The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-01
ISENHART'S LETTER.
He Writes to Make a Statement of
His Side
OF THE AFFAIR WITH HODGINS.
still Believes That Certain MEMBER
of the Topeka CIub Are Responsible
for the Attack on Him.

noon by LICK doUg1nS, you nave SHOWN
desire to be absolutely fair. and for
this, thank you very much, but in as
much as your paper contained SO many
interviews with certain members of the
Topeka club, some of which are very I'M
truthful and seriously reflect on me,
thought I would ask you to be kind
enough to allow me short space in
which to reply.
To justify this assault, Mr.. Hodgins
first claims that l had abused him on the
trial of the Topeka club case to such an
extent that he could not stand it any
longer, but see he has an article in the
Sunday morning Capital. stating in sub
stance that the difficulty was not caused
by anything which I said in my argu-
ment of the case. The fact is that said
nothing whatever, personally or other
wise, in my argument of the case about
Mr.. Hodgins at which he could have
taken offense. Of course, I criticised
actions of the club, as did all the other
did not allude or refer to
Mr.. Hodgins personally in any man
ner. The fact is that the court
house was full of people who know that
I did not refer to Mr.. Hodgins in any
personal or offensive manner, and the
fact has dawned on him that he must
furnish different excuse for his unmlti-
gaL0Q anu cOWoFQIy assault
In his article in the Sunday morning
Capital he intimates, as an excuse, that
have said something about his wife, or
family. This is so false and absurd that
it is hardly worth replying to, for never
spoke to or about his wife in my life; l
never knew her, and certainly know
nothing bad of her. l understand that
she is one of Pat Sherman's daughters,
and l am sure I have always had the
highest respect for the Sherman family,
and never spoke a word in my life
derogatory to the character of any of
them. The truth is, r. Hodgins is weak
and silly enough to hide behind his wife
in order to produce a little sympathy for
himself. He Is unmAnly enough to init
mate over his own signature that | talked
derogatorlly of his wifes reputation, in
order to furnish an excuse for his
cowardly assault me. The truth is
that never uttered single word in my
life against his family, and this is very
weak and silly excuse on his part.
Hodgins pretends to say that he spoke
to me prior to the assault but this is alb
solutely untrue. He assaulted me from
behind my back, and without ever giving
me a moments warning and there was
not word spoken. l never saw Hold
gins until after I was struck. and then
only knew who he was by recognizing
his voice.
So far as Mr. Hodgins is concerned, he
in my opinion is no more guilty than a
half dozen other mem bers of this Topeka
club OF course these mem bers took
particular pains to deny their completely
in this cowardly assault but the circum-
stances prove their claims in this regard
to be absolutely false almost beyond
doubt.
Eugene Hagan, Henry Strong Frank
ms and Ed Bennett, had congregated
within very few feet from the foot of
the stairway leading to my office. and
have the very best proof now that most
of them had been hanging around there
for long time awaiting my arrival 1t
would hardly be an accident that they
all happened there just at the time the
assault took place, and the fact that SO
many members of the club jumped into
the papers and commenced explaining
and denying that the members knew
any thing about it before they were ac-
cused is certainly very indicative cir
cumstapce.
For my own part haven't the slight
est doubt but that this ass ault was the
result of an organized anu we'll under
stood conspiracy among a few members
of this club. and that Hodgins was SIM
ply pushed forward as the Brutus to do
hibited in the interviews of several of
the members of this club, shows very
plainly that they were highly pleased at
what had taken place. SO far as Mr..
Hagan is concerned he has been a person
al enemy of mine for several years, and
while he has many times had an oppor-
tunity to assault me himself, yet think
he has always been too big a coward to
do so.
VI
late member of this Topeka club, seems
to be absolutely unlimited in the amount
of his malice. In his interview he seems
to speak for the whole membership of
the club, aud goes SO far as to accuse
me with the commission Of a felony.
His SERVANT" Hodgins now admits that
l did not abuse him, or say anything to
offsnd him on the trial, and yet this man
Rossington, for some reason or other be-
comes wild with rage.
When Mr.. Rossingtou states that I
hired Kansas City women, or anybody
else, to commit perjury. he states that
which he knows to be a cowardly false
hood.
The truth about this whole matter is.
that Mr.. Rossington and his crowd ex-
pected big verdict against the defen-
dants, but their case was SO rotten that it
fell to pieces on all sides, and when the
jury failed to give them even the one
cent for which they begged a verdict, for
a vindjcation, as they termed 1t, the de-
feat was SO overwhelming, and con-
sidered by some of the parties as SO
humiliating, that they concluded to take
revenge Oh me, because l was one of the
attorneys who represented the defend
ants I simply did nv duty as one of
the attorneys for the defendants, and for
this incurred the malicious hatred of
some of the members OF this Topeka
club, and since they were cowardly
enough to cause me to be stabbed in the
back by their henchmen, 1 will admit
that the feeling between Us is now about
mutual, and l apprehend that some of
these towards will hear of this thing a
little later on g r TarEuApr