The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-22
CHARGES AGAINST KELLY.
They Still Continue to Create Elk
element.


The charges against Tom Kelly down
in Miami county are still making
trouble They are now bringing out
double-column plea editorials. The
Olathe Mirror publishes one OF TINS KING
in defense of Mr.. Kelly, in which it
characteriZes the charges as "a crime
in the name of politics.. 1t also pub
fishes numerous editorials in italics
along the same line. A peculiar feature
of the contest in Johnson county is that
the Mirror which is the organ of Con-
gresham Bowersock in that county,
couples the fight on Kelly with that on
Bowersock. 1t charges the Leland ele-
ment with being behind the Kelly
charges and says the same element is
trying to defeat Kelly in the Johnson
county primaries by creating prejudice
against Bowersock
This sounds peculiar in the face of the
well-known fact that Leland is warm
friend of Bowersock, who supported Le-
land all through the pension agency
controversy. Down in Miami county,
too the Miami County Republican is
fighting Kelly, and at the same time 1t
is putting up hard fight for Bower
sock
The Republican in a long editorial
against Kelly publishes the following:
Geo. W. Crane, of Topeka, pulled
Kelly out of a bad box before the COM
missioners, but it was close shave. He
had what purported to be an abstract
of two vouchers filed by his company
against Miami county in 1893 That s
tions between Miami county and MI
Cranes company is his ledger. but he
didn't dare bring it to exhibit to the
commissioners. He knows why and Mr..
Kelly knows why. So do the people
know why who heard the evidence at
the investigation last Saturday. No
body present at that investigation was
fooled in the testimony. Some who
heard it Were personal friends of Kelly
and We're forced against their Will be
believe in his guilt, hoping all the while
that he could clear himself But he
couldn't do it,
1t is stated that Mr.. Crane was re-
Gently requested to allow an investiga-
ton of his books showing the alleged
bills against Miami county, but refused,
saying that he had so many requests of
that character that he could not grant
them.
Mr.. Kelly's enemies cannot deny that
in the face of the fight against him he
has overwhelmingly carried the Miami
county primaries, and that his home
county will send a delegation to the
state convention with strong resoIu-
tions endorsing him.
The State Journal has received the
following signed communication from
A. l.. Thomas, who made the original
charges against Kelly, and against
whom Kelly made counter charges:
Paola, Kas., Feb. 20, 1902.
To the Editor of the State Journal
1 notice in the Journal, under date of
the 18TH an article entitled Grimes is
satisfied Says Kelly has been COM
pletely exonerated.''
to make some very wild statements,
most of which are as far from the
truth as hades is from heaven.
He is correct, however, when he states
that I accused Kelly of raising certain
county vouchers, and the records OF
Miami county sustain the charges; and
Notwithstanding the Kelly-Sheridan
combination, and all the pressure they
to Iv-i1 f0 h0
board of county commissioners, the
hoard y in their findings state that
Thomas T. Kelly drew on the Hamilton
Printing company's voucher from the
treasury of Miami county $50 more than
the face of the voucher; that Kelly
drew this; that it was Illegally raised
from SIG to $66, and that Kelly drew the
amount as raised; and he now has the
difference of $50. which amount right
fully belongs to the county.
Instead of bringing down his books,
and showing to the board their exact
condition George w Crane came in
person took the witness stand and
swore that the $46.25 statement was
correct: that it was his own signature
attached to the affidavit. and that the
amount there sworn to, $3.50 was all
that Miami county owed him on the
3Oth day of December, 1898.
When questioned closely regarding
the difference between the account as
filed and the amount allowed, Crane
stated that he believed that the 1st
day of January, 1894, there was another
bill, amounting to 800, forwarded to
Miami county. When asked if his
books showed this to be a fact at the
time, be said he did not know. When
asked if his books showed this entry
two weeks ago, he said he did not
know When asked if his books would
show who the salesman was, he said
they would not When asked if he had
any way of telling how this extra 500
was RENTED to him, he said he had
not When asked If he had any way of
telling how the extra goods he claimed
were bought on the LIST day of January,
1894, were shipped. he said he had not.
The records of the county show that
the amount was deliberately raised from