Kennewick Knights of Pythias Host Chaotic 'Dokies' Initiation
A parade of 'Tyros' in nightshirts and chains descended upon Kennewick as local Knights of Pythias held a rowdy ceremonial with members from Walla Walla.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The 'Dokies'—members of the Dramatic Order Knights of Khorassan—visited Kennewick, making life interesting for a class of twenty-seven candidates, or 'Tyros.' One hundred visitors from Walla Walla arrived by special train, stopping in Pasco to gather unsuspecting recruits. After arriving in Kennewick, the candidates were robed in nightshirts, bound with padlocks and chains, and paraded through the streets led by a band before being banqueted at the Congregational church. The ritualistic ceremony was held at the K. of P. hall.
“The unfortunates were herded up to the K. of P. hall, where they were robed in night shirts and caps and bound together by padlock and chain.”
These fraternal initiations, while meant to be 'good-natured' spectacles, show the tight-knit, performative nature of early 20th-century civic society in Kennewick, where social standing was often tied to such club participation.
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