The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-24
COL. COPE GORDON TALKS.
His Opinion OffSe Proposed Law Suit
Against Him.

Against HIM.
The law under which Edward Stephens,
the colored man who was refused per-
mission to ride in the Copeland elevator
will act is state statute. The ofense is
criminal one and is described as a
misdemeanor and that is the reason
Stephens requested the county attorney
to bring the suit. The penalty is fixed
at fine of not less than $40 and not
more than $1,000
Col j. 9. Gordon, proprietor of the
Copeland, says he is not bit worried
about having to pay Mr. Edward
Stephens damages for the treatment he
received at the Copeland yesterday.
To a STATE JOURNAL reporter this
morning Colonel Gordon said This is
an outrage in this man Stephens stirring
up muss of this kind; l don't run my
elevator to accommodate people who are
not guests of the house and are here
looking after their own business. 1t
doesn't make any difference whether
they are white or black.
''My elevator boys have instructions
not to carry young people on the ele-
vator, make them walk. They are plen-
ty able to walk. 1 tell the boys to carry
women, old people, lame people and fat
people, but to make the young,
able bodied folks walk. l don't
see why 1 should pay the fare
of outside folks riding in my
elevator. 1t amounts to that The water
that runs that elevator is measured by
the gallon, and [ haye it to pay for. Some
months my water bill amounts to 500,
and l venture the assertion, and l believe
it to be true, that fully one half of the
water l pay for is used by people not
guests of the house."
Col. Gordon's anguage was most Wig
orous as he gave his version of tbs Steph-
ems incident. He said: 81 did not see
the first of it, l noticed the fellow stand
ing in front of the elevator and saw that
something and said to him
What do you want?' He
said he wanted to go up to
Judge McFarland's room. said We'll
you know the way don't you? You have
been up there. There are the stairs l
don't know whether l said anything
about not carrying Negroes, (Col. Gordon
pronounces the word carelessly) in the
elevator or not; maybe l did; but for that
matter 1 don't carry white people either
who are young and able to walk
ssAfter he had started up the stairs and
got up step or two l remember he did
humble something about having a lame
ankle. If he had said that in the first
place he could have gone up in the ele-
vator, but he won't make anything out
of this.
II never turned a colored man or
woman away from my house in my life.
1t is true there have been no Negroes
here for two or three years but few
years back there were lots of them, and
l always entertained them, No
colored man who asked me
for entertainment was ever turned
away They slept in my best rooms and
ate in the dining room with my other
guests, 1 never turned a negro away in
my life, and have turned white people
away who have wanted to stay here
many a time.
''There is not day passes that do not
feed colored people who come here
hungry for something to eat, iced more
white people than colored, can say for
the Negroes credit No person, white or
black who ever came here for something
to eat. who was sober and decent. was
sent away hungry.
81 can prove by all the people around
my house that l never made any dis
tinction between white ard black per.
sons.
Il think this is mean thing to
print in a newspaper about man but it
is worth more to me than running a card
as an advertisement whole year.
"If the newspapers will just keep this
up awhile l think l will be a candidate
for delegate atlarge to the national con-
vention. l guess l could count on good
share of the Negro vote, Most of them
will be SO jealous of Stephens they
would vote for me-"