The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-18
RECORD.
The City Attorney Goes Carefully
Through His Acts
SHOWING WHAT he HAS DONE

I'm Regard TO Kidding the City OfI.avv-
breakers In Reply to Charges Made
Against Him nr the Crusaders Meet
anE.
TO the Editor of the State Journal
SIR: I see by your issue OF July 18th
that certain committees have been APP
pointed for the very laudable purpose Of
assisting the officers Of this city and
county IN enforcing the temperance laws
In this community. Being absent from
the city at the time / knew nothing of
the proceedings until I read them in a
newspaper 1 was cetainly very much
panied to read that said organization,
through the Rev. Charles n. Sheldon,
had seen fit to assist the cause by an IN
warranted and untruthEul attack upon
she city attorney. That gentleman is
quoted as saying that he had examined
the records. and found that since the f1rst
day OF January, OF thirty cases appealed
from the police court to the district
court, twenty-five had been dismissed by
the city attorney, after being convicted
in the police court by overwhelming evil
dence.
Now the record shows in the Office Of
the clerk Of the district court of Shawnee
county, Kansas. that during my term of
Office beginning in April 1898 there have
been twenty-three appeals from the
police court disposed Of and that three
cases are now on the docket for trial in
September instead of thirty since the
first day Of January.
These cases are numbered 2576, 2605,
26O6. 1922, 1928 1924. 1925, 1926, 1927,
262S, 1929. 2630, 1881, 1882, 1888, 2641.
2642. 2643, 2644, 2645, 2674, 2676, 2677,
and now pending 27O4, 27O5, 27O6. OF
these eleven cases have been dismissed
by the city attorney as follows;
Number 1905, against Nick Chllds for
n
against him for keeping a gambling
house and one for selling liquor. One
Of the city's best witnesses, whSn these
cases We're called for trial, had gone
away and the cases we're disposed of by
his pleading guilty to the two charges or
keeping a gambling house and agreeing
to quit business of that kind if the city
dismissed the case for liquor selling.
Numbers 1924 2625. 1926 and 2627
were cases against parties for keeping a
gam bling house and were dismissed be-
cause the city, after having the cases
continued over one term, were unable to
get sufficient evidence to convict and the
city attorney was unwilling to make IN
necessary costs
Numbers 1851 and 2632 were liquor
cases. Number 1886 was a gambling
case. these were dismissed for the same
reasons as those last above. Number
2641 and 2642 were cases against the
same defendant the liquor selling case
was dismissed upon his pleading guilty
to keeping a gam bling house. The de-
PENDANT IN these last two cases had led
reputable life until few weeks before
his arrest.
These cases were disposed Of as here
in indicated upon the representations of
himself and his friends that he would
seek and remain IN some lawful employ
ment ard this promise has been kept
Number 2643 was a liquor case against
Ben Jordan and was dismissed because
he was at the time serving a jail sentence
in a state case for similar ofense and
had promised to leave the city if the
officers would let UP on him.
Number 26sI was liquor case against
Mary Ellison, and was dismissed after
the witnesses for the city had all been
examined, at her trial in the district
court, and the prosecution compelled to
admit complete failure of evidence
Number 2645 was charge of keeping
a house Of assignatiOn, and was dis
missed because the city attorney was
satisfied that jury would not convict
the defendant upon the evidence the city
could produce.
The foregoing dismissals are the sum
total Of my offending, any smelling
committee can ascertain by going TO the
records. III the records show any other
state of affairs l ask the committee to
make due investigation and report Civ
ing the number OF the cases, so that the
people of Topeka may know who is tell
ing the truth in the matter.
Permit me to further say that upon
taking charge Of the city attorneys office
invited some fifteen or twenty of the
leading temperance men Of this city to
conference on the question of making
an organized effort to rid this city of the
joints. With the exception of John
Wilkerson every man of them advised
delay some for one reason and some for
another, as at least one person at the
meeting against me could have told
Under these conditions l have gone
ahead and done the best l could with
each case as it came up and without the
support. with rare exceptions indeed. of
those who are supposed to be the tenn
peranee people Of the city I desire to
work in harmony with every element in
this community that stands for good
order, decency and sobriety. 1 have
never sought TO advertise myself as the
only and truly good, neither do ! propose
70 let any body else 50 advertise himself
at my expense. Respectfully,
D. G. TILLOTsoN.