William H. Ballard Police Detective Sedgwick County Kansas Genealogy Trails

BALLARD, WILLIAM H.

William H. Ballard was a detective with the Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas police department. On July 20, 1920 William was killed in the line of duty.

Wichita City Detective Slain by Drug Peddler

Wichita, Kan. July 20 - William Ballard, Wichita, city detective, was killed and Detective Walter Rambo and Officer Jack Weaver were wounded tonight by two unidentified men when they attempted to raid a den of suspected drug peddlers in the Missouri Pacific yards. The assailants escaped. (Tulsa Daily World, July 21 1920)

Admits A Wichita Murder

Police Officer's Slayer was in County Jail Here

Harry Baird, serving a 6-month sentence in the county jail here for petty larceny, confessed today he fired the shots which killed W. H. Ballard, a Wichita detective, and wounded two other detectives the night of July 20. Baird's confession exouerates Charles Bledsoe, arrested yesterday at Twelfth street and Baltimore avenue in connection with the murder.

After his arrest yesterday, Bledsoe made a statement saying his "pal," Harry Barry, fired the shot that killed Ballard, while the detectives were searching the room he and Barry occupied in Wichita.

Remembering a drug addict named Baird was confined in the county jail and struck by the similarity of the names, Harry Hoffman, county marshal, investigated. After a long questioning by Hoffman and S. W. Zickafoose, chief of police of Wichita, Baird admitted he was the Harry Barry referred to in Bledsoe's statement.

Baird's story of the shooting corresponds to that of Bledsoe. He said Ballard and two other officers came to his room searching for opiates, saying they had a "tip" that he and Bledsoe were drug addicts and dangerous men. The officers found one revolver, but overlooked an automatic carried by Baird.

While the officers were continuing their search he shot them, Baird said. He said he did not know what caused him to do it.

Harry Baird has a criminal record which he sought to hide in numerous aliases. He is known as Harry Wilson, Audrey Baird, Herbert Baird, and Joe Palmyra, and has several terms for grand larceny in the penitentiaries at McAlester, Ok., and Jefferson City, Mo. A reward for $60 has been offered here for his arrest on a charge of grand larceny. Three hundred dollars reward for the arrest of Bledsoe and Baird was offered in Wichita.

Baird and Bledsoe will be taken to Wichita tomorrow by Chief Zickafoose. (The Kansas City Star, August 6, 1920

Baird-Bledsoe Bonds Heavy

Two Held in Slaying of Wichita Detective in Default of $20,000 Each.

Wichita, Kan., Aug. 10 - Harry Baird and Chuck Bledsoe, arrested in Kansas City for the murder of Detective W. H. Ballard at Wichita, July 20, are held in jail here in default of $20,000 bond each. Their preliminary hearing has been set for August 17. (The Kansas City Star, August 10, 1920)

Admits a Murder at Wichita

Harry Bird, serving a six month sentence in the county jail at Kansas city confessed last week he fired the shots which killed Detective W. H. Ballard at Wichita, July 20. (The Kansas City Star, August 11, 1920)

Harry Baird Returned to Wichita for Slaying of Detective

Harry Baird, well known to the police in this city and at one time convicted here in a petit larceny charge, has been captured and is being taken to Wichita, Kansas, for trial on the charge of murder in connection with the shooting of Detective Ballard and two other officers in that city July 20 of this year. Ballard died from his wounds received when Baird and Church Bledsoe, also under arrest, fired at the officers as they were raiding a dive in Wichita. Both men escaped after the shooting and a reward of $600 were offered for each. Notice was received in this city yesterday by James Patton, chief of detectives to the effect that the men had been captured. (Tulsa Daily World, August 8, 1920)

Would Hang Harry Baird - Special Legislation to Permit Capital Punishment May be Asked. Wichita, Kan. - Special action by the Kansas legislature permitting capital punishment in the case of Harry Baird, slayer of City Detective William H. Ballard, may be sought by Wichita officer. There has been much discussion among Wichitans, he said, concerning the advisability of making such a request as it is thought such action would help to prevent similar crimes. Baird was arrested in Kansas City last week. (The Kansas City Star, August 18, 1920)

Get Baird - Bledsoe Driver

Harvey Willis, Arrested Here, Aided Escape After Detective's Murder

Harvey Willis, 30 years old, said to be a drug addict, was arrested at Twelfth street and Broadway last night for alleged complicity in the murder of W. H. Ballard, a detective at Wichita, Kan., July 29.

Willis, according to the police has admitted driving the car in which Harry Baird and Charles Bledsoe escaped from Wichita. Baird, who was arrested here recently, admitted firing the shot which killed Ballard.

Willis was arrested upon a request from S. W. Zickafoose, chief of police at Wichita. (The Kansas City Star, August 31, 1920)