The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-08
SHUT At WICHITA.
All the Joints and Dives Closed
There
On the Demand of Governor
Morrill,.
OBEY TO THE LETTER.
Police Commissioners Make the
Closing Complete.
The Governor Shows He Has
Plenty of Backbone.
WHENEVER HE WISHES
To Exercise It-A Talk With
the Governor.
WHENEVER HE WISHES
To Exercise It-A Talk With
the Governor.

the Governor.
WICHITA, Kas., July Sin compli-
ance with peremptory orders received
from Governor Morrill,, the police force
have closed the joints, disorderly houses
and gambling dens of the city. A. G.
Huzy, secretary of the board of police
commissioners, said:
eve will obey the governors order to
the very letter and will close up every
joint aud dive in this city tighter than
drum"
lie states emphatically that the COM
mission means business that no quarter
will be shown to lawbreakers. G. N.
Jones, president of the board, showed
the correspondent a portion of the letter
received from the governor 1t says in
emphatic language that the commission
ers must either enforce the law or send
in their designations, and makes known
the governors desire to have a frank
talk with the members of the commits
sion.
1--WE have reached the end of our
rope" said Mr.. Jones. "And we will
close up every joint in the town. We
have issued imperative instructions to
the chief of police to close them up and
our orders will be obeyed."
There was CONSERVATION among the
joint keepers when they realized that the
long expected hour OF executive interfer-
ence had arrived. The feeling between
the opposing factions is becoming even
more bitter than heretofore. There is a
we'll defined rumor that it is the inten-
tion of the present board to absolutely
suppress every form Of lawlessness for
one or two weeks and then while joints
and dives are tightly closed torn affairs
over to the temperance element and
leave them with the responsibility of
Keeping them closed
A TALK WITH THE GOVERNOR.
He Says He Can Close the Joints, but They
Need Close Watching.
Governor Morrill, was seen at his office
this morning by a STATE JOURNAL re-
porter in reference to his order closing
the Wichita saloons.
Governor Morrill, said: 81 have heard
nothing from Wichita, except a letter 1
found in my mail this morning from Mr..
Jones, president of the board of police
commissioners, who said my orders
would be strictly obeyed."
''When did you send them the order to
close the saloons, governor?"
Il sent them the original order about
two weeks ago, but the commissioners
which were to close the saloons and all
places whore the law was being violated
or l would be compelled to remove them
and appoint other commissioners who
would.
81 did not know what was being done
at Wichita until General Dawes returned
and told me that the saloons were still
running openly. I then wrote to the
commissioners and called their attention
to my other letter and told them that
would expect them to act immediately.
1t was in reply to this last letter that l
received word from the president of the
board this morning that my orders would
be strictly obeyed."
The reporter told the governor of the
dispatch from Wichita announcing that
the saloons were all closed and that there
was said to be an understanding that
when the saloons have all been closed
for few days the present board will
step down for new board, composed of
prohibitionists, who will have to make
the fight to keep them closed
Gov. Morrill, then said: II know moth
ing at all about any such an understand
ing, but that will be the difficulty-to
keep them closed. 1t is in this that the
temperance people must act The saloon
men and jointists will be gradually
opening up again and it will REQUIRE
great dlugence on the part OF the tenn.
perance people to keep them out of
business"
Continuing the governor said: Il have
given all of my police commissioners but
one order and that is to enforce the law.
1t is true have had a great deal of cor
respondence with some of them in order
TO get them to carry out my Instructions
which the public has known nothing
about If the public had known what /
was doing. great deal of the newspaper
criticism l have been subjected to. would
never have been written, but I could not
go into the papers with all the particulars
about these matters, it would not have
been dignified. l could not go into the
papers even when l was misrepresented
just on that account"
''Have you issued any recent orders
governor relative to the closing of the
Leavenworth saloons?"
'NO have not, but the trouble is that
at Leavenworth the temperance peoDIe
themselves say it is useless to try to close
the saloons. l recently was in Leaven-
worth whole day during which held
q conference with the leading temner.
ance people of the town and thev told me-
it was useless to attempt to change
things, and they Gid not offer the name
of a single person who was willing to
undertake the work of CLOSING the
saloons. I expect likely that if
could spend a few days in
Leaveuworth and make a personal
PanVass of the town l might find men