The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-09
FIGHT ON TRACY.
The WamegO Times Man Files
Serious Charges.
Alleging Corruption in Office
While County Attorney.
ASKS FOR A DELAY
In the appointment Till Proof
is Received.
Affidavit Sent to Attorney Gen.
eral Of United States.
Tracy DenOunces the Charges
as Tissue Of FalsehOOds.

as Tissue Oh 4 a1Se0O0USs
R NJ Chilcott. editor of the wamego
Times, a Republican paper published at
the home of B. H. Tracy, has filed
charges against Tracy who has been Sc
lected as the next United States district
attorney for Kansas.
Mr.. Chilcott was in Topeka last eve
ming and sent the following telegram to
the attorney general at Washington:
I mail you affidavits showing proofs
of the corruption in office of B. H. Tracy
while county attorney of Pottawatomie
county, Kansas. He has been recon-
mended for United States district attor-
ney for Kansas. Please withhold his
appointment until you receive my letter
mailed today containing the proof"
Mr.. Chilcott charges that blood
money was paid to Tracy as county
attorney by jointkeepers to insure them
against prosecution.
The following is a copy of the affidavit
which has been mailed to the attorney
general. Welcome Johnson is a cattle
man living at st. Marys. He formerly
lived at Silver Lake. Edward Leonard
is a farmer:
State of Kansas. County of Pottawa-
Welcome johnson and Edward Leon
ard. of lawful age, and citizens of St.
Marys, each deposes and says: / was
in the saloon business in the city of st.
MaryS during the years 1894, 1895 and
1896, when B. H. Tracy was county at
torney of said Pottawatomie county,
Kansas; certain saloons were allowed
to be open in ST. Marys, and there were
no arrests for ViO1ati of the prOhibl-
tory law of the state by said County
Attorney Tracy, so long as the saloon
keeper paid the agent of Tracy from
$25 to $35 per month, which amount
was paid nearly every month by every
Saloonkeeper in St Marys- The money
was usually paid to one George Welsh,
who was we'll understood to be Tracy'S
agent to receive the money. 1 talked
with the several saloonkeepers nearly
every month about this extortion.
Those men were Ed Leonard John Con-
don, Lew Aubert, f. Meister, Bert
White and Bert Groomes and Welcome
Johnson There was a nisun derstand-
ing at one time as to "WhO" was to
receive the money. We refused to
longer pay to Tracy's agent. Welsh. and
upon demand, on pain of immediate
prosecution, we paid it to Tracy in per-
son. In the presence of each other we
paid our monthly blood money" to
Tracy at one time that I well remem-
Der; at another time we again refused
to pay the agent, Welsh, whereupon we
were notified to pay it to one A. F.
Armstrong, keeper of the Telephone.
This we refused to do; we were then
CTracy) direct, under pain of prosecu-
ton We each placed $35 $50 in alp in
an envelope with a special delivery
stamp thereon, and sent it through the
United States mail to 3. H. Tracy, Wa
mego, Kas. We heard nothing further
from Tracy for thirty days, when we
were again notified to pay. This oc-
Cured nearly every month during B.
H Tracy's term of office as county at
torpey of Pottawatomie county, Kan
sas-
Further this deponent saith not.
(Signedf WELCOME JOHNSON.
EDWARD LEONARD.
*. his mark.)
Witness: r. NJ. Chilcott.
Subscribed and sworn to before me,
this Sth day OK July. A. D. 1901
(Signedl r. M. CHiLCOTT.
Notary Public.
my commission will expire January
s, 1869
TRACY DENoUNcEs CHARGES.
Mr. Tracy was seen by State Jour
nal reporter and he emphatically de-
MED the charges made in the affidavit,
as made out of the whole cloth.
BY way of a formal statement I
have nothing more to say" said he.
than that the charges are a tissue of
falsehOods. The whole thing is a fab
rieation gotten up by personal and po-
litical enemies and have no fears that
it will interfere with my appointment
as United States district attorney for
Kansas. The falSehOOds are uttered by
sa1oonkeepers and men of no standing
in the community Chilcott has perse-
cuted me and my friends for years and
this is not a total surprise. 1 had an
inkling of it."
Mr.. Tracy said Leonard and johnson
had kept saloons for years and keep
them now He said Chilcott's enmity
had originated from q postoffice fight
in the time of Congressman Broderick
Tracy's friend was appointed and Chill
colts man lost
The people of Pottawatomie county
have honored Tracy in the past AMI
have more in store for him. He spent
Sunday in Wamego. They are prepar-
ing a reception and celebration for the
appointee to take place in that town
next Friday night
In 1898 after Chileott had made a BIT
ter fight on him the POttaWatorlie
county delegation went to Emporia and
hoisted Tracy's name as their favored
son for congress. Mr.. Tracy says Chill
colt followed there and was pointed
out by the people of his county as "the
guerrilla
St Marys has hard name with re-
gard to violatio of the prohibitory
law. There have been no adninistra-
tions. it is said, that have kept down
open saloons. They have always ex-
listed.
The records would show, Mr.. Tracy
said, that there were more liquor pros
ecutions during his incumbency as
county attorney than in years.
Weather Indications