The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-30
A. Patterson, Of Rossville, Ap-
peared in Court Intoxicated.
Failing to Secure Ineligible
Answers Was Assessed $40.
JOCKHECK is HELD
Owner Of Building Refused to
Answer Questions.
Jointists About Only Ones Who
10 Free.

The Ross and PalmOndOn joint case
in the city court was going merrily on
ward at 2:30 this afternoon. The casa
has occupied two whole days. and the
defendants are sure to escape
The two defendants, Fred Ross ana
F. P. Palmondon as owners, and Joe
Handy and Charles SimOnS as barkeep-
ers, were charged with IA counts. the
evidence failed to connect the bartend-
ers with the deal, and the jury was or
dered to find them not guilty. This is
the first case brought in the city court
by Assistant Attorney General Redden,
and was a complete failure.
POOR WITNESSES.
The entire case failed to produce evil.
dence such as was used during the sea-
son of drought. The parties who fur
nished Attorney General Redden with
the names of witnesses made the mis-
take of picking out farmers who were
not acquainted in the city and did not
visit the place, 514-16 Kansas avenue
often enough to become acquainted with
the men who ran it. Not one of the
witnesses was able to describe the man
who sold him liquor, although they
could all describe the place.
One witness, A. Patterson, who lives
at ROssville, had evidently been max
ing the rounds before his time to testi-
fy. He fell into the witness chair ana
remarked that he was rather deaf in
stranger in town, and, please sir, didn't
that let him out Well, he'd be derned.
His jag was more than he could bear.
but he was quite smooth when it came
to testimony, and he was able to dodge
most of the questions by working his
bad ear graft. Did you hear that
question " asked Redden at one tine
20 yes, 1 hear, yesh, 1 un'erstan'-
whash that you shay?" replied Mr.. Pat
tersOn.
The court decided that Patterson was
bad one, also a drunk one, SO he was
fined $40 for contempt of court. Mr..
a tn Ho al mr.
requested his wife at Rossville to feed
the stock, as he was unavoidably de-
tanned and couldn't get home.
Another Rossville witness, a Mr..
Fowler, was anxious to tell the truth,
but was careful to tell nothing more.
He said that he drank what might be
beer in the Ross joint, but did not re-
member what the bar tender looked
like. The beer did not taste like the
beer in Kansas City, and being a truth
full man. he hated to swear that it
was beer. Otis Hungate, who conduct
ed the cross-examination, only asked
one question of each witness. Did
you," he would say impressively, while
you were in this joint you speak of, see
this gentleman, Mr.. A. L. Redden, as
sistant attorney general of the state of
he had not seen Mr.. Redden in the place.
Only about half the witnesses called
were present, and the dozen or more
who did take the stand failed to furnish
I
looked confident of the outcome of the
trial, and frequently referred to comic
magazine possibly comparing the case
to some of the printed jokes. Plamon-
don has recently removed his nuisance,
and with the aid of pair of eyeglasses,
| had disguised himself as preacher.
Squabbles between the attorneys were
frequent, and took up much time. An
attempt was made to introduce the
docket of the police court as evidence to
prove that Ross had entered a plea of
| guilty to keeping a tippling shop open
| on Sundays" and paid fine of $50. The
| docket, in charge of Judge Magaw, was
] submitted, but it failed to show the To-
cation of the "tippling shop" The de-
| Tense was looking for a spotter to be
| put on the stand today, but no one ma
| terialized.
REDEEM ON THE STAND.
Judge Redden took the stand this
morning and testified that at the time
| he filed the complaint he was in possess
| sion of information about the parties
! who had been called as witnesses. He
| positively refused to tell where he got
| his information and another wrangle
| took place, Attorneys Clemens and Hun
| gate contending that as he had voluntar-
| lily taken the stand he must submit to
| regular cross-examination. Redden
| declared that he had given his word OF
1 honor to withhold the names of his in
! formants, and that in the capacity OF
| an official he had the right to do So
| The point was not completely settled
| but the court excused him from answer
| ing the question. Charles Jockheck, the
| owner of the building, where the joint
! is located, was then put on the stand
and the attorneys for the defense ex-
| planned to him that he did not have to
answer any question which had a ten