Two events occurred in Sedalia during the fall of 1929 that drew the attention of the press.
One was a tightening of the city’s budget. The local economy had been declining since the end of World War I as agricultural prices dropped, a railroad strike in 1922 put many out of work, and banks in the city and county failed. As a result, the city had cut back on police protection by reducing the number of officers. Even after the city’s finances improved slightly, the mayor refused to allow the city council to vote to rehire the policemen.
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