The Topeka state journal., 1897-06-19
R0BBING THE PEOPLE.
A Swarm of Deputy COnstables
Needs Cleaning Out.
Piling Up Court Fees Mountain
High For Us to Pay.
Taxpayers League Has Its Hands
Full if it Undertakes the Work
Of Stopping This Waste of
Public Money.

One would think from the array Of
deputy cOnstables attached to Topeka
justice courts that crime is on the in
crease in Topeka and everyone is en-
gagged in litigation.
The records of the office of the coun-
ty clerk show that J. T. Wintrode of
Justice Chesney's court has six depu-
ties; Constable Lucas of Justice Nc
Clintock's court has three, and Consta-
pie Stonestreet of Justice Guys court
two.
There may be others whose names
have not yet been filed, but there are at
least three cOnStables and IL deputies
to look after justice court business in
Topeka.
The real reason why there are so
many deputy cOnstab bles is because they
are used to work up business. few
days ago Journal reporter saw a dep
uty cOnStab BILE in Justice Ch6Sney'S court
with a diSreputable cOlOred woman in
tow. She had had a quarrel with her
husband day or two before, and the
vigilant deputy constable had heard of
the trouble and hunted the woman up,
induced her to make a complaint
against her husband and took her to
the office of the county attorney to Sc
cure the complaint. The complaint was
at once filed in Justice Chesney's court
a warrant was issued and the deputy
started out to find the man.
The reason the deputy constable
shows so much sOlicitude is because he
receives 10 cents per mile for travelling
when making an arrest and so cents for
serving the warrant.
A few days ago a well known young
man got in an alteration and was pref
ty badly used up. The Watchful depu-
ties heard of the trouble and several of
them were at once on the trail of the
young man. They did not care to arrest
him, but wanted to induce him to have
a warrant issued for his assailant. The
young man refused and the deputies
had all their trouble for nothing.
If it were not for the deputy consta-
BILE, the neighbOrhoOd quarrels which
are SO often aired in justice courts at
an expense TO the county, would not
be heard Of
The deputy serves the papers and is
allowed ten cents a mile, and he al
ways travels miles enough. He is sure
of his pay and knows it. Otherwise he
would not be so Vigilant. He makes his
money working up cases, and he also
makes money for the justice before
whom the case is tried. He has to di-
vide with his constable, and that is the
way the constable makes his money.
1t does not matter much what are
the qualifica tiOns of the deputy consta-
bic. Two of the men who are working
in Justice Chesney's court cannot write
their names 1egibly. One of them made
a vain effort to print his name in cap
ital letters to she oath he was supposed
to sign, and the other wrote something
that the county clerk was compelled to
acknowledge as the name of the ap-
pointee.
Following are the names of the con-
stables and deputies:
Constable. J T. WintrOde; deputies,
Charles Mcmillan, Green Craiger, John
Clemens, Rufus Knott, Dan Jones, c.
D Watson. COnsta bic, J. E. Lucas;
deputies, w. H Williams, r. L. Eel
Ter, Geo w. jackson. Constable, Fred
stonestreet; deputies, Josiah Ross and
W. E. Stewart.