News Stories Various Butler County Kansas Genealogy Trails

BOXING MATCH IS FATAL FOR YOUTH

John Seeney, Aged 19 Years of Elbing, Dies After Pulling on Gloves

While engaged in a friendly boxing match at Elbing yesterday afternoon, John Seeney, aged 19 years, a resident of that community all his life, dropped dead, death being caused by heart trouble and over exertion. The youth had suffered from heart attacks on a few occasions in the past, but his condition was not considered to be serious.

Sheriff lark Snodgrass and Deputy Sheriff Roy Enright investigated the affair and the body was later removed to the Smith Brothers Mortuary, at Whitewater, where it remained this morning. Funeral services will be held at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning at the Elbing Methodist Church, with Rev. J. H. Higdon of Potwin, in charge. The place of interment had not been determined this morning.

Death followed a few seconds after young Seeney had put on the gloves. He was to box Louis Baumgardner, a youth of about his own age. No blows had been struck. The youths were on a sidewalk. Young Seeney stepped off the walk and when he stepped back on to it his heel caught and he stumbled, falling against a building. He did not go clear down and when he tried to regain his footing he slumped to the ground and died in a few seconds. Efforts to revive him failed.

The youth was the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Seeney, well known residents of the Elbing community. In addition to his parents, he is survived by several brothers and sisters, it was said by Smith brothers this morning, although the mortuary did not have all their names. (El Dorado Times, January 7, 1936)

CURTIS CLAYTON HAD BEEN DEAD TWO DAYS BEFORE BODY WAS FOUND

The body of Curtis Clayton was brought to El Dorado early this morning from Topeka where the former El Doradoan committed suicide Sunday by shooting himself with a revolver.

The time of young Clayton’s death has not been definitely established although it is believed it was either Sunday morning or evening as the body was found on the bed in Clayton’s apartment clothed in pajamas and a bathrobe.

The suicide was not discovered until 9:30 yesterday morning when residents of the apartment became suspicious and called the police. The body was found with a bullet hole in the right temple and the revolver by his side.

The former El Doradoan had been married only a little over two months and Mrs. Clayton was at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Stites of Miltonvale.

Clayton left two notes and from their tenor, it was apparent he was in a despondent frame of mind.

In one of the notes his action was attributed to ill health. He wrote, “I am doing this because of my health will not longer permit me to enjoy life. Please see that my belongings are taken care of until someone arrives to take care of them.”

The other note read: “Please notify the following: R. D. Finney, 947 Lindenwood. If unable to locate him, call R. B. Neihart, also Keith Clayton 627 South Star, El Dorado, Kan.” The latter is a brother.

Three letters were addressed to Mrs. Curtis Clayton, Marysville, Keith Clayton and R. D. Finney.

Young Clayton, who was 26 years old, was well known in El Dorado. He was born in Prospect Township, northeast of El Dorado, October 23, 1909, and came to El Dorado, in 1921 where he resided until about two years ago.

He attended the El Dorado High School and went to Pittsburg State Teachers College for one year. He then attended Kansas State College at Manhattan for three years where he competed a civil engineering course. He was married to Miss Lois Stites at Marysville, May 29,1936.

Young Clayton resided at Kansas City after leaving El Dorado and before going to Topeka several weeks ago. He was employed by the State Highway Department as materials inspector.

The former El Doradoan was a member of the Christian Church and belonged to the Sigma Tau Fraternity and an honorary fraternity for engineering students at Manhattan.

It was announced by the coroner at Topeka that no inquest would be held and the body was brought to El Dorado this morning by the Byrd Funeral Home.

Floyd and Keith Clayton, brothers of the dead man, went to Topeka yesterday and had not returned this morning. A sister, Mrs. Mildred Booker, of Wichita, came to El Dorado yesterday.

In addition to the two brothers here and the sister at Wichita, the former El Doradoan is survived by two aunts, Mrs. Icy Villars and Mrs. Newt Purcell, both of El Dorado, and two uncles, Earl Forgy of El Dorado and Guy Clayton of Fort Collins, Colo.

Funeral services will be held at the Byrd Funeral Home tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock and interment will be made in Belle Vista Cemetery. The casket will not be opened during the service, it has been announced. (El Dorado Times, August 12, 1936)

FIND A MAN DEAD IN YARD SATURDAY

E. A. Junkins Succumbs Friday Night To A Sudden Heart Attack

Ethen Allen Junkins, aged 63, years was found dead early Saturday morning at the rear of the property adjoining his home, 121, East Eighth Avenue. Death resulted from a heart attack.

The body was found by Mrs. Junkins when she went to look for him about 6 o’clock Saturday morning.

Mrs. Junkins last saw her husband between 8 and 9 o’clock Friday night. He had gone out and she had retired expecting him to return at any moment. Upon arising in the morning, however, she discovered that he had not returned home the night before so she started a search and discovery of the body was the result.

Sheriff Lark Snodgrass and County Coroner G. E. Kassebaum were called and the latter announced upon examination that death was the result of a heart attack. Mr. Junkins had suffered a stroke last spring, it was learned.

The El Dorado man, a retired oil field worker, had resided here for the past 22 years and previous to that in Eureka for 12 years and in Dallas County, Mo. He was born in Dallas County on January 16, 1875, and was married to Miss Josephine Chastain there on February 14, 1892. Mr. Junkins was a former member of the Knights of Pythias and the I. O. O. F. at Eureka.

He is survived by his widow; three daughters, Mrs. Lewis Roberts, and Mrs. William Parscal, both of El Dorado, and Mrs. Alisha Bell, of Fritch, Texas, five sons, Alvin of Chelsea, Dewey and Clifton both of El Dorado, Thomas of Valley Center and John Junkins of Madison; one brother, Charles Junkins of Spring Lane, Mo.; two sisters, Misses Josephine and Minnie Junkins, also of Spring Lane, Mo.; 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held at the Byrd Funeral Home tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock with the pastor of the Methodist church officiating. Interment will be in the West Cemetery. (El Dorado Times, July 6, 1936)

Fined for Using US-77 for Take-Off

Using Highway 77 as a landing and takeoff strip cost a Douglass man, Paul Branine, a $100 fine, plus costs Tuesday in county court.

Branine pleaded guilty to the careless and reckless operation of an airplane, after a complaint was made against him Monday.

The complaint charged the Douglass resident used a stretch of Highway 77 near Douglass last Sunday as a take-off strip for his light plane.

Civil Aeronautical Association regulations prohibit the use of a roadway as runways except in the case of extreme emergency. Persons violating the regulation are subject to as much as six months in prison or a $500 fine.

Assistant county attorney Dick Moss said that to his knowledge, this was the first time any person had been prosecuted in this county for landing a plane on a highway. (Augusta Daily Gazette ~ Thursday, 17 Feb 1955 ~ Transcribed by Lori DeWinkler)

GET MONEY BACK

The Augusta Cafe received an unsigned letter today in which was a dollar. The writer said he was given too much change last Sunday. The return address said—Cafe of Good Eats—and he said he had enjoyed his meal. (Augusta Daily Gazette ~ Thursday, 17 Feb 1955 ~ Transcribed by Lori DeWinkler)

Rose Hill May Be Incorporated City

Rose Hill was granted permission Monday afternoon by Butler county commissioners to incorporate as a third class city.

The hearing on the petition signed by 123 residents of the town was brief. Bob Munroe, city attorney for Augusta, represented Rose Hill at the hearing before commissioners Mac Childs, Henry H. Bornholdt and E.M. Arnall.

A municipal election in which the town’s residents will name five city councilmen, a mayor and a police judge was scheduled for April 5, according to Bert Weber county clerk. (Augusta Daily Gazette ~ Wednesday ~ 9 Feb 1955 ~ Transcribed by Lori DeWinkler)

BIRTHDAY FOR JOE

At his birthday dinner served yesterday noon at his home, J.F. (Joe) Dunsford received his heart’s desire, a pair of cowboy boots. Joe had reached his 72nd birthday anniversary. Present at the dinner were Mrs. Dunsford, Mrs. R.D. McKay, Jr., and children of Wichita, Mr. and Mrs. Dick Dunsford and children, and Mr. and Mrs. Vergil Sillin and children. (Augusta Daily Gazette ~ Wednesday ~ 9 Feb 1955 ~ Transcribed by Lori DeWinkler)

ESCAPE INMATES APPREHENDED IN AREA OF DALLAS-FORT WORTH

Two inmates, Michael Heaton, 29, and Lawrence Frye, 20, who escaped from El Dorado Honor Camp during the early morning hours of Sept. 14, 1986, in a state-owned van were apprehended last night in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

According to an official at the El Dorado Honor Camp this morning, the apprehended inmates are being held there for extradition to Kansas where they will be brought up on charges for prosecution.

Both Heaton and Frye were serving sentences on aggrevated robbery and kidnapping; Heaton was serving a 6-20 year sentence, and Frye 5-20 years. Those sentences were not related.

Frye came to El Dorado Honor Camp in August of 1985 from the Kansas State Industrial Reformatory in Hutchinson. Heaton arrived at the honor camp in October of 1985 from the Kansas State Penitentiary at Lansing.

In their escape from El Dorado, Heaton and Frye took a 1986 van belonging to the Kansas Department of Transportation which was assigned to the honor camp's roadside rest area cleanup detail. It was later located in Wichita at the Rose Bowl West bowling alley at 520 N. West St. The escaped inmates had put a total of 58 miles on the van before abandoning it.
(El Dorado Times ~ Friday ~ 2 Jan 1987)

INDOOR RANGE IS BEING INSTALLED

An indoor range is being installed on the second floor of the building occupied by the K. C. Smoke House, in the first block of East Central Avenue, by the El Dorado Rifle & Pistol Club, Chief of Police Ray Byers, president of the club, announced this morning. It is hoped to have the range completed within a few days.

The range will be so constructed that all calibers of revolvers and .22 rifles may be shot on it. The range will be one of the best of its kind in the country when completed and it is hoped it will afford the members of the club much entertainment during the winter months. Plans are being made by the club and others, who are interested in sports of this kind, for some tournaments and contests of various kinds of the next few months.
(El Dorado Times ~ Tuesday, 9 Dec 1930)

YOUTH KICKED BY HORSE SERIOUSLY HURT

Charles Parscal, aged 19, son of Oscar Parscal, foreman at the Dolese Brothers stone quarry, was seriously injured Sunday, when he was kicked in the face by a horse.

His face was mutilated, and there is a probable fracture of the skull. Although he was conscious following the accident, he has had periods of semi-consciousness since being at the hospital. It is probable that an operation may have to be performed. Dr. F. L. Preston is attending him.
(El Dorado Republican ~ Monday, 29 Jan 1917)

BOOM SPIRIT STRIKES TOWANDA; MANY STRUCTURES ARE PLANNED

Since Towanda has come into the possession of a real oil field, the boom spirit has struck the town. According to the Wichita Eagle, Frazier Brothers, of this city, have purchased the L. W. Robison lot on the south side of Main street and will put up a new bank building for a second bank in Towanda.

Shriver and Glass and F. W. Robison will contruct a beautiful white stone, two-story building on the corner of Main and Third avenue. The building will be occupied by the Shriver and Glass Hardware Co. and the Towanda State Bank. Rex Baxter has purchased the old bank building and will move his restaurant into it. Scranton and Diamond have under construction a brick block on the south side of Main street. Two other buildings will also go up on Main, one by Howard Wait, the other by Charlie Ard. A second lumber yard has been put in on the Missouri Pacific land south of the tracks by a Tulsa firm.

A number of residences will go up at once. Bishop Brothers will erect two houses and John Rankin has one house almost completed. Charlie Ard, Rex Baxter, C. E. Sherman, Dr. G. E. Egloff, Joe Davis and Claude Reed have each bought lots in the northeast part of town and will build at once. Work on most of these houses has already begun.
(El Dorado Republican ~ Monday, 5 March 1917)

J. B. ADAMS HOME TO BE COLONIAL MANSION

J. B. Adams, cashier of the Butler County State bank, is going to remodel his home, the old Frazier homestead on Walnut Hill. The big 15-room house will be converted into a colonial mansion. Wide galleries will be built on with large colonial columns. New bay windows will be installed. Stairways will be added inside. New electric fixtures will be installed and a remodeling of the hot water heating system will take place. A new tile or asbestos shingle roof will be placed on the building. Plans for the remodeling are being drawn.
(El Dorado Republican ~ Tuesday, 6 March 1917)