Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-11-01
TIE GRIMES CASE.
Il HAs Proven . Boom1rang-The Fuaioo
Crowd BEHIND the Persecution OF
Worthy and Honest Official.


in its suit against State Treasurer
Frank L. Grimes to recover interest
on state deposits which it accused
him of collecting from the Topeka
banks. 1t is thoroughly understood
by the people in all parts of the state
now that the suit was started Tor
political purposes purely; that it was
simply persecution OF an efficient and
obliging state officer. The scheme has
proven boomerang, The democrats
expected it to do Mr. Grimes and the
republican ticket in general much
damage in the coming election. But
it has not had that effect. On the
other hand it has done just the con-
trary thing. 1t is helping Mr. Grimes
and his associates. The people of
Kansas believe in fair play. They de-
spise a man or political organization
that will endeavor to smirch an hon
est and efficient official for political
advantage. This is why Mr.. Grimes
and his associates will be benefited
by the unjust and unwarranted at
tack by the democrats right in the
heat of political campaign. Scarce
ly a mail arrives in Topeka but what
brings the state treasurer dozen or
more letters from democrats and pop
ulists throughout the state denounc-
ing the persecution and giving him
assurances that they now propose to
vote for him although they had not
intended to do so until the political
suit was filed.
The democrats realize that they
have got hold of the hot end of the
poker and they are trying to let
loose. They have dismissed the in
junction feature of the case and have
quit taking dispositions in the case.
Treasurer Grimes in his deposition
denied point blank that he had ever
received a cent as interest on state
funds. He swore that he had no ar.
rangement whereby he is receiving OF
is to receive in the future any money
for making the Topeka banks his col.
lection agencies. He was corroborated
in every detail by the officers of all
the Topeka banks. Every one of then
testified that they had not giver
Grimes a cent, and that there is nc
agreement or arrangement whereby
they are to pay him anything in The
future.
The prosecution, like drowning
man grabbing at straw, has lai(
great stress on the absence of +
G. Willard ex-cashier of the Mer
chants National bank. They CLAIM
that Willard would give testimony /
he could be got at that would Prov
the charge. Willard is now in New
York on business. He has telegraphet
two different times that he never pal,
Mr.. Grimes a cent or entered into
deal whereby he was to pay him a cent
while cashier of the bank. In spit
of his telegraphic declarations tn
prosecution still attempts to mislea'
1 the public by declaring that Willard
will testify the other way. Such con
duct on the part of the attorneys TO
the democrats is contemplate in view
of Wizards voluntary declarations
Mr.. Grimes knows that Mr.. Willar'
will give testimony in line with tina
of the other bankers when he is pu
. on the stand, because there is moth
ing else for him to say truthfully.
A. B. Crum, the populist count,
attorney of Usage county, in who's
name the suit was instituted, has no
shown up during the taking Of TIN
dispositions. He is so busy at HON
defending himself at the hands of tn
people in his own party that he hasn'
had time to take hand in the case
His conduct has aroused the bette
element of the populists and demo
Gratis of Usage, more especially tn
taxpayers, and he has written her
that the case will cause his defeat TO
reelection as county attorney.
For some time the attorneys for tn
prosecution tried to conceal the dem
ocratic state committee in the plot
They would not tell who hired then
to prosecute the case. Mr.. Crime
and his attorney, d. r. Hite, KEEP
nagging them so industriously tina
they admitted in open court that the
were employed by Frank S. Thomas
treasurer of the democratic stat
committee.