Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-03

the friend. And after considerable discus
sion. a friendly wager was laid on the mat
ter. Ware lost. The parable speaks of a
certain rich man. but doesn't name him.
Dives is a Latin word meaning the rich, but
1t is not a proper name. 1t has been applied
to the rich man of the Bible so often. how
ever. that almost universally he is spoken
of as Dives.
There are some steady headed old cattle
men in Kansas who believe that the price
OF stock cattle is ranging too high, and that
a lot Of the people now investing will re-
greet IT. John Rehrig. of Usage county.
went to Oregon the other day. where he
paid 81 apiece for yearlings. and then
about s. a head in freight to Kansas.
s
There is a fine display of Populist econo-
my on exhibition i'm Oklahoma. The jour
nal of the house has just been completed
and printed. and it is found to contain l.241
pages. at a total cost of about 5000. 1t is
filled with rubbish that can have no prop
er place in such a book. For example, the
letters to and from w. ]. Bryan. who was
invited to visit the legislature. are printed.
$50
A few years ago a number of national
banks in Kansas changed to state banks
under a law which was inviting. Since the
passage of the new law, however. a num-
- ~ NbN' thAAho TO " 10
ure on changing into national banks. 1t is
held by the bankers that the new law con-
tains some nearly impossible conditions.
Last Saturday the directors of the State
bank, at Seneca. decided 10 change to a
national bank. reducing the capital stock
from $4,000 to $4,000
Topics doesn't know whether it is a story
entirely 10 the credit of Colonel ]. r. HaIlo-
well, or whether It is calculated to shed
any glory over the Jurisprudence of Kan
sas. but it is interesting and was recently
written by Colonel Hallowell for the Col
umbus Courier, and therefore must be
authentic.
Along in 1872 Joel Withrow killed Charles
Madden near Baxter Springs. Both were
prominent men. Hallowell was attorney
for Withrow, and his method of fighting
the case was to secure continuance after
continuance. He says: When the third
trial came on we beseeched Attorney Rit-
ter on the other side TO let the case go
over, but he insisted on trying II. l pre-
pared an affidavit setting forth that im-
portant testimony was unavoidably absent.
My client signed 1t but was too conscien-
tious to swear to it. Nothing could move
him, so 1 took a train that night 10 BaX-
ter Springs. John Moss. a character well
known to all the people at that time. Of
49, wan III anu "oo " AAOAoAg BhbllNs
John had two characteristics that were
commonly known. He was seldom, If ever.
sober, and his signature could out-distance
a Chinese ~hieroglyphic. Taking a wooden
pcnbolder 1 whitfield 1t TO n point AMI
splitting the point a little I dipped il in
some murky ink and experimental. 1 soon
had a scroll where the officer should sign
his name on the affidavit. Then came the
question of the seal. 1 did not dare use
Johns seal. so I hunted up the seal of an
old mining company. I carefully placed a
piece of thick b%lotting paper on either side
of the spurious affidavit and made an inn
print. 1t simply showed that an attempt
had been made at some sort of an impress
sion.
Returning to court next morning I
found my partner, Van Bennett. very much
worried. I showed him the affidavit and
insisted that he keep Withrow quiet, which
he did. 1 presented the affidavit in court,
when County Attorney Ritter said: You
rave not submitted that document to me-
1 hated to let him get hold of II. but it was
passed to him, and, after examining 1t for
a moment he said: John Moss was awful
full when he signed that
1--WE got our continuance, but were
wrangling over the bond, when I happened
TO turn to Van and to my establishment
fcrnd him slowly chewing up that affi-
davit and splitting the fragments into a
srittoon. He had picked it up from the
table while Ritter and 1 were arguing and
he never ceased chewing until the last Bit
was gone, and with it all evidence of my
trick"
In the end withrow escaped all punish
ment. |