Historic Events - 1920 to 1940
July 20, 1920 – While conducting a narcotics investigation with two officers at a private residence just West of 1st Street North and Wichita Street, Wichita Police Detective William H. Ballard was shot three times and killed as he attempted to search one of the suspects. The other officers on scene were wounded, one seriously. The shooting occurred as the officers concentrated on one suspect while another was partially hidden behind a mattress and had a chance to open fire. A female suspect, jailed for investigation of the Ballard shooting, killed herself in her cell, and a male suspect attempted suicide.
November 5, 1921 – While walking a beat, near the corner of Lewellen and Eleventh Street, Wichita Police Officer A. L. Young was shot in the back and killed from an ambush by Eddie Adams, leader of a local gang. Persons in the neighborhood say a duel was engaged in between the two men and nine shots were heard. Young's revolver was found to be empty. It is believed that Adams ambushed Young because Young had the affection of a girl Adams was interested in, and rejected by.
November 21, 1921 – Wichita Police Officer Robert Fitzpatrick and his partner, Rudy LaCroix, were informed that the notorious Eddie Adams gang was in the Wichita area. When the officers stopped a car for a burned-out taillight near Hydraulic and Harry Streets, they recognized one of the occupants as a member of the Adams gang. Fitzpatrick attempted to apprehend the suspects for questioning, but Adams, who was also in the car, accelerated the vehicle and sped off. Just as the suspect vehicle began to speed off, one of the gang members, Frank Foster, fired from the car, killing Fitzpatrick.
November 23, 1921 - Suspected murderer and gangster Eddie Adams, whose gang had killed Wichita police officers A. L. Young and Robert Fitzpatrick, was attempting to rent a car from Driverless Auto Livery at 306 S Lawrence Avenue. Evidently the police were alerted by the business owner. When Wichita Police Detective Charles D Hoffman and two others entered the back door of the livery, Adams recognized them and drew his gun. Detective Hoffman lunged forward, seizing Adams, but Adams worked his gun hand free and fired, killing Hoffman instantly. He then fired on one of the other officers, hitting him. The third officer, hidden behind a pillar took careful aim and killed Adams.
May 22, 1923 – An F2 tornado moved NNE from Viola, through Clonmel, and terminating four miles NE of Clonmel. There were a total of 2 injuries and over $70,000 in damages caused by this first event. A second event occurred 45 minutes later in northern Wichita were the F2 tornado preceded east and then SE. One home was destroyed; three homes and a refinery were damaged during the 2nd event. Total loss for this event was estimated at $300,000 and caused three injuries.
June 8-9, 1923 – During the month of June, the entire drainage area between Hutchinson and Arkansas City received excessive rains. On June 8 and 9, Wichita reported 7.06 inches, Newton 5.75 inches, and Arkansas City 2.06 inches. Excessive precipitation fell over all of the Little Arkansas, Ninnescah, and Chikaskia River Basins as well as the Arkansas River Valley, and major flooding occurred on all of the affected streams. Flooding in Wichita was 4.5 feet above the flood stage of nine feet. Wichita and Arkansas City were severely damaged. In Wichita, 6 square miles were inundated. At Arkansas City two lives were lost. Property damage was estimated at nearly $20 million.
July 15, 1923 – Wichita Police Detective Charlie E. Galloway died after contracting blood poisoning after cutting his foot. He and other members of the department were sandbagging flooded portions of the city when he inadvertently cut his foot. Detective Galloway had been with the agency for 8 years. He was survived by his wife and son.
November 27, 1923 – Wichita Police Officer Robert C. Scudder was responding to a disturbance call at a Yeoman (dance) Hall at 414½ E Douglas Avenue. Proceeding up the stairs he met Ray Foor whom he halted and attempted to body search. The suspect fired, wounding Scudder, and then fled. Another officer followed in pursuit. Officer Scudder died three days later of his wound. Five days later the suspect was shot and critically wounded when police attempted to take him from a train in Emporia, Kansas.
January 4, 1925 – Wichita Police Officer Harrison Brown was the first black officer to be killed in the line of duty in Wichita. While walking a beat near Makin Eye Drug Store at 13th Street North and Wabash, Brown was advised of a man with a gun, Brown stopped a man named Duke Kelley. Officer Brown asked Kelley to speak to him a minute, and Kelley drew a revolver from beneath his overcoat and fired. Brown ran to the door and emptied his revolver at Kelley as he fled up the street; Brown then fell into the arms of a witness who ran to his aid. After Kelley fatally shot Brown, he then confessed to his murder.
April 10, 1925 – Wichita Police Officer Edward F. Hall and Detective Burnside observed a car stopped at a Standard Oil filling station at 13th N & Hillside. When Hall and Burnside approached, the men ran into their car and started to drive away. Hall and Burnside stopped the vehicle and Hall began questioning one of the suspects. One of the bandits, who had been climbing out of the car during this conversation, began firing at Hall, who fell at the first shot. Patrolman Hall was survived by his wife.
April 25, 1925 – Wichita Firefighter Charles A. Messer lost his life from burns received at the Golden Rule Refinery fire.
July 30, 1925 – An earthquake shock was reported in Wichita around 12:17AM and measured on the magnitude of four on the Modified Mercalli Scale. The epicenter was reported to be approximately 343 miles away.
April 27, 1927 – Wichita Firefighter Tom Sladek lost his life when he fell from his engine while responding to a fire.
June 26, 1927 – Wichita Police Officer Vernon E. Ogden was pursuing a speeder on his motorcycle on Cleveland Ave., when he crashed into the side of a fast-moving Frisco passenger train. Officer Ogden died the following day from injuries received in the collision.
August 9, 1927 – Wichita Police Officer Joseph G. Marshall was in the sidecar of a motorcycle being driven by Officer Frank Bush when they recognized an automobile that had been involved in a robbery. They stopped the vehicle in the vicinity of the 1100 block of North Lawrence Avenue, and as Marshall approached, the men in the car opened fire and killed Marshall. The killers, members of the well-known Porter Meeks gang, were shot and mortally wounded by Officer Bush.
August 16, 1927 – Sedgwick County Deputy Sheriff Frank Hill was shot and killed during an attempted jail break by three inmates. The inmates were using a revolver that had been smuggled into the jail. The escape was blocked by a jail trustee and jail cook. All three inmates were kept in custody and charged with first degree murder and other charges. Deputy Hill had been employed with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office for one year.
August 17, 1927 – Flooding in Wichita was 4.5 feet above the flood stage of nine feet.
July 18, 1930 – Wichita Police Sergeant Paul E. Gilmore died from complications sustained in two separate motorcycle accidents while on motorcycle patrol. Patrolman Gilmore had served with the agency for five years.
August 1, 1930 – Wichita Police Lieutenant James O. Pugh was on motorcycle patrol and was killed in a traffic accident.
August 14, 1931 – Wichita Police Detective Merle R. Colver was questioning two men, who were suspects in several gas station robberies in their Douglas Avenue hotel room. While questioning them he began searching the room and was shot in the back by one of the suspects. The assailant was an escaped murderer from Oklahoma and was arrested within 24 hours and convicted of Detective Colver's murder. The murderer escaped from prison on May 30, 1933, but was shot and seriously wounded by a posse on December 30, 1933. He was returned to prison and died from his wounds on January 6, 1934.
March 14, 1934 – Clearwater Deputy Marshal Robert J. Hammers was shot and killed in front of a local bank while on patrol shortly after 1:00 AM. He encountered a gang of suspects who were planning a bank robbery at the bank. Deputy Marshal Hammers was struck by a shotgun blast and a pistol shot during the ensuing shootout with the suspects. Deputy Marshal Hammers was survived by his wife, four children, mother, two brothers, and sister.
February
24, 1935 – An F2 tornado moved NE from west Wichita to near Kechi. Six homes and
a school were damaged, causing $50,000 in damages and six injuries.
May 21, 1937 – Hailstones caused an estimated $600,000 in crop damage in Sedgwick, Sumner and Cowley counties.
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