The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-31
Ex-Chief Stahl Gives His Per-
sOnal Experiences.
His Plans For Raiding Joints
and the Result
LIQUOR HARD TO FIND.
Often Under Floors, i'm Beds and
Stoves.
His Ruse to Steal ON JOintists
UnaWares.


written an account of his experiences
while he was chief of police which IS
published in the Kansas Issue.
1t is interesting, not to say thrilling
and is reproduced herewith:
When 1 first tackled the joints their
stuff was easily found, but learning by
experience that 1 took everything IN
sight allowable by law, and that USED
it as evidence against them, the JOINT
lists grew wary and it became a game
of hide and seek''-hide on their part,
and seek on mine. They seemed de
termined to sell, and l was bent on
stopping them
one of their first schemes was to have
guards TO give the alarm, and getting
their stuff neeessitated quick work we
would at times get on a street car, and
when car got opposite the joint jump of
the car while going at full speed, ana
make a run for the door. This was sue
cessful a good many times, and was a
good scheme on places like 31S and 4l9
Fast Fourth street, 231 North jefferson,
406. 222 and 209 Kansas avenue, and 609,
612 and S22 Kansas avenue, North To-
peka; but this soon got to be uncer-
tain. They had vigilant guards.
A few times We got buggy and dr1y-
ing rapidly by from the wrong direction
we would jump and run This played
out. and We next got hack, and drove
slowly by. This plant caught well for a
few times, but the same trap would not
catch them many times. We had TO
ambush Guards were everywhere The
station was watched, and the Kansas
avenue bridge was watched. If two
or more officers started north the joints
in North Topeka received a Look OUT
notice. We tried going over the Rock
Island and the Santa Fe railroad
bridges. This worked a short time all
right but they were apt scholars and
hard to catch mapping
We had to contend with guards, bar
red doors, locks. peep holes, electric
Ftof1e fxa4n nrffV in f1fa Faln n
joints. l had one Of their detectives in
my employ and he managed to get some
"a isiilfcrrnati ~ at times, and '7idu't al
ways deliver the goods he agreed
Raids became so frequent that the
jointists never felt safe. The joint was
on the ground floor today, up stairs to-
morrow. and next day in the cellar.
Then came the hiding scheme. We went
over to Joe JohnSon's one evening about
10 O'Clock on the strength of a report
that Joe had keg of beer on tap. We
slipped in very quietly and found a
man and woman drinking beer out of
tin cups in the kitchen. There was
two step rise into the next room. and
Joe was sitting on the floor with his
feet resting on the lower step. No beer
was in sight and Joe said there wasn't
any in the house He looked the picture
said. Get up. Joe; The CARPET was
turned back. a trap door revealed. and
under it a hole deep enough and big
enough to hide a keg of beer on tap
with a picnic pump in it Joe and the
keg went to the station.
Joe had several hiding places later.
One of them was sack sunk in the
Kansas river in about three feet of wa-
ter. The boys fished it out with a
hook.
Mccoy was a good hider Report
came, .'keg of beer at 1011." We went
up but no beer to be seen. But this
time I knew In back room, carpeted,
sat very large kerosene stove, where
the cooking was done for the restaur-
EtOXa
under a trap door, under the floor, was
q keg on tap and about forty bottles
OF beer and number of beer glasses.
Later a report came, Mccoy has just
received a keg'' We went at once but
IL wasn't under the stove, and it wasn't
anywhere-for us-and we gave it up.
Again a report came, "keg of beer
Just taken in at 1011." And again after
searching the house from cellar to attic
we came away empty handed, believing
our informant was mista ken But he
said: Il saw it taken into the house 4
few minutes before you came" ! set
man to work, and when the next re-
port came; keg at McCoy's, l knew
where to look. Mccoy looked hurt to
think that we doubted his word. i've
quit he said, but look through the
house and be sure" We came to a
large trunk that was locked. Mccoy
couldn't open Tit belonged to a board
er, and the boarder was gone and had
the key with him. We took the trunk to
the station. opened it. and found a 6eg
IL
several glasses.
A raid was made one night at All
Kansas avenue-gambling place and
Joint Gambling paratuS-tabies
cards, chips. dice. glasses, dressers and
couches We're in evidence, but no beer !
was in sight But / knew where to
look A man was lying on a couch !
and claimed he was sick when ordered |
TO get up On opening up the couCn /
false bottom was exposed revealing an |
Ice box with about 200 pounds OF ice |
and four dozen quart bottles of beer
A report came in one day, ''Keg ON |
tap at Aunt James," We went down to /
mistaken. honey and for a time |
thought we were. But one of the bows
stepped up to large colored woman
Ihat was standing in one corner of the
room, gave her quick pull and re-
Nealed keg with a picnic pump in it. |
skirts
We found liquor buried in the cellar.
MD IN the coal bin, hid in false step
IN the stairs. on shelves, and in false |
partitions. a number of times we I
round beer and whisky hid in beds. in /
hoies IN the floor, covered by boxes. |
carpets, trunks and sawdust. some /
's..ls, Sinles II was on the roof. Again it was
directly under the pavement A reg
would be on tap, and men drinking /
Wfille the crowd of people on Kansas |
long. az S
We got gallon of whisky one day
under coat hanging up on the wall
stoves made good places to hide glasses
ana peer. Sometimes it was hid So
Wen that couldn't find it with the time
at my command.
Bob Pigg ran a joint in a cellar on
@'S-s1 courth street 1t was so strongly