By June, the problems of politics reappeared. This time, it involved subordinate officers going around the Chief, straight to the City Manager. Local businessmen concerned about the trouble had contacted the Board of Fire Underwriters and it was revealed that the Board would recommend to the City Commission that the Fire Chief be given full power to run his department, and be removed from the jurisdiction of the City Manager. This they said would remove the causes of friction which had weakened the authority of the Chief. This recommendation was not approved.

That summer on July 3, Chief Brownewell became seriously ill, and fifteen days later passed away. He had been a member of the Fire Department for 41 years and had been a member of the Volunteer "Deluge Fire Company," for two years prior to the organization of the paid department in 1886. The day of his funeral all members of the Fire and Police Departments (except those in service) marched in full dress uniform from Central Station at City Hall to the Gill Mortuary where services were held. His casket was placed on the "Bull Wagon" which was decorated with funeral crepe and palm leaves, and driven slowly to his final resting place at Old Mission Cemetery. Floral offerings by the hundereds were received, the mortuary was filled to overflowing with hundreds of people standing outside. The crowds were said to have packed the streets from Gill Mortuary on North Emporia to Central, and along Central Avenue to a point east of the tracks. From there on to Hillside and north for a mile, groups stood at every corner to pay respect to the Chief. Rose petals were dropped by an airplane flying overhead, and the silver bell on the old "Bull Wagon" tolled as the body was lowered into the grave. The flag on the City Building was at half-mast and a bouquet hung on the door of Central Station. This marked the passing of a man who had been instrumental in the making of the fire service in Wichita.

Following the death of Chief Brownewell, the dissention that had reappeared a month earlier resumed, with each of the two factions trying to gain power. The new City Manager Bert Wells stated that he would not appoint a new Chief until he had personally made an investigation of the controversy involving the department. He immediately launched his investigation by interviewing every man in the department.

These interviews were held at the office at the Central Station. During the questioning, it was learned that there were two groups of factions. The McCall group had supported Chief Brownewell prior to his death and the Furnas group continued to support the former Assistant Chief who had resigned. Apparently, the two groups had been quarreling for the past two years before the problem came to light in December of 1926. When Chief Brownewell became ill, and it appeared he would not recover, an all out effort by the Furnas forces was made to secure control.

It was reported by the Wichita Eagle, that the friends of Bert Furnas continued to keep the stairway to the City Manager's office warm, and the commissioners' telephones busy. There was mention of Klu Klux Klan involvement, and that one of the commissioners had placed his Klan strikers in positions on the Fire and Police Departments. While there was no direct evidence of Klan participation, there had been KKK services performed at the funeral of a fireman who had died in January that year.

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