history behind WON & DONE
River Bodies in the Bandits Graveyard
The Missouri River curves sharply near what was once Nearman, Kansas (north of the Quindaro Bluffs and south of Parkville, MO), creating a deep underwater hollow that became the final resting place for dozens of criminals. Local lawmen called it "the bandits' graveyard"– a watery tomb where gangsters dumped their betrayers and where police-slain outlaws disappeared, often tied to steering wheels of automobiles and sunk to the bottom of the Mighty Mo. This article chronicles the grim recovery operations that attempted to bring these forgotten victims back to the surface after years and often decades beneath the murky waters.
Walt Disney in Kansas City
Walt Disney's connection to Kansas City spans his formative years, from a family move in 1911 to his early commercial art and animation career, including his first studio, Laugh-O-gram, in the early 1920s.
- Arrival and School: The Disney family moved to Kansas City in 1911, and Walt attended Benton Elementary and the Kansas City Art Institute, where he took weekend classes.
- Newspaper Route: Walt and his brother Roy delivered the Kansas City Star and Kansas City Times, a demanding job that left him exhausted but also exposed him to the world of media.
Early Commercial Art and Animation Career
- Pesmen-Rubin and the KC Film Ad Company: After his service in World War I, Walt returned to Kansas City in 1919 and worked at Pesmen-Rubin Commercial Art Studio, where he learned animation techniques with paper cutouts at the Kansas City Film Ad Company (formerly the Kansas City Slide Company).
- Laugh-O-gram Studio: In 1921, Walt opened his first animation studio, Laugh-O-gram Studio, where he and his colleagues advanced animation techniques.
- Inspiration for Mickey Mouse: The story of Mickey Mouse is fabled to have originated from a mouse that was a frequent visitor to the Laugh-O-gram studio.
- Financial Struggles: Despite early innovations, Laugh-O-gram Studio struggled financially, and Walt left Kansas City in July 1923 to pursue his career in Los Angeles.
The Ku Klux Klan in Kansas City, KS
The second Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was a powerful force in Kansas City, Kansas, during the 1920s, permeating the city's social and political landscape. The Klan’s rise was fueled by anxieties within the white Protestant population over perceived moral decline and the influx of immigrants, Catholics, and Jews.
Rise of the Klan
- Rapid growth: The nationwide revival of the Klan reached Kansas City in early 1921. Thousands of white residents, primarily middle-class Protestants, joined the Wyandotte County Klavern No. 5. Klansmen generally came from occupations such as small-business owner, clerk, and skilled craftsman.
- Public displays of power: The Klan openly organized massive public events, including parades down Minnesota Avenue with robed Klansmen and horses, picnics, and rallies with cross burnings. Some of these events drew up to 25,000 spectators.
- Social and cultural influence: The KKK acted as a "morality police," seeking to impose its traditional values on the community.
- The Klan enforced "Blue Laws" in Kansas City, Kansas, which shut down businesses owned by Jewish and Catholic families on Sundays.
Lynchings in Kansas
Kansas had a documented history of lynchings from the 1860s to 1932, with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) documenting at least 19 terror lynchings between 1877 and 1950 and other research identifying over 50 documented incidents. While racial terror against Black Kansans was a significant aspect of this history, several reported lynchings in Kansas targeted white men accused of crimes like horse theft. White mobs frequently seized Black individuals to carry out these brutal acts to enforce racial hierarchy and instill fear.
First Black Hospital in Kansas City
- Founder: Dr. John Edward Perry, a Black physician.
- Purpose: To provide healthcare, training, and employment for Black patients and professionals in a segregated city.
- History: It grew out of the Perry Sanitarium and Training School for Nurses and operated from 1916 to 1972.
- Location: Housed in a former Catholic school at 1826 Forest Avenue.
- Impact: The hospital was a vital resource for the Black community and a symbol of Black medical professional capability.
- Legacy: The building is a historical landmark, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Hospital later took over its functions.
Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry
Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry was born in 1872 and was the granddaughter of Frederick Douglass, the most famous abolitionist in American history. However, she did not fight slavery. She was more concerned for the welfare of African American children in foster care.
During the early 20th century, the foster care system largely excluded African American children. Many orphanages refused to take them in, and the few that did were typically underfunded and poorly managed. Seeing the need for change, Perry took action. In 1934, she opened the Colored Big Sister Home for Girls in Kansas City, Missouri. This home provided a safe place for African American girls who had been orphaned or abandoned, offering shelter, education, and emotional support.
Daring Daylight Robberies
Emboldened by success, Hagan's mixed-race gangs evolved their tactics. White bandits disguised themselves with shoe polish and charcoal smeared across their features, making identification impossible while working alongside their Black accomplices. Together they struck in broad daylight, targeting banks, mercantile establishments, and company paymasters with shocking audacity.
Cigar Shop Owner Killed
With each passing month, Hagan's crew grew bolder. The thrill of theft faded, leaving a void that only bloodshed could fill.
The Turncoat
George Willis sits in the witness box, his handcuffed wrists resting on the polished oak rail. A week earlier, detectives had dragged him in from a hotel for Van Treese's murder. Now, feeling abandoned by his boss, John Hagan, Willis confesses to everything from robbery to murder. Who says there is honor among thieves?
Hagan Flees to Mexico before Surrender
For months, Hagan vanished into Mexico's sprawling landscape while police bulletins gathered dust. Then one morning, he appeared in Kansas City– pockets empty, spinning tales of homesickness and redemption that fooled no one.