The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-12
IN BAD TASTE.
Chief Of Police Steele Accepts
Valuable Present
From the Gambling Element of
the City.
is 1T A BOLD ATTEMPT
To esInfluence' the Chief at the
Very Beginning
OF His Term By Those Who
Seek to Break Laws?

sented with a handsome gold badge last
night and the strange thing about the
matter is that the men who bought the
valuable jewel are nearly all proprietors
of joints or gambling places. There are
only two or three names among the
donors who are not known as either
sporting gentry or jointists, and they
must be deceived in the company they
are in.
The presentation was made in the Of
flee of Frank Herald on West Fifth
street. The donors, together with a few
friends, assembled at the office, and
Henry NJ. Steele, who has held the Of
flee of chief of the metropolitan police
department for two weeks, was sent
for
Upon arriving there, Frank Herald,
on behalf of the men who had secured
the badge, made a neat speech to the
audience and finally concluded by pin
ming on Chief Steele's breast the finest
officers badge in the city. Chief Steele
was surprised, and he could but thank
them for the gift and express his graf
itude for their action.
The badge was very large affair,
being in the form of a pendant. On the
top bar is raised enameled letters sur
rounded by fancy gold work and the
name Henry NJ. Steele"
To this is hung by two tiny chains a
large pendant which is very handsome.
In the center of it a ruby doublet shines
forth from a raised gold star three
quarters of an inch across. Around
this is gold wreath of lighter shade
tied with small old gold bands. In a
circle about this is inscribed in raised
enameled letters, surrounded by fancy
gold work, the words: Chief of Police,
Topeka. Kansas"
The work on the badge is fine, the
best to be had. 1t cost $50.
On the back of the badge there are
ten names engraved. Nearly all of these
er1 T1lh IPfc fOf
ka. Two are not in the category.
Al Hayslip made all the arrangements
for the raising of the funds and the or
dering of the badge With his name,
which heads the list on the back, are
those of l. d. Myers, r. z. Bates, H.
H. Tobias, ]. A. Lord, Ed lyman, Geo.
L. McCaslin and w. S. Plummer.
Doc" Plummer runs a drinking club
at 618 Kansas avenue and associated
with him is l. d. Myers. At the Royal
Billiard hall at zoo Kansas avenue, I'M
der which is bar and gambling room,
AL Hayslip and F. f. Bates, hold forth.
Link McCaslin and H. H. Tobias have
a billiard hall over sos Kansas avenue,
and Ed lyman runs gambling room
and joint in North Topeka. Archie
Lord, who is one of the best known
members of the gambling fraternity in
Topeka, has no place of business at
present
Chief of Police Henry Steele is great
ly pleased with his gift. He pulls back
his coat lapel with pride when he meets
of beauty, but it may not be a joy for
ever. It doesn't appear to have occurred
to Steele, that there was anything i'm
proper in his accepting such a gift from
such d source.
Speaking of it he said today: I'll tell
you, I'm proud of this. It is more than
deserved It's almost too fine to wear.
1 was completely surprised last night
when Frank Herald gave it to me-
1t may be necessary for the legiSla-
ture to Investigate the condition of po-
lice affairs in Topeka. When law break
a very serious OffenSe and has been
made the text for more than one legisla-
tive investigation in other states.
The surprising thing about the whole
ma tier is that a man who has the repu-
tation of being such an excellent officer
as Chief Steele should have accepted
this Valuab BILE gift. He may have been
fiattered with the idea that he was Civ
en- the badge because of his services to
the city in the two short weeks he has
benin office.
But he ought to know that if he ac-
ceptS a gift from one class of law vio-
latOrs he can with equal grace accept
$500 or 81 600 from another-the joint
keepers, for instance.
The police board should at once ex-
anime into this affair The chief OF pO-
lice of a city like Topeka can not afford
to lie under the suspicion of bribery
For what purpose could the golden
badge have been given to Steele? The
question scarcely requires an answer.
1t is rather unfortunate that the new
police administration should run ankle
deep into a scandal at the very outset
of its career
The chances are that Chief Steele's
mination are not the only requirements
in chief. He also needs sense.