The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-21
FRATERNITY MATTERS.
One of the Betas Explains Some
Things.

Things.
To the Editor of the State Journal:
The following paragraph appeared last
Saturday evening in the State Journal
report of the Collins trial:
Herbert Wing of Newton. student at
the university when John Collins was in
school. was the next witness Wing and
members who have loyalty stood by John
Wilder of this city is the only fraternity
man who deserted Collins at the COM
mencement of the trouble. Wilder start
ed movement to have Collins expelled
from the fraternity, but failed"
Your reporter was no doubt misled by
reading last July an alleged interview Of
other Topeka paper. Two days later the
same paper published my written denial
Of that interview" as follows:
carried on any correspondence to have
Collins expelled from our fraternity, nor
has any other Beta to my knowledge.
The Betas were a large and most in
fluential fraternity last year at Kansas
university, as they have been in the past
history, as viii be told by any well in
AS long as Collins lived up to our stand
ard he had nothing to fear from our 10y
II wish to call in question the statement
that ever 'hrst deserted Collns. IN
myself and to our fraternity, Beta Theta
Pi, to make a few explanations winch VIII
my part and on that of others of our fra
ternity who have, while not deserving Col
Inns, at any rate not rushed to his de-
Tense.
ii.
taken any action in this whole matter eX-
cept to the following extent: We de-
Mr.. Collins; thus to show in some. measure
the deep regard which we cherished for
one who had always evlnced the same re-
gard for US. We also decided to provide
for his bier a beautiful floral design as an
other evidence of our regard. We did
both of these things gladly, although TO
do were at quite an expense and
Monday and we were required to absent
ourselves just that much time from our
body, bore all the necessary expenses of
Howard Leonard, Johns roommate and
in Topeka from the time when we got
news of Mr.. Collins murder until after
bert Wing to spend as he did, the week
following the funeral in Topeka He did
troubles. But even then we bore part
of his expenses.
instanced above. Further action regard
ing Collins we have not taken, nor do
until after the verdict of the jury. There
fore, whatever opinion I may have, or
ter does not run counter to any action
ever taken by the fraternity. We are
the facts in this tell US, they are
being unraYeled and revealed to the gaze
of the public.
As for myself. I have in every fact
anv verdict. and shall not until after ali
the evidence is in However, earnestly
hope he may prove himself innocent of the
horrible crime with which he is charged
in Lawrence. 1 wrote Collins a letter in
which L discIaimed belief in his guilt. I
came to Topeka to live in June and have
been here ever since l am not the only
member in town of Collins fraternity of
Beta Theta Pi who has not dropped ali his
other affairs and frantically rushed to his
defense. There are many others, prOmi-
nent TOpekanS, who are members of this
same fraternity.
I think I may fairly say I have more
than reciprOcated anything Collins ever
did for me, as / hope have always done
toward all my friends. 1 have, however,
any way binding me in Collins present
trouble to make me deny the evidences of
my own senses and reason Truth should
not dread to have the truth told.
/ wish to add another word in defense
of chapter house life at the universi-
ty. Ever since have lived in the house
we have had strict rule against keeping
liquor there OF course, on occasions, the
rule has been relaxed, in instances of
whisky kept for SickneSSeSS and in in
stances of perverted students indulging in
ing "a wine supper" consisting of spiked
lemonade and such dangerous dehcacies
as sailed peanuts and sandwiches
Further, there was no poker playing for
money in the chapter house during the
last college year. This will explain what
Collins meant on the stand when he said
that he won and lost the same night
what would be the equivalent of two dol
year 1851 the great majority of our mem
beFs who never gambled in any form pass
ed rule against any sort of gambling in
the house. From that time gambling
exceptions. Some of our number, how
ever. still played poker in the house after
wards, but no money eyer changed hands.
gToDeISa Kan Dec 49, 1895