Two cross burnings shock community

Two men were arrested last week after they set two crosses ablaze “as a joke.”

Max C. Rippetoe and Joseph M. Shadle were arraigned on disorderly conduct charges Wednesday, November 1, in front of County Judge Jack Hall.

Chief Deputy Butch Blackburn said the Donley County Sheriff’s Department received a call of a possible grass fire at 9:24 p.m. Upon arrival, a deputy and emergency personnel discovered a burning cross leaning against a tree in the 200 block of N. Jefferson St.

“It looked like a big ball of fire,” said Dora Weatherton, whose house was across the street from the blaze. “We thought it was a grass fire.”

A deputy later told her the fire was a burning cross, she said. A 40-year resident of the city, Weatherton said she has never seen anything like this before.

A description of a vehicle believed to be involved in the cross burning was given by neighbors, and a second cross was subsequently found on S. McClelland St. leaning against a fence across from the car wash.

Both crosses were constructed of 2x4s and were eight feet high and four feet wide. Blackburn said the crosses were doused in a flammable liquid. The second cross only burned off the liquid and did not catch fire.

Blackburn said neighbors’ accounts and an investigation of tire tracks led to Rippetoe and Shadle. Warrants were obtained on October 31, and the two men were arrested that evening at 11:45 p.m. Both signed confessions, and one of the suspects reportedly stated that they did it as a joke and meant no harm to anyone.

But no one is laughing about the matter.

“That wasn’t funny at all,” Weatherton said. “It’s kinda scary.”

“I think it’s the poorest joke anybody could pull,” Blackburn said. “Jokes like this could tear up a community.”

Blackburn said he had lived here all his life and never heard of this type of incident happening before.

Local black businessmen agreed with the deputy.

“There’s never been an incident like that before,” said former city alderman Mack Smith, who has lived in Clarendon for 50 years.

“I’m well aware there’s prejudice around, but it’s never been directed toward me.”

Smith said he doesn’t think the incident is funny at all and said he didn’t think the young men got the attitude from home.

“Sometimes kids go astray through no fault of the parents,” he said.

Smith said he thinks the suspects deserve whatever the law does to them.

“I think it’s terrible,” said 71-year-old Clifford Alexander. “I’ve never heard of this. It’s bad for the town. Everybody here has been really getting along.

“I don’t think nothing like this is funny, especially since the community has always gotten along. I’ve never had any trouble with anybody.”

Rippetoe, 21, and Shadle, 20, were released last week on $1,500 bond each, Blackburn said.

Disorderly conduct is usually a Class C misdemeanor, but the nature of the act falls under the state hate crimes statute, which makes it a Class B misdemeanor, he said. That carries a maximum penalty of a $2,000 fine and 180 days in jail.