SINCE 1889
Ancestors on display
Museum exhibit has a Diatryma, the forerunner of the Jayhawk See page 3.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, OCT. 3, 1985, VOL. 96, NO. 29 (USPS 650-640)
Fraternity canceling festivities
By Stefani Day Of the Kansan staff
The Wheat Meet Party, once billed as the largest beer party in Kansas, will not take place this year afterrate neighbors threatened to go to court to stop it, the party cochairmen said yesterday.
The fifth annual Wheat Meet Party, scheduled for tomorrow night at the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity house, 2021 Stewart Ave., was canceled yesterday, said co-chairman Tom Black, Carlisbad, Calif., senior.
However, a threatened injunction was not the reason the party was canceled. he said.
"We ran into some problems with the neighbors," he said. "We put the party plans on hold until we could figure out a way to deal with the problem.
"Since we were doing it for a philanthropic cause, we wanted to make a profit, and this late, we wouldn't make a substantial prof.
The party was to follow the a Wheat Meet Track Meet that place Saturday.
Man convicted of child abuse, manslaughter
By Karen Blakeman Of the Kansan staff
Genaro Ray Lewis, who was implicated in the Aug. 10 death of 21-month old Dune Beers and in the June 30 abuse of 3-year-old Bryan Williams, pleaded no contest to the charges.
A 21-year-old Lawrence man was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and felony child abuse yesterday morning by Douglas County District Judge Mike Malone.
Malone ordered a presentencing investigation and set a sentencing date of Oct. 31. Lewis is being held without bond until sentencing.
The penalty for voluntary manslaughter is five to 20 years in the state prison system and a fine of up to $15,000. The penalty for abuse of a child is three to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Malone
several times while being babysat by Lewis on June 30.
The child abuse charge in connection with the death of Beers was dropped, and the first-degree murder charge was replaced with voluntary manslaughter in the plea agreement. Flory also agreed not to ask for longer sentences under the habitual criminal act. He said that in November 1983, Lewis was convicted of felony theft in Johnson County District Court.
Flory said he agreed to the plea bargaining because, although the state had enough evidence to support the first-degree murder charge, a jury in Barton County had handed down a lesser conviction in a similar case.
Flory said the state's evidence would have shown that Beers had "experienced trauma, by blows or pleasure, to the torso, legs and neck, and more than one blow to the head