From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for May 12, 1913:

• “Lawrence was visited last night by the most severe electrical storm that has been experienced here for some time. The storm continued for almost an hour and was accompanied by a heavy fall of rain. However there was but a very little damage done. The lightning struck the old Congregational church in North Lawrence. This building is now occupied by Walton and Young and has been converted into a planing mill…. The home of W. H. Kelley, quarter of a mile west of Number Six school house, was also struck and the roof demolished. Considerable plastering was knocked off the walls. The family escaped without injury. At the University the stack on the power house was struck and a large hole torn in it. At the home of Earl Stout a portion of the porch was torn off by the lightning. Several trees were broken off and the yard strewn with wreckage.”
• “The need of a police matron for the city of Lawrence will be presented to the city council tonight by a committee from the Merchants Association…. The need of a police matron has been presented a number of times and several efforts have been made to have such a woman appointed to look after the girls and women who are brought into police court…. At present girls who are brought in receive little special consideration, as it is impossible under the present system. The appointment of a police matron will be a step toward the reforming of these wayward persons rather than punishing them under the harsh provisions of the law.”
• “Five thousand one hundred and seventy degrees have been granted by the University of Kansas since the opening of the institution on Mount Oread. And there are Kansas University graduates in almost every country on the globe…. Of the number of men and women who have taken degrees at K.U. there are 4,444 now living. They are engaged in almost every line of work. The legal profession seems to be the most popular with the men graduates…. Of the women 455 are engaged in educational work.”
• “The nation’s birthday is to be most fittingly observed in Lawrence this year. Woodland park is to be the scene of this celebration. A picnic is planned which will make other picnics of past seasons and of other locations melt away into insignificance.. This is to be the big event of the summer season in Lawrence.”
• “J. W. Robertson of this city is the latest to receive a letter from the ‘Imprisoned Russian Banker’ in Madrid, Spain. This morning Mr. Robertson received the letter similar to those received by several other Lawrence men, and in which he is offered $160,000 if he will come to the aid of the man and secure his release from the prison in Madrid. Mr. Robertson states that he will continue to look after his business in Lawrence and allow some one else to get the $160,000.”
• “Mr. and Mrs. Geo. W. Duncan, who have been living on their farm for fifty-seven years, have turned the farm over to their son Mills and have moved into Big Springs. Fifty-seven years is a long time to have lived on one farm. Is there anyone who has lived as long or longer on one place than have Mr. and Mrs. Duncan?”
• “A tornado did heavy damage last night at Dilwin, near St. John. Because all the wires are down, no details are available.”