The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-10-18

joint keepers-many of them from Mis-
souri-to violate the prohibitory law in
a wholesale manner.
The joint keepers and their friends
did not resort alone to open defiance of
the law They formed a conspiracy to
break down any attempt to enforce the
law. Pursuant to this conspiracy two
men, who had procured evidence and
Information concerning a large number
of Jointists, were arrested on Sunday
evening, September 20, upon a false and
malicious charge of robbery. The COM
planning witness was guilty of perjury
and the conspirators who procured him
to do it were guilty of subornation of
perjury, and all of them ought to be in
the penitentiary where they belong.
When these men We're arrested they in
sisted on their innocence of the charge
and demanded a hearing at once. But
Notwithstanding it was charged on
their behalf that the prosecution was
unfounded and that there was no gen
ulne and bona hde prosecuting Witness
and although it was demanded that
such prosecuting witness be produced,
these charges were ignored, and this
demand was refused, their cases were
continued until Monday, October 4, and
they were sent to Jail On the day set
for trial, as a matter of course, no pros
ecuting witness appeared and their
cases were dismissed. There was abso-
lutely no evidence against them No
body seemed to know who the prOsecut-
ing witness was He disappeared en-
tirely from sight after swearing to the
complaint, and no one has been able
to ind any trace of him since that
time.
For two or three days prior to the
arrest of these men it was Tumored on
the streets that they were to be arrest
ed on a trumped-up charge, and that
the cOnspiratOrs were discussing the
charge upon which such arrests should
be made. 1t is now well known and
understood that the arrest of these
men was illegal, malicious, and I'M
founded, and that it was done pursu-
ant to a conspiracy. No one knows or
understands this better than some of
our public officers, and yet no steps
whatever have been taken and no eff
forts whatever made to bring to justice
the man who committed the perjury
and those who procured him to do it.
| The most serious charge made against
these men was that they came from
Missouri. 1t seems to be a very triHing
matter that a man should come from
] Missouri to open up and run a joint in
| violation of law But it becomes very
| grave and serious affair, in the minds
/ of some, if he comes here from Mis-
/ souri, to assist in procuring evidence
! and information against the joint keep
/ er from Missouri.
| 1t is well known that the very foun-
| tain head, the source of supply, the
| headquarters from whence comes the
/ liquor, the financial backing and the
/ INSCRIPTIONS scoundrels and ruffians,
| employed to break down the enforce
/ ment of the prohibitory law in Kansas,
| is located in Kansas City, Mo.
/ While the arrest of these two men in
/ terfered materially at first with the
/ prosecution of liquor sellers and gave
! them great aid and encouragement, it
/ assisted materially in bringing to our
! aid a large, and to great extent,
/ volunteer force of men who rendered
I Valuab service in procuring evidence
| and swearing to complaints.
| This committee kept an open head
| quarters during and just before Festl-
/ val week. from which the work was di-
| rected, and two or more members OF
/ this committee, together with one or
! more members of the Citizens Chris
/ tan League, were present at these
/ headquarters all the time. The best
| efforts possible under the circumsta tan
ces We're made to close up the joints.
| Some 81 warrants were sworn out and
| served on prosecutions instituted by
| this committee. In several cases re
| peated arrests were made Of the same
| party.
For the service of warrants the reg
ular officers were exclusively depended
on. Nearly all the warrants were IS
sued to the sheriff. However, notwlth-
| standing the efforts of this committee
| a number of joints continued to run
| during the week Nevertheless, on &C
| count of the work of this committee, a
| number of joints opened or about to be
| opened in various easements and va
cant rooms, were suppressed, and the
patronage and financial success of
| those which did run We're mater
| ially interfered with. 1t is reported
that some joint keepers lost money.
| The universal testimony is that much
/ less UQuOT was SOU IIltS y EetA NllelAl Acl0 -
and that it was sold much more Sc
| cretly.
While this committee does not charge
| that there was any absolute failure on
| the part of any officers in issuing or
serving any process sworn out through
| the committee, yet it feels constrained
to say that the fact that the county at
| tOrney and the Sherin TeTuSe TO 90 any
| thing toward the enforcement of the
| prohibitory law beyond that which they
| are absolutely compelled to do to escape
| the forfeiture of their offices, and the
fact that the sympathy of both these
| officers is against its enforcement, ana
| was so especially during the FESTIVAL.
| accounts for the failure to effectualIy
close up all the joints. The length of
| time it may take to get a warrant into
| the hands of an officer and get it serv-
ed, and the manner in which it may be
| served, can easily determine between
| success and failure
Most of the warrants issued proVid-
ed for search of the premises and selz-
IRE of the liquors. This is the most vi
tai point in breaking up the business. If
| the Joint keeper is merely arrested, he
| gives bond and goes back to his bust
| ness which in the meantime can be
| carried on by others. The search and
| seizure part of the warrants was not
| executed in an effectual manner In
some mysterious way, we do not under
take to say just how, the joint keeper
/ in most cases had notice before hand
| of his coming arrest and had ample
time to prepare himself by conceahng
/ MS llGiuOtS u Asst-Ass A-AN7
hop tea tonic. Consequently when the
sheriff arrived he was able to secure
| verv little liquor. If there had been a
county attorney and sheriff in sympa-
| thv with the enforcement of the pro-
| hibitory law, and if process had been
issued and served with the dispatch
due to a bona fide and earnest desire to
| enforce the law manifested in other
| cases. not one joint could have run any
/ great length Of time.
| one place was maintained on the fair
| Ground during Festival week where
| iinuors were continuously sold in vio-
| Iation Of law, although no person was