The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-02

the Affair to a Rcporter-No frosecu'
lions are Being Made Because the Agi-
tators Do Rot File Complaint-Mr
Jones Firm in His Demand for Reliable
Comp.ainants and witness-Has Been
Absent for a Week.
II. Lewellyn Jones, prosecuting az
torney Of Harper county, was in the city
last night enroute for his home at An
thony. from Kansas City, where he had
been on legal business. An Eagle re-
porter found him at the Manhattan no.
tel and gained from him very interest
ing interview relative to the comic opera
now going on down there styled The
Whisky War" He left home last Mon
day and had learned nothing of the
situation during mis- absence. To a
question put TO him if the fervid heat of
the performance had commenced to chill
any, he smilngly replied: well, as TO
that, l can't say any, further than that
as an officer 1 have not yet been ad-
vised OF any tangible action or well de-
fined plan OF operation. No complaints
have been filed and no prosecutions be-
gun, and for one reason only, and that
is the agitators nave not complied with
certain demands l made, and until they
do l positively refuse 10 burden the
county with endless litigation and costs.
One week ago last Saturday l went
down TO Harper to take hand in the
game myself. The bitterness was SO in
tense that personal approbrium had been
cast on myself and my wife. 1 had been
charged with nearly every thing in the
category of crime and the women ele-
ment Of the crowd had not even spared
the feelings of nay wife but had malici-
ously charged her as well as myself with
selling whisky in a hotel for which at
one time l was the agent They had
further charged that john Bartel and 1
were schoolmates together and old
friends while as a matter of fact | was
educated in England and never heard OF
Mr. Bartel They openly declared 1 was
instrumental in bringing him TO Harper
and that he was under my protection
and sanction. Sworn duty was sung in
my ears until I got very weary Of it,
since my record shows that during my
term Of office I have not failed in
single instance Of securing a conviction
before the jury when 1 have prosecuted
viOlators OF the prohibitary law. $50 l
went to Harper, and a a mass meeting
held in a church l addressed them and
informed them 1 had come TO talk bus
mess, and talk it very plainly too. 1
then told them what proposed TO do re-
garding my sworn duty and as citizens
they equally had a duty and they must
now pay the fiddler or let up on the
dance. First, l should require and in
sist that any and all complaints filed
with me must be sworn to by some one
reliable. respectable. and responsible;
also they must furnish me list OF wit
nesses who were reIia ole, respectable and
responsible. Further. l informed them
that all cases would be tried before a
Harper Ci,y justice of the peace and not
before the district court al Anthony,
and why? Because the witness fees in
the justice court would be 90 cents and
no mileage, While to appear a. An
thony before the district court the wit
nesses must be paid 81. so and 81 mile
age, ana further, no charge Of working
snip could be imposed.
This seemed to me eminently just and
business, and yet one preacher said it
was unreasonable and asking too much.
| reminded him it was necessary 10 Sc
cure conviction, and that every case
lost weakened their side just that much
I further called their attention to the
fact that if case was lost the county
paid the costs. and il convicted and the
offender and no resources the county
paid them also; and il the costs were
low there was a better
chance of collecting from the prisoner
Heretofore the witnesses l had were of
the same character as the jOintists, and
am now through With that. No law !
yer cares to go into a criminal case 50 |
handicapped and weakened. l also |
hluntly informed them l would not &C.
cept spotter evidence as that class We're /
abettors and equally guilty
The bomb episode. Mr.. Jones explain |
ed. was a joke on DR.. Brown and was !
prior TO the war. and had no connection |
with it and it only became current 1
through the frenzied efforts of some |
fake artists corresponding for eastern |
Perhaps the most out
landish feature TO the whole spectacular |
farce is the recent coup de, etat sprung |
by the ultra moralists. They have quick !
~ collected by subscription the sum of |
5000. not to prosecute the jointists. but
10 prosecute the mayor Of the CITY and |
Mr.. Jones. Just what for seems to be a
puzzle. but perhaps they did not stop
10 think of that. Neither Prosecutor
Jones nor the mayor have ever Vet re-
fused to do their Sworn duty nor are
they liable as law breakers to any nrose-
cution whatever. Mr.. Jones has re-
peatedly avowed his readiness 10 COM
nence action when ever complaint is
luly and legally filed and sworn TO.
out none have been filed and until there
s il isn't clear what in the world they /
are going - prosecute him for. He is
not detective 10 hunt up evidence. nor
a frequenter of joints and dives. ana |
personally knows of no saloons in the
city.
One good old innocent soul frankly
70 Mr.. Jones that she wouldn't
care - much Il the jointist there was a
Harper man. but Wichita man coming
down there 70 land lord a free lunch re-