of Main St. & Ave B, Hutchinson, KS. The building to the immediate left (east) is the Reno County Jail & jailer’s/sheriff’s residence. Postcard published by Marion W. Bailey. No copyright date. Author’s collection. The Reformatory Herald (Hutchinson, Kansas), June 6, 1924.

It’s Friday, June 6, 1924, outside the Reno County courthouse in Hutchinson, Kansas. Reno County Sheriff Jesse Langford, 45, and his wife, May Burkhalter Langford, 42, are walking to their sheriff’s residence next door, east of the courthouse.

*

“He thought he could get away with murder,” said May to her husband, Jess, referring to Dr. Kenn B. Uhls, 31, of Overland Park. Uhls had just been convicted of second degree murder in the brutal slaying of William E. Gibbs, 77, a local, wealthy recluse, who was found in a pool of blood at his cottage home in Hutchinson on December 30, 1923.

“Like others before him, Uhls thought he was too smart to get caught,” replied Jess.

“And he’s a doctor, no less,” said May. “I know he was desperate with the financial failing of his narcotic sanitarium, but how could he do such a thing? Mr. Gibbs was a Civil War veteran.”

“Uhls couldn’t afford to have Gibbs, his heaviest shareholder, sound the alarm, to tell everyone that the promises of a quarterly return of 8% were a lie,” said Jess. “The Uhls Clinic was sinking fast and Uhls wasn’t willing to lose his investment.”

“But for a person to beat another to death over money is beyond reason,” said May. “What’s happened to morality in our country?”

“We personally experienced depravity first-hand when Harvey was shot in the back while he was trying to escape the auto thieves,” said Jess, remembering three years earlier when their son Harvey, just 16, had nearly been killed when a bullet narrowly missed his vital organs. “Because of their age, the criminals were only sentenced to the reformatory, not the penitentiary.”

“The more I read about the kidnapping and murder of poor Bobby Franks in Chicago, the more I question what is happening to our young people today,” said May. “Bobby was only 14; our Harvey, 16. However, the motivation of Leopold and Loeb, so-called intellectuals at the University of Chicago, wasn’t about stealing a car or ransom money. Their families are wealthy beyond our dreams. Those privileged boys, just 18 and 19, have confessed to planning and committing the heinous murder as an adventure!”

“It’s worrisome all right,” said Jess. “A few years ago, Uhls was a tennis star at the University of Kansas, and now look at him, a convicted murderer.”

“And to think,” said May, “our Harvey is attending the same university.

“No need to fret,” said Jess. “Our boy has his head and heart in the right place.” 

“Kenn Uhls’ parents were respected,” continued Jess. “It was Dr. Lyman Uhls who opened the sanitarium in 1913 after being in charge of the state hospital at Osawatomie for 14 years. He had a reputation of being a splendid citizen and always interested in the public welfare.”

Front: Jesse E. & May Burkhalter Langford. Back: Harvey Horace, their son. Photo 1928. Thanks to Laura Lee Langford Pearn (1985), daughter of Mary & Harvey Langford, granddaughter of May & Jesse Langford.

“Of course, Harvey’s above reproach,” said May. “I’m just thinking about what causes people to go down the wrong path, the evil path. Surely, while in college, Kenn Uhls didn’t dream he’d be beating an old man to death with the handle of a revolver until an eye popped out. At one time, he must have had compassion and empathy, don’t you think?”

“I would hope so,” answered Jess.

“The ladies at the church have discussed this during the Jesus Our Counselor group. Billy Sunday says that ‘civilization and society rests on morals. Morals rest on religion. Religion rests on the Bible and faith in god and Jesus Christ. The Bible doesn’t condemn any man because of his wealth.’”

“Yes,” agreed Jess. “Billy also says that America needs a title wave of the old-time religion.”

“Besides the surviving relatives of William Gibbs,” said May, “I also think about Dr. Uhls’ family. His mother, Anna; his wife, Charlotte; and his seven-month-old baby girl, Mary Lou, the cute thing. She was crying out after the verdict was read, when her father started weeping.”

“The minimum sentence for Uhls’ crime is ten years at the State Penitentiary, but he he could get up to 25,” said Jess. “It’s up to Judge Fairchild.”

“I’m a doubter about him ever spending much time in prison,” said May. “His clinic may go bankrupt, but he still has political influence. He could win an appeal or he could be paroled.”

“Or he could escape,” said Jess, knowing first-hand how elusive the man could be when not in jail. “His attorneys can appeal to the State Supreme Court, but that decision could take a long time. No matter what happens in court, every day, Uhls will need to live with his despicable act. Eventually, his family will need to cope with his absence.”

“I’m still puzzled at how our country has experienced a shift in public morality,” said May. “In a majority of people’s minds, prohibition is only a suggestion. Colleges offer our youth a culture of self-indulgence rather than one centered on work, discipline, and self-denial. This German philosopher, Nietzche, says god is dead.”

“It’s a changing world,” interrupted Jess, “not all for the better.”

As May and Jess reached the steps of their East Avenue B residence, May said, “Some people follow a dead philosopher, rather than religion. Too many people are influenced by a belief that the world is better with no rules, no absolute values, and no certainties. In my opinion, that’s a recipe for disaster.

 *

 Until next time, happy writing and reading.

The post Reno County: What Happened to Morality? appeared first on Sandhenge Publications.

Reno County: Good-bye, Rosa Carney

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Reno-County-Goodbye-Rosa-Carney.mp3Good-bye, Rosa Carney•Reno County Jail, 15 Avenue B east, Hutchinson, Kansas, opened May 1888, ca. 1889. Photographer: W. B. Glines. Credit to Reno County Historical Society.

It’s Wednesday morning, June 1, 1921, at the Reno County sheriff’s residence attached to the jail, 15 Avenue, East, Hutchinson, Kansas. Rose “Eva” Hopper Clark, 44, jail matron; and Minnie Marshall Deck,35, custodian for traveling prisoner Rosa Carney, 37; are talking prior to collecting prisoners for the train trip to Lansing State Prison.

*

“Please be careful,” said Eva, as she sipped her coffee. “You know she nearly killed Mrs. Mary Elward.”

“If we eat anything, I’ll make sure she doesn’t have access to a big carving knife,” Minnie replied with a straight face.

“Minnie! If someone heard you talking like that, they’d think you were being disrespectful to Mary Elward.”

“No disrespect intended,” replied Minnie. “I meant, we’ll be careful on the trip to Lansing. I know she’s unpredictable, and I can’t imagine the horror that Mrs. Elward went through while being attacked and held captive for several hours.”

“When Mary’s dear son, Rodney, visited us here at the jail, it was so he could be better informed for his duties as county commissioner. He told us that he thought his mother couldn’t remember everything that happened because she was unconscious for part of the ordeal. Rodney said that by a trick of fate the dull knife didn’t sever her jugular vein, but Mary received over a dozen wounds, lost a lot of blood, and needed 75 stiches at Methodist hospital.”

The Hutchinson News, January 21, 1921.

“At 76 years old, Mrs. Elward went out of her way to help a penniless woman,” said Minnie, as she frowned and slowly shook her head sideways. “She hired this Creek Indian to be a live-in maid, who didn’t have a place to stay and little clothing to her name. How was Mary rewarded? By nearly being slaughtered to death. How could any person be so cruel?”

“The doctors agree she’s demented,” said Eva. “They said she’s got paranoia with homicidal tendencies. In the time she’s been here in jail, over four months now, she hasn’t caused a disturbance, but she’s not right in the head. Bill’s sure she’s insane.”

“What does she do all day?” asked Minnie.

“She refuses to talk about her crime. Mostly, she incessantly rolls and smokes cigarettes, sews, and in the middle of the night sings, Goodbye, Dolly Gray.

“Back in January, when she nearly killed Mrs. Elward,” continued Eva, “she said she was under the belief that her employer was trying to steal her eyes, to take away her vision. Rosa also believes that she, Rosa, died as a Creek Indian and was reborn as a true Jewess.”

“My, my, she is sick,” declared Minnie. “Do you think she’ll ever get well?”

The Hutchinson News, January 25, 1921.

“There’s no telling,” answered Eva. “As sheriff, Bill takes a lot of insane people to Topeka, but most of them haven’t committed any serious crime. A few return to Hutchinson and lead pretty normal lives. But, with the drawing of a criminal complaint, Rosa will stay at the ward for the criminal insane until she’s cured. If that ever happens, she can be returned here to stand trial for assault with intent to kill.”

“Has Rosa ever said she was sorry for attacking Mrs. Elward?” asked Minnie.

“No, that’s a sign of her problem,” answered Eva. “She’s never seemed repentant. She’s expressed a strange belief regarding her right to take blood whenever she wants. When she talks like that, she sounds like a religious fanatic. Again, just be careful around her.”

“I’ll have Jesse and Herbert along,” said Minnie, referring to her husband, Jess Deck, 37, undersheriff; and Herb Clark, 15, deputy sheriff, son of Eva and Bill.

“You’ll all need to stay alert,” said Eva. “You won’t have trouble from crooked Dave Gilmer. He’s happy to get back to prison where he can do his time. No doubt, they’ll put him in charge of building paved roads, like he was here in Reno County when he was county engineer. Maybe he’ll learn a thing or two at the state’s expense, not from Reno County taxpayers.

“I don’t know about Hunter Gaines and Willie Bush,” continued Eva, “but I’m glad you’ll be an extra set of eyes for the trip.

The Hutchinson News, April 30, 1921.

“Remember,” said Eva, “Rosa believes the people of Hutch have raised money for her to return to Hackberry, Arizona. When she realizes she’s going to Lansing, not home, she may turn violent. Watch your self.”

“Hutchinson will be glad to see her go,” stated Minnie.

“On your return trip from Topeka, be thinking about a lady who would make handsome Rodney Elward a happily married man. I know he’s supposedly a confirmed bachelor, but it may be that he hasn’t met the right woman yet. He might be getting tired of personally cooking his own meals, washing his own dishes, and sewing buttons on his undershirt.”

“How about Minnie Bennet?” asked Minnie Deck. “She’s about his age and she could take her children along to his Castleton ranch. He’d have an instant family.”

“Oh, even though Rodney is down-to-earth, not presumptuous, I think he needs an intellectual sparring partner who can discuss art and the classics, someone who knows politics and is a progressive thinker. Even though he’s a farmer and a cattleman, he’s also a crusader, a University of Wisconsin graduate, writer, and lawyer. Rodney needs someone with an education beyond eighth grade.”

Click to open Rodney A Elward biography with newspaper photo

*

Jess Deck entered the room and said to Eva and Minnie, “If we want to be early to the depot, we better be leaving soon. Train number 10 departs at 9 a.m.”

Eva and Minnie didn’t have time to respond to Jess because as soon as he stopped talking they all heard faint singing. It was Rosa Carney.

Hear the rolling of the drums, Dolly Gray
Back from war the regiment comes, Dolly Gray
On your lovely face so fair, I can see the look of fear
For your soldier boy’s not there, Dolly Gray

For the one you love so well, Dolly Gray
In the midst of battle fell, Dolly Gray
With his face toward the foe, as he died he murmured low
“I must say goodbye and go, Dolly Gray”

Goodbye Dolly I must leave you, though it breaks my heart to go
Something tells me I am needed at the front to fight the foe
See, the boys in blue are marching and I can no longer stay
Hark, I hear the bugle calling, Goodbye Dolly Gray

 *

Goodbye, Dolly Gray was first published in 1897 by Morse Music Publishing Company. Lyrics by J. W. Myers; music by Paul Barnes. It was popular during the Spanish American War, the Second Boer War, and World War I. Reproduced above are three of the six stanzas.

 Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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Reno County: Looking Backward to Go Forward

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Reno-County-Looking-Backward-to-Go-Forward.mp3Looking Backward to Go Forward•Carolyn “Carrie” Norman Sprout. From group photo by McInturff Studio, Hutchinson, KS. Unknown date. Walter “Scott” Sprout. From group photo by McInturff Studio, Hutchinson, KS. Unknown date.

It’s Wednesday, October 29, 1930, at Sprout Ranch, 12 miles south of Mullinville, Kansas. Carolyn “Carrie” Norman Sprout, 49, and her husband, Walter “Scott” Sprout, 55, are moving into their son’s house.

A week earlier, on October 22, Carrie and Scott’s daughter-in-law, Thelma Barrick Sprout, 23, gave birth to a second child, Thelma Lorraine Sprout. But the euphoria of a baby was soon countered with grief. Mother Thelma died three days later from an embolism due to complications of the birth.

Now, the two children have no mother. Their father, Thelma’s husband, Clarence Sprout, 28, is grief-stricken and overwhelmed.

*

“Clarence must feel like his world has been shattered,” said Carrie.

“He needs time,” said Scott, “He and the children all need time and loving care.”

“My number one concern,” said Carrie, “is Baby Thelma accepting nutrition so she can get stronger.”

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” said Scott.

“It’s hard to accept they were only married three years,” said Carrie. “Do you remember when Clarence came home from Manhattan and told us he’d met someone special?”

“The Kansas State Agricultural College was worth the tuition,” said Scott. “Clarence was captured by Thelma’s sunny disposition, charm, and ability to make friends. She reminded me of you when you were a school teacher near Turon and I was farming northeast of town.”

“Those were the days when it seemed like every other person I met was a relative of yours,” said Carrie, as she burst into a laugh and shed a tear, cutting the tension of the past week. The round-the-clock care of Thelma and Beverly was wearing Carrie down.

“That happens when your parents have ten children,” said Scott.

*

Carrie thought of how death could change a family. After Thelma’s mother, Bertha May Barrick, died in 1918, Thelma, just eleven, was raised in the home of her grandparents.

“Clarence and the girls can do this,” said Carrie. “Thelma turned out to be the perfect lady. My mother, Harriet “Hattie” Eliza Smith Norman, 40, died of typhoid fever in 1887 when I was five years old. Despite her early, sad death, she’s remembered as one of the first teachers at Sherman School, the first school in Hutchinson. She made a difference to others and to our family.”

“Even though your mother left this world too early,” said Scott, “she gave you a profession to strive for which led to college.”

Captain Ephraim Augustus Smith (1815-1910). Drawing by unknown artist. The Hutchinson News, August 7, 1902.

“With five children, my father needed help after mother’s death,” said Carrie. “Being raised in Hutchinson by our grandparents, meant that all of us kids got to meet a lot of people and hear many pioneer stories. Grandfather, or ‘Captain Ephraim Augustus Smith’; and Grandma, Phoebe Root Smith; lived long, fruitful lives, and raised all of us to do our best.

“I recall the Old Settler’s Reunions when Grandfather led the Grand March,” said Carrie. “I heard stories of Hutchinson growing from a handful of dwellings and business houses with a population of 250 residents to what it is today. Grandpa and Grandma arrived in Hutchinson in the spring of 1872 when buffalo herds would occasionally disrupt outside work. Grandpa soon became the first county surveyor. I met his friends, including Houston Whiteside, Henry Hartford, and Eugene Meyer.”

“People deserve second chances,” continued Carrie. “When I was fourteen, Grandpa Smith had been nearly blind for several years. He could barely distinguish daylight from darkness, until Dr. Barton Pitts, of St. Joe, operated and removed the cataracts from both of Grandpa’s eyes. After that, he was able to see well enough to read.”

“Our country is a place for starting new lives,” said Scott. “I never heard Eugene Meyer speak French, but he was born in France. He was a pharmacist before he helped organize the first bank in Hutchinson in 1876.”

“Pet Nation and the First National Bank of Hutchinson have been a blessing in our life,” said Carrie. “When Pet invited us to run this ranch a few years after we left the sheriff’s office, I didn’t know if Kiowa County would ever feel like home the way it did in Reno County.”

“Yes, Pet’s done us right,” said Scott. “He’s a real cowboy and knows the cattle business from the bottom up. His sale of land to us permitted us to develop our Sprout and Son Ranch, and it’s given us precious time with Clarence and Thelma.”

“Life’s a mystery,” continued Scott. “Your Ephriam and Phobe were together for sixty-six years; Clarence and Thelma had but three.”

“Like relatives before us, we’ll step up and make a difference,” said Carrie. “We’ll help Clarence show Beverly and Thelma what it feels like to be a member of a big, happy family.”

*

Research for this essay began in 1985, when Beverly Carolyn Sprout Graves (1928-2008) and I corresponded about her family, including her father, Scott Sprout, who was sheriff of Reno County from 1917-1921, and her mother, Carrie Sprout, jail matron and cook. Beverly shared pleasant memories and photos with me. She was helpful and kind.

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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Reno County: The Corps and the Cannons

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Reno-County-The-Corps-and-the-Cannons.mp3The Corps and the Cannons•Ethel Rose Sames McGinn (1885-1967). Frank Niemeir collection. Effie Kate Sames Chandler (1885-1966). Frank Niemeir collection.

It’s Saturday, October 10, 1942, at Ethel and Tom McGinn’s house, 726 E. 6th Avenue, Hutchinson, Kansas. Twin sisters, Ethel Rose Sames and Effie Kate Sames Chandler, 56, are talking about no-win situations, specifically the dilemma Ethel has encountered for the past week as President of the Joe Hooker Women’s Relief Corps. 

*

“I hated doing it,” said Ethel, “but after a vote yesterday, I announced that our Women’s Relief Corps decided to donate our two Civil War cannons and the last gun entrusted to us by the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). The relics will again be sent to the Victory scrap metal heap to await destruction.”

“You fought the good fight,” said Effie, “the people of the country have been stirred up to believe that withholding any metal is somehow unpatriotic, even when the items are part of our democratic and military history.”

“I was trying to do my duty as I saw it,” said Ethel. “I knew it was a risk when I told Mayor Willis Kelly to return the cannons that he had ordered removed from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ monument. I didn’t blame him. He didn’t know who owned them. But our victory was short-lived; now the cannons will return to the scrap pile.”

Ethel Sames McGinn, in a special edition of the Hutchinson News, February 15, 1942. Hundreds of drawings of local personalities were done for the News-Herald by artists at a Kansas City company. No  individuals were credited in the publication.

“I couldn’t believe that the mayor had the cannons taken from the G.A.R. monument in the first place, without asking the Women’s Relief Corps,” said Effie.

“The mayor said that Army officials at Fort Riley had requested the guns be scrapped because all metals are needed in the war effort to defeat Hitler and Japan,” said Ethel. “He told me he had talked to patriotic organizations and they had agreed, but funny thing, he overlooked us, the true owners.”

“The newspapers have people aroused to a point where they are unfairly pressuring everyone to donate metal items, even items that are still useful,” said Effie. “I’ve heard of students taking metal trash barrels from the State Fairgrounds when the barrels are needed and can’t be replaced.”

The Hutchinson News, October 10, 1942.

“You know I’m all for the war effort and donating scrap,” said Ethel, “but the newspapers have gotten out of control by encouraging the public to shame anyone who is unwilling to donate an item deemed as scrap.”

“You can’t fight Editor John P. Harris as long as he produces a daily newspaper,” said Effie. “He really let you have it the other day when he said the women of the Relief Corps were sentimental, not practical.”

“Actually, I’ve given his comments a lot of thought,” replied Ethel. “There’s truth to the charge that we’re sentimental, but we see our compassion as a strength, not a weakness. It helps us fulfill our duty to preserve the past by educating the public. The cannons that were willed to us are valuable reminders of courage and sacrifice. I still believe their display at First and Walnut, as part of the monument, serves the greater good.”

“Ethel,” said Effie, “you don’t have a chance against the newspaper editors who are leading this scrap drive.”

The Hutchinson News, October 10, 1942.

“Why can’t the Army and the editors discriminate between an old discarded kitchen sink and a prized Civil War keep-sake?” asked Ethel. “Instead, the editors are obsessed with Reno County collecting 100 pounds of metal for every person in town.”

“Sometimes things are bigger than us,” said Effie. “When Sheriff Tom Jennings died, your husband Tom, who was undersheriff and experienced, would have been an ideal replacement. Only politics dictated a different course, and the governor appointed Scott Sprout.”

“Actually,” said Ethel, “I’ve recalled how well my Tom handled the unfortunate circumstances and how he faithfully supported Don Jennings for sheriff. Tom’s helped me understand this wild ride I’ve been on for the last week. He told me not to blame myself, that I shouldn’t feel bad for being unable to stop a runaway train. I’ve also thought about father.

“What about father?” asked Effie.

William Jasper Sames (1840-1908). Photo of tin-type, Frank Niemeir collection.

“I’ve asked him for help,” said Ethel, speaking of William Jasper Sames, who had served as a private in the 47th Kentucky Infantry and had died in 1908. “If father was alive, would he have wanted the cannons saved for history or molded into bullets? I don’t know.”

“We’ll never know,” said Effie. “But remember, you did your best. Because of father’s influence, you’ve made it your sacred duty to serve our country’s defenders. As president of the Joe Hooker Women’s Relief Corps, you’ve cared for Civil War veterans, helping give them better lives. You’ve decorated graves with flags every Decoration Day and engaged the public throughout the year.”

Ethel nodded her head in agreement. “Thanks for your support, Sis. I just hope that in winning this world war, our country won’t forget our Civil War veterans. Isn’t father’s dedicated service as important as today’s soldier, sailor, marine, or airman? No matter the war, all veterans are worthy of remembrance.”

Click to see a photo of William Jasper Sames and his wife, Isabelle Coleman Sames, in the rear seat of a 1914 Ford Model T Touring Car.

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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Reno County: Death Ditch

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Reno-County-Death-Ditch.mp3Death Ditch•The Hutchinson Gazette, March 4, 1917.

It’s Thursday, July 22, 1920, at the home of Harriet “Hattie” Moore Jennings, 220 Sherman East Avenue, Hutchinson, Kansas. Living with widowed Hattie, 52, are three of her five children: Don, 31; Mack, 29; and Beulah, 20. Hattie’s still holding a $3,500 check when Beulah enters the room carrying a cup of coffee.

*

“Is it hot in here?” asked Hattie. Before Beulah could reply, Hattie placed the check on her desk and began unfastening the top button of her blouse.

Observing her mother’s flushed cheeks, Beulah inquired, “Mother, are you feeling well?”  

“I’m fine,” she replied, “just part of the physical transition for women my age.

“I’ll never know if it was a premonition, but a few days prior to your father and sister’s fatal wreck in the heavy fog, Tom took out a policy with the Kansas Central Indemnity Company. On January 3, 1917, an insurance agent paid us $500 while I was still recovering in bed.

“It took the insurance company only three days to pay the policy. On the other hand, it will be about four years before the city completely settles its debt.”

“We were so concerned about you, Mom,” said Beulah. “Money didn’t matter to us. We were in shock from losing Mary and Dad, but we weren’t sure you were going to make it. You were in critical condition, paralyzed, with difficulty breathing due to a smashed lung.”

“I’ll never forgive myself for missing their double-funeral,” said Hattie as she dabbed a handkerchief on her forehead and upper lip to catch the perspiration.

“If you hadn’t stayed in bed, we could have lost you to pneumonia,” said Beulah. “Reverend Cole and the overflow crowd gave Dad and Mary an appropriate goodbye, with the six sheriffs carrying father’s coffin.”

“You know our damage suit wasn’t just about the money,” said Hattie. “It was always about holding the city accountable and saving future lives.”

“Mother, we’re glad you stood up to them with the help of Attorney Edward Foote, a former county attorney. The city figured they could get away with their dangerous shortcuts because they had City Attorney Walter Jones representing them.”

“Times were good for us,” said Hattie, “until that New Year’s Eve. That’s when our world came tumbling down. I worried about Tom’s safety during his law enforcement career. He was a deputy for the Anti-Horse Thief Association, undersheriff for Koon Beck, and elected twice as Reno County sheriff, but I never dreamed we’d be hurt together in a car wreck.”

Hattie felt tingling in her fingers, causing her to place her hands together in a praying pose as she slowly rubbed her fingertips together.

“Just closing my eyes can bring it all back, the fog, and our Ford car teetering for a second on the concrete culvert before it turned over and crashed on its top.”

“You don’t need to re-live the crash, Mom.”

“Remember when your dad was sheriff? We all helped in the jail. We were a team. As matron, I was paid a salary of $30, but we were also compensated for housing the prisoners. A big part of that included the cooking. Tom earned $250; Tom McGinn, our undersheriff, earned $90; and your brother, Deputy Don, was paid $30. Mack and Carl were paid deputies, too.”

“You had help, but you ran that kitchen,” reminded Beulah. “The prisoners loved you, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I wondered sometimes if they got locked up for the holidays in order to eat your delicious meals.”

“Until that foggy night, I felt like our family led a charmed life,” said Hattie. “Tom had been reelected and we figured we had another two years in the sheriff’s residence.

“We were all counting on it,” agreed Beulah. “Then our world changed. Within days of Dad’s death, Governor Capper appointed Scott Sprout, a Republican, to be the new sheriff. He’s done all right considering he didn’t have any law enforcement experience, like Tom.”

Hattie touched the top of her head and pushed down. She felt a headache beginning. “Do I blame the city? You bet. They knew the narrow Reformatory road was hazardous. They could have made it safer with a longer culvert and guardrails.”

“Their inaction was bad enough,” continued Hattie, “but the way they treated us and the users of their road before and after Tom and Mary’s untimely deaths, was cowardly. In an attempt to avoid any financial responsibility, they blamed Clay Township.”

The Hutchinson News, June 8, 1918.

“Your attorneys did well,” said Beulah. “It took the Supreme Court of Kansas to settle the argument that the culvert was in the city limits.”

“I thought this second check was going to be the final one,” said Hattie, “but eventually there will be another for the interest we would have earned had they paid it in one lump sum.”

“Beulah, do you remember your automobile accident about three months after our deadly crash?” asked Hattie, as she felt her heartbeat increase.

“Mother, I remember it, but it was just a bent fender.”

“Come over here and let me see your forehead,” ordered Hattie. “The flying windshield glass caused you to need three stitches. I remember the accident took place at Avenue A and Maple, where the street was torn up for the drainage ditch.”

“I’m healed Mom. That was a long time ago.”

“When you have children, you’ll learn how much you want them to be safe so they can grow up,” said Hattie.

The Hutchinson News, January 30, 1919.

“Mother, you’re getting ahead of yourself. I’m not married yet.”

Hattie felt light-headed and a bit dizzy. “I’m glad you’ve found a nice boy,” she said. “I’m not trying to hurry you and De Lloyd Misner to tie the rope.”

“I’m only 20,” said Beulah. “I enjoy my job as a telephone operator.”

“You’re still a young lady, it’s your bothers I’m worried about. They’re a few years older than when Tom and I married. Thomas was 27, I was 19.”

Beulah understood that sometimes her mother worried and just needed to talk.  

“I hope you and the boys don’t think I need to have you taking care of me forever,” said Hattie as she crossed her arms and shivered.

Due to the chills, Hattie took a deep breath and refastened the top button of her moist blouse.

 

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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Reno County: Who Wants a Baby?

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Reno-County-Who-Wants-a-Baby.mp3“Who Wants a Baby?”•Konrad Christopher “Coon” Beck was elected on the Democratic ticket & served two terms as Reno County Sheriff. Hutchinson News, July 14, 1914. Image from Frank Niemeir Archives.

It’s Friday night August 8, 1913, at Riverside Park’s airdome outdoor theater in Hutchinson Kansas. Alta June Barnes Beck, 35, is watching her husband, Konrad Christopher Beck, 37, on stage, stirring up the crowd. He couldn’t be happier.

*

“When will this heat wave ever end?” Alta overheard a man ask his wife, or a woman she presumed was his wife.

“We might as well stay out late,” she responded as she waved a hand fan in front of her face. “With this humidity, it won’t be cool enough to sleep until midnight.”

I like a joke as much as anyone, considered Alta, but sometimes, Konrad goes too far. Tonight’s a perfect example.

Alta knows that people enjoy the shows at the park theater, but many locals attend with the expectation that they’ll go home with a valuable prize from the Country Store raffle. Tonight, every paying customer has a numbered lottery ticket.  

But, thinks Alta, Konrad got carried away this time when he started advertising that a real, live baby, would be the top prize in the raffle.

It’s too bad and it’s unnecessary. We’ve had a lot of people contact us, and some of them are upset. “Is the prize an actual human baby or will it be a baby chicken or a pig?” they ask. Konrad answers, “It’s a real baby, the process is legal, and the adoption papers are all filled out except for the winner’s name.”

Probate Judge Charles Fontron has also been visited by those who believe this ill-advised adoption is improper, illegal, or both. The concerned citizens want to know what will happen if a single man wins the drawing, or some unscrupulous character.

Advertisement from the Hutchinson Gazette, August 8, 1913.

Konrad loves the attention. He can’t help it, Alta continues thinking. He’s a showman. He reminds me of the famous entrepreneur P. T. Barnum who advertised his immense, traveling entertainment as “the Greatest Show on Earth.” Using his gift, Barnum had a way of learning what the public wanted, then providing it. In some ways, Konrad has the same talent.

But, promoting Charles Stratton as General Tom Thumb, a mature man, isn’t the same thing as a baby. Stratton, less than two feet tall, and weighing just sixteen pounds, agreed to be exhibited at shows around the world.

But, babies can’t agree on anything.

Judge Fontron trusts my judgment, thinks Alta. He regularly directs me to find good homes for babies and children who aren’t wanted. And, I remember two years ago when District Court Judge Banta assigned me a more difficult task, finding a troubled seventeen-year-old girl a home to offer her moral support as an alternative to our jail.

My concern is about future adoptions, considered Alta. Will this crazy Konrad joke lead people to believe that he and I would ever permit a baby entrusted to us, who’s up for adoption, to be turned over to strangers without a careful examination of their character?

I’ll always serve the children who need caring homes. Hopefully, the public won’t see this public display of winning a baby as just a wild scheme to make money. If even a few people believe this silliness, then a baby who needs adopting may not get the opportunity to find a loving home through our efforts, or at a hospital, or with a minister.

Headline from an article in the Hutchinson News, August 8, 1913.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” announces Konrad, as he wipes perspiration from his forehead, “Get your tickets out. Our drawing for the baby is about to start.”

Alta begins to recall many of the children she’s helped by finding them new parents. But in the blink of an eye, Alta’s suddenly aware that the raffle number has been announced and Roy Cochran, 35, manager of the Bell Telephone Company, is walking towards the stage. Konrad is holding a baby, or what appears to be a baby, bundled in a sheet. People in the audience are standing up to get a better view of the stage.

“Is it real?” a man, near Alta, asks.

As Konrad, master of ceremonies and sheriff of Reno County, hands Roy the baby, there’s a gasp of astonishment from the audience. Konrad asks, “Will you take good care of it?” The telephone manager replies, “I’ll see to it that it has a good home.”

Alta hears a nearby woman remark, “I’m glad the little waif has found a good father.”

Another woman comments with disgust in her voice, “Why, suppose some worthless, no account fellow had drawn the baby, wouldn’t it have been awful?”

As Mr. Cochran leaves the stage with his new baby, to present to his wife, Mamie, he’s soon stopped by John Beck, Konrad’s brother and partner at the park. John speaks to Roy, and the latter hands the baby to John.

Alta understands, but does the crowd? This whole affair has been a joke. The real baby is two-month-old Lela Jean Beck, the daughter of Hattie and John Beck.

*

Alta watches as Reverend William Price, 55, approaches her through the crowd and considers her options. It’s too late to run or hide.

“Mrs. Beck, good evening to you,” says Reverend Price, as he tips his hat and smiles. Price is a minister without a church, serving as a district superintendent of the Kansas Children’s Home Society.

“Good evening, Mr. Price,” replies Alta. “Are you enjoying the show?”

“It’s a show all right,” answers Price. “It appears the publicity about giving away a baby tonight was a stunt, is that correct?”

“Yes, a joke,” said Alta. “The baby girl belongs to John and Hattie Beck, my in-laws.”

“Our agency has placed over fourteen hundred children in Christian homes in the state without ever resorting to a raffle. I hope the other children you offer for adoption are protected by a more strenuous protocol before handing over the innocents,” states Price.

Alta lets his comment hang in the air. She doesn’t think it deserving of a response. She knows that Konrad is doing what Konrad does. Alta doesn’t always agree with him, but she sure doesn’t need a busy-body outsider, like Price, judging her or her husband.

In the moment, Alta feels like inviting Price to go hunting with her spirited and feisty husband who’s as intelligent and courageous as a Teddy Roosevelt. If those two men, Konrad and Price, were outdoors together for any length of time, she’d be eager to hear a recap of their differing views of the world, especially knowing how much her husband likes to win an argument.

*

Konrad is again addressing the crowd and he’s holding something cradled in his arms. Could it be another baby? thinks Alta and Price as they wait for Konrad’s explanation.

Sheriff Konrad Beck holds up a baby piglet, who loudly squeals his discomfort to the crowd. “Get your tickets out!” orders the master of ceremonies, “We have another baby to raffle off tonight!”

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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Reno County: Saloons in Hutchinson

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Reno-County-Saloons-in-Hutchinson-online-audio-converter.com_.mp3Saloons in Hutchinson

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Reno County Courthouse, SE corner of Main St. & Ave B, Hutchinson, KS, opened May 1901. Offices of the sheriff, county attorney, & district court (plus court room) were on the 2nd floor. The building to the immediate left (east) in the photo is the Reno County Jail & jailer’s/sheriff’s residence. Postcard published by Marion W. Bailey. Author’s collection.

It’s Monday, May 27, 1907, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Florence Tharp Duckworth is visiting her husband, Sheriff George “Came” Duckworth, in his office on the second floor of the Reno County Courthouse at Avenue B and Main Street.

*

“How was court?” asked Florence.

“Tim Casey didn’t show up,” answered George. “Judge Galle rendered a summary judgement against Casey, declaring the $500 bond he had given forfeited, and ordered the clerk of the court to immediately issue an alias warrant for him.”

The Midland Hotel, NW corner of Second Ave. & Main St. opened in 1888. It was three stories high and a half-block long. Postcard published by photographer Marion W. Bailey. Author’s collection.

“I’ll bet Tim’s in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, and won’t return,” said Florence. “When he recently sold the Midland Hotel and talked of trading his cement blocks factory, I guess we knew he wasn’t going to stick around to serve several months in jail.”

“He had everything going for him, but liquor became the center of his life,” said George.

“He’s been going downhill for a long time,” said Florence. “Remember last year when he ripped the telephone off the wall of the hotel and threw it in the street?”

“When he sobered up and cooled down, it occurred to him that he needed to be nice in order to get telephone service back,” said George.

“I’ve heard that his wife, Mary, is getting tired of him returning home drunk and being unfaithful to her,” said Florence.

Advertisement in the 1906 R. L. Polk’s Hutchinson City Directory.

“It looks like Mayor Harsha didn’t try to interfere with the ruling,” said George. “I’ll bet he’s already had the chief of police talk to the new owner of the Midland Hotel about fines for selling liquor.”

“It’s funny how we choose certain words to explain our actions,” said Florence. “When the mayor receives money from the saloonists or jointists to help with the city budget, he calls it a fine. When the chief of police collects the money to keep the police department self-sustaining, he explains that the money has been forfeited. But, from the perspective of the liquor interests, when they pay $100 a month to the authorities, they call it a license and expect to be left alone to do business.

George laughed. “You nailed it. There are opposing, powerful forces. The wets and the drys don’t agree on much. Mayor Harsha sees it as a way to reduce taxes; Charlie Oswald sees it as breaking the state law passed in 1880.”

“It doesn’t much matter what Oswald thinks now that he’s lost the election for mayor,” said Florence. “The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) wasn’t as organized as Harsha’s forces. We’ll have more of the same for the next two years.”

George McCammy “Came” Duckworth (1867-1954), Reno County Sheriff 1907-1911. Photo from Hutchinson: The Salt City (1910).

“But there’s hope” said George, “Wichita has elected a new mayor who has appointed a new chief of police, and his force will close the joints. I wonder if any of the closed saloons will choose Hutchinson as a more welcoming destination?

“Tim Casey had to leave town,” said Florence. “He’s an example that there can be real consequences for breaking the law. Even if he never spends another night in our jail, he knows he can’t return to Hutchinson or you’ll lock him up. He’s also lost a lot of business by running away to Missouri.”

“Some people would rather the jointists be ignored so that taxes won’t increase,” said George, “I just don’t like it that the city gives protection for unlawful business. If the city police would cooperate with my office and the county attorney, we could close down the liquor trade.”

“Hutchinson doesn’t need another jointist, gambler, or a keeper of fake rooming houses,” said Florence. “If liquor wasn’t sold openly in Hutchinson, there would be other businesses prospering. Women and children would be better clothed with shoes to wear. Liquor leads to more criminals, the insane, and paupers.”

“We still have to contend with the drug stores that sell liquor and call it medicinal,” said George. “The other day in police court, there were two men arrested for being drunk and begging on the streets. Each of them claimed they only had one drink and they had taken it to cure their rheumatism.”

“What did the judge do?” asked Florence.

“The drunks said they’d get out of town if the judge released them,” answered George. “He let them go with a warning.”

“It’s complicated,” said Florence. “If we lock up everyone who has been drinking, then our jail is overflowing while we have to feed them and supply enough beds. On the other hand, if the city allows the jointists to supply intoxicating liquor to anyone, it encourages more drinking and more arrests.

The Smasher’s Mail was a newspaper published in 1901 (Topeka, KS) by Carrie A. Nation (1846-1911). It was devoted to the temperance and prohibition cause.

“Maybe we should invite Carrie Nation to Hutch,” continued Florence, watching George for a predictable reaction. “She’d be able to draw a crowd to organize against the saloonists.”

George raised an eyebrow. “You know that I’m against the open saloons, there must be fifteen, twenty of them in town, but Carrie Nation has gone too far in her crusade against liquor. Even the WCTU hesitates to endorse her anymore. She’s changed from her days in Medicine Lodge when her members would assemble outside saloons to sing hymns and to pray loudly.”

“I know she’s radical,” said Florence, “and she’s been arrested many times for disturbing the peace. When she destroys saloons with her hatchet, she goes to jail; when the city police allow saloons to stay in business, they’re rewarded.”

“If Carrie Nation, the saloon smasher, destroyed property here, I’d take her to jail myself,” said George.

“But,” said Florence, “if you arrested her, I’d volunteer to help sell her hatchet pins in order to raise her bond money. Those pins are in high demand.”

George was a smart sheriff but a smarter husband. He picked up the newspaper from his desk, turned a page, and double-checked Sunday’s baseball score.  Hutchinson had defeated Joplin 4-2.

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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Reno County: Vice President Theodore Roosevelt

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Reno-County-Vice-President-Theodore-Roosevelt-online-audio-converter.com_.mp3Vice President Theodore Roosevelt

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Line drawing of Vice President Theodore Roosevelt, Hutchinson News, August 14, 1901. President Theodore Roosevelt, c1904, Pach Bros. (Firm), photographer.

It’s noon Wednesday, August 14, 1901 in Hutchinson, Kansas, as the Santa Fe train pulls away from the crowded depot, headed east, then north out of town towards Kansas City.

Sarah “Sally” Lowber Hooper, 40, and John Walter Hooper, 46, with six of their seven children, are still waving at Vice President Theodore Roosevelt who remains on the rear-end platform as it picks up speed. Veterans and others are rushing after the Pullman car, attempting to shake hands with Colonel Roosevelt.

*

“It was worth the trip to town,” said Sally to John. “The vice president knows how to engage a crowd. It was a short speech, but he did not disappoint.”

“He’s had plenty of practice,” said John. “Roosevelt was all over the country campaigning for the McKinley-Roosevelt ticket last year. And he won a tight race for governor of New York before that.”

“He’s only been vice president for five months,” said Sally, “but he’s already made it clear that he’s running for president in 1904. If I have the vote by then, he’ll get mine,” she said with a straight face.”

“It’s an unusual political move for Roosevelt to announce his intentions so early in the game,” said John. “However, since President McKinley’s ineligible for a consecutive third term, TR’s still loyal to the Republican Party.”

“Hanna, the top political boss in the country, isn’t fooling anyone,” said Sally. “He made sure Roosevelt was nominated as vice president, not because he was a supporter, but because he wanted Governor Roosevelt out of New York before the reformer ran for a second term. Hanna got what he wanted. Roosevelt was kicked upstairs to the vice presidency.”

“Roosevelt is trying to outmaneuver Mark Hanna, the king maker,” said John. “The presidential election in 1904 will be especially interesting as we see who will compete against TR.”

Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Passenger Depot, Hutchinson, KS. Opened to the public in October 1897, at Main Street & 3rd Avenue, the photographer was Marion W. Bailey. Unknown date. Postmarked 1908. Author’s collection

“Roosevelt is an impressive speaker because he shows his personality and connects with individuals by speaking directly to them,” said Sally. “I’ll bet every Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) solider thought the colonel was talking to him personally.

“His strong jaw muscles remind me of a snapping turtle, if it had teeth” Sally continued. “Teddy has a hard voice yet it cracked in falsetto a few times when he got excited.”

“He was smiling and bowing to everyone,” said John. “I appreciate that he said it was a special honor to speak to those men who from ‘61 to ‘65 upheld the integrity of the nation and the honor of the flag. The old soldiers fought for a united country and an unsullied flag, but they also left a memory of deeds and an example for future generations.”

“I liked it when he asked that one old soldier what state he enlisted from,” continued John. “The soldier answered ‘Ohio.’ Then TR repeated the question to another soldier. ‘New York’ was that response. Then veterans started calling out every state in the union. I thought about my father, and almost cried out Kentucky.”

John was eight years old when his father, Sampson, died in 1864 at the infamous Andersonville Prison in Georgia. As a private, he had served with the 11th Cavalry, Company D.

“Roosevelt made his point that when men were marching into battle they didn’t care which state a man hailed from or what his religious belief might be,” said Sally. “They only cared about the worth of the man—would he fight and not run?”

“It was a simple but powerful message to our veterans,” said John. “It was by meeting difficulties and overcoming them that the men saved the union. It was because they met their duties manfully.”

*

Henry Hartford during the Civil War era when he was a member of the 8th New Jersey Volunteer Regiment. Lynne Hartford Collection

At age 64, Henry Hartford still looked trim and fit in his Lt. Colonel’s Army blue from his service days with the 8th New Jersey Volunteer Regiment. Henry and Alice Elizabeth, 47, were participating in the reunion while camping with their four living children at Camp Dan Sickles, at the new park on the north part of town. But they had arrived at the Santa Fe depot, eager to see and hear Teddy Roosevelt.

Henry, who had been wounded five times during the Civil War, and Elizabeth, who was only a child during the bloody conflict, were pleased with Roosevelt’s speech. TR was full of eloquence. He said all the right things without getting into politics. The vice president had given credit to the men in blue who had been in a real fight with long marches and privations.

On one hand, Civil War veterans regarded the Spanish-American War as mere fly-swatting and its veterans dressed in khaki as upstarts; on the other hand, Roosevelt was honored for his brief military service, and his work as assistant secretary of the Navy.

True enough, Roosevelt was a war hero for organizing the 1st Volunteer Cavalry and for his courageous charge up San Juan Hill (actually Kettle Hill), in Cuba. As commander of the unit known as the Rough Riders, it suffered heavy casualties. But, Roosevelt had made a big splash in the newspapers; it wasn’t comparable to four long years of deadly struggle, but it was bravery at its best.

*

Elizabeth appreciated Roosevelt’s speech. The vice president hadn’t mentioned Elizabeth by name, but he was talking to her and Henry because they had helped settle the land. After thanking the old soldiers for their service, TR spoke to the sturdy pioneers who first broke up the wild prairie soil and captured the west for civilization. That was the Thomas family, Elizabeth’s parents, in Indiana and again in Little River Township, Reno County. That was Henry, who also brought law and order to the county as its second elected sheriff.

*

A.T.&S.F. Passenger Depot and Park, Hutchinson, KS. Photo by Marion W. Bailey. Unknown date. Postmarked 1913. Author’s collection

After the crowd at the depot had thinned out, Alice Elizabeth Hartford asked Sally Hooper, “Did you know that TR’s first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee, died two days after she gave birth to their first child, also named Alice?”

“Yes,” answered Sally. “TR’s mother died within hours of his wife, but I hear that Teddy doesn’t like to talk about his personal loss.”

Henry Hartford, a successful farmer and stockman, added some additional information to the conversation about the vice president. “After losing his wife and mother, Roosevelt threw himself into his political work but later fled to the Dakota Territory Badlands. He bought two ranches and a thousand head of cattle.

“He flourished in the hardships of the frontier,” continued Henry, “herding cows as a rancher, hunting grizzly bears, and chasing outlaws as leader of a posse.”

“He learned a lot from the frontier,” said Sally, “especially how the blizzards could decimate a herd of his cattle. But by that time, so I’ve heard, he’d fallen in love again with his childhood sweetheart back in New York.

“Even though people say Roosevelt has led a charmed life,” continued Sally, “he’s survived tragedies and seems to flourish in adversity. He’s the type of national leader who I could support, if I had the vote.

*

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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