The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-01
Local Combination Has Been
Formed by Wholesalers.
Charged That Jointists Who
Sell Right Kind Are Safe.
TOWNSEND MANAGER.
Boss Of All Liquor Sellers Con
trolls Situation.
Detective Matthews Story of
His Resignation.

There is a beer trust in Topeka. 1t is
composed of the Schlitz, the Anheuser-
Busch, and the Helm Brewing compa-
MES. They are trying to crowd all
other companies out of the city and get
a monopoly on the joint business in To-
pel<a. Lon Townsend. who is the gem
eral agent for the Schlitz people in To-
peka, is said to be at the head of the
trust and is engineering its workings.
The efforts of the trust are directed
principally against the Val Blatz joint
lists, and the Val BIatz Brewing COM
pany is Objecting. The fight has come
to such a state that Robert Kneisler,
who is the wholesale agent for the Val
Blatz people here, has sent to Kansas
City for a representative of the Val
Blatz Brewing company to come to To-
peka to direct the fight, which promises
to wax warm. The Kansas City man is
expected this afternoon.
The Val Blatz jointists claim that the
trust has the protection of the police
force, and that a jointist who handles
trust beer is never mOIested. while fire.
quent raids are made on those who sell
beer of the Val Blatz company and
other brands not in the trust.
This fact is responsible for the resig-
nation of Detective Joe Matthews from
the police force a few days ago. He
claims the police were arresting only
Val Blatz jointists. In his resignation
which he rendered to Chief of Police
Ramsey, Matthews said:
1t is with great reluctance that l ad-
dress you on the subject to which will
refer, but certain facts having been
brought to my knowledge lead me to be-
lieve that an absolute and strict en-
forcement of the prohibitOry law at the
hands of this administration cannot be
for nd
reasons tender you my resignation"
1t is claimed that Matthews was
friendly to some of the Val Blatz joint
lists, and he did not like to see them
run out OF business when the trust
jointists were not disturbed. As evil
dence that the trust is under the pro-
lection of the police Matthews points to
the fact that neither Lon Townsend nor
anv of those to whom he furnishes beer
are ever disturbed.
Hut Markers case shows how it is
run said Matthews today. Marker
used to sell Her beer. He was arrested
twice by the city and once by the cOun-
ty. The Her agent was out of town for
awhile and Marker got his stuff from
Lon Townsend. When the Her man
came back ne made a fuss because
Marker was selling Schlitz beer when
he was using Hers bar and fixtures
Marker was running under lock and
key then to keep from being caught,
and he told Townsend about it. Lon
told him if he would keep on selling
Schlitz beer and pay him $25 every two
weeks, he might throw his lock and key
away and run his place wide open and
he would not be mOleSted- Manker did
it and hasn't been disturbed since
Townsend has his office at 113 East
Fifth street, where he has a telephone
and other office fixtures. His telephone
address in the telephone book is as fol-
lows:
$50, schlitz, JOS, Brewing Co, 11a
E. 5th."
Townsend has long been known as
king of the jointists, and it is said
to be his ambition to control the entire
joint business in Topeka. The anti
trust jOintists claim that he or his fol-
lowers furnish the officers with evidence
against these who do not sell trust beer.
It is also said that Townsend is able to
get his bar keepers for $50 a month.
while the antitrust people have to pay
theirs $50 and upwards because the risk
of being raided is greater. That is one
of the benefits of belonging to the trust.
Among the joints which handled Val
Blatz beer whom, it is claimed, the
trust has succeeded in closing are the
Oyster Bay, on Fifth street, opposite
the federal building; the Holiday
house, near the Santa F'e depot; Hank
Shafer's place, and several others. The
Good Citizenship federation has been
taking credit for much of this work
but according to these reports it seems
that Townsend is more successful in
closing joints than is the federation.
What sort of action will be taken by
the agent of the Val BlatZ company
when he reaches Topeka is not known
whether he will try to make terms with
Townsend or whether he will fight back
by furnishing evidence and compelling
the prosecution of the jointists that are
in the trust.