Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-19
BoTKIN ON THE INVESTIGATION.
Says the Proceedings So Far Have
Been n MOckery of Truth
and Justice

p Topeka, kas., April lS.-In an interview
in local newspaper, Judge Theo Botkin.
representative from Reno county, sizes up
the testimony of Keefer and other Popu-
lists before the legislative investigating
committee IN his own peculiar and forcible
way. Said he:
Looking at the evidence from the stand
point of a lawyer who has had experience
in the trial of criminal cases, the proceed
fnigs thus far are not only a rnockery of
truth and justice, but a disgrace to the
stale. Why If lot of those boodle-charg-
ing witnesses had been giving that kind of
testimony against an Alabama negro on
trial IN Mobile police court, on the charge
OF chicken Stealing. the Jury would return
n verdict OF not guilty without leaving the
box. The very idea that any one offered
Keefer g, ,6G1 or offered to offer that sum,
for MS vote and influence IS so preposterous
that no one who knows him real well would
believe il for single moment. During the
late session he demonstrated his utter unre-
liableness in many ways, particularly in his
attempted statement of facts. He manu-
factured a false charge against the COM
mittee on mines and mining in connection
with the peniteutiary coal. mine bill and
when l arose in defense of that committee
and branded him and his statement with
their true character, he lied again by. de-
nying that what he had said referred TO
the committee bill; and then again lied. by
saying that he had reference 10 the orig
inal Hackbusch bill. That statement brought
from his colleague the celebrated statement
that Refers veracity was like "a fiea's
There was not a single hour during
the remainder of the session when even a
respectable minority of the members would
have believed keefer under oath, and /
doubt very much II anyone believes any of
his statements before the committee. No
wonder the committee adjourned as soon
as he. left The stand The -janitor will
have TO burn old rags and feathers in that
room for a month TO purify its atmos-
phere from the effects of Keefer's presence
and testimony. There ougnt to be a stop
10 all this reckless. senseiess toying with
who shields himself behind Convenient
forgetfulness of time. place and occasion,
or who seeks by tngendo, insinuation and
darkly hinted claim of knowing more than
he is willing to tell frankly and uanfuIly
10 tear down a we'll earned reputation Tor
manly virtue, ought. 70 be PLACED in, the
stocks and be subjected to the tender mer-
cies Of the street ga1nin armed with rotten
tomatoes and Stale eggs.
Using. Keefer's evidence as basis for
further Investigation Of all the evidence
50 far taken. will some sensible man in
the jury box please tell the rest. of his
COLLEAGUES what any Of it IS worth? am
dence. can't understand why, when, Of
fered that $500 for a certain ruling, he
did not knock the tempter down and kick
his carcass out of doors, or else Keep still
forever afterward; He certainly does not
want the people 10 understand that II took
nm ten weeks 10 catch on to. the, point
that the offered bribe was an insult to his
Insphood;s aI1li: ds Then there is Jumpers festr=
.. During ue. days of slavery. a lot OF
negroes from qinerent plantations met at
campmeeting, when the following con-
yeIsation took place: Sambo-1 is a val
liable niggah, is. Old marse refused 500
fo' me yestahdax,' Jumbo-,o, go long,
niEgah, ouse no count along wifi me, NV
ole marse been done offehed $500 fo' me
Gumbo-'Cleah out. 70; Wufiess trash: Ny
ole narse. done refused sl.oOo fo me At
las. words were. succeeded by blows and
the several owners of the slaves rushed in
to queN the riot. Upon Investigation IN
was found that the negroes were only
trying TO see. which could lie the hardest
in support Of his self pride There had
been no offers to buy, nor any refusals TO
sell
Jumper and Titus-'We've been offered
a thousand dollars each, but we were
worth more. But we know several mem
one or two hundred apiece
Mr.. Speaker-'Those senators were only
worth thousand dollars a head on mar
ket, but LOOK at me-. / was offered two
KeefeT-'O, you small fry make me
tired: If ] weren't worth any more than
you fellows I'd go hide. Why, gentlemen.
! am worth fifty times more than some
i've times more than either Jumper or
Titus. and two times more than the sneak
er. A man whose name l forget offered
M at place forget and on a day i
] forget, five thousand dollars'
-, IT the exact truth could be known. /
Wonder whether anyone wanted to bIy or
whether there was any refusal to SELL