The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-01
Supporters of L. T. Kelly Have
Had Enough Investigation.
An Examination at Instance of
Committee Would Embarrass.
MIR. WHITES REQUEST.
EmpOria Editor Makes Demand
for Committee.
This Would Be an Easy Way
for Kelly to Fix Things.

why are the friends of T. T. Kelly SO
wary of having Mr.. Kelly's record as
county clerk of Miami county reported
upon further?
Why do they wish to avoid having
committee go to Paola to see If the find
ing of the county commissioners against
Kelly are correct?
If Kelly is innocent he certainly would
have no trouble in establishing the fact
by the records to the satisfaction of
committee of his fellow Republicans
Why, then, does he not accept the pro-
position of W. A. White, of the En-
poria Gazette and send a committee Of
three county clerks 10 Paola to investi-
gate the records upon which the COM
missioners made their findings, and
which Kelly claims have been mutilated2
If they have been mutilated or changed
in any way, or if any of them are miss
ing, three expert county clerks could
certainly discover it. Mr.. White offers
to pay half the expense of such an in
vestigation in order to clear Kelly. Why
does not Kelly accept?
If any of the records are missing, or
if a single one of them has been mutt
lated or changed in any manner, of the
records upon which the commissioners
found Kelly guilty of stealing $1,324.S9
from Miami county, why does Kelly not
accept the challenge of w. d. Greason,
editor of the Miami County Republican.
Mr.. Greason offers to put up $1,000 and
forfeit it to Kelly or any of his friends
| Republican editors of Kansas some of
whom are supporting Kelly in their pa
pers will go to Paola and make a re-
port finding any mutilations or altera-
tions or any records missing upon
which the county commissioners madei
their report Here is a chance for Kelly
to get back the greater part of the
money which he paid to Miami county
to make good his shortage, if he is in
4 nocent.
The truth is, Kelly doesn't want those
records looked into. That is the last
thing he is after. He knows that if a
committee of honest Republicans inves-
tigate the records of Miami county their
report is bound to be against him. If it
were otherwise Mr.. Greason would hard
ly risk a thousand dollars forfeit on
their report. If the evidence was not all
against Kelly so per cent. of the Repub-
licans of his home county would not
now be against him.
II Kelly were innocent he could easily
stop the whole fight against him by ac-.
cepting either Of the. propositions that
have been made If a committee of
honest Republicans would go to Pao1a
and find that Kelly is the martyr he
claims to be, the forty Republican
papers which are now against him
; would turn in and give the most Wig
orous support of any candidate on the
state ticket. Can you guess why he
: doesn't do it?
Here is Mr.. Greason's proposition to
Kelly:
Capper of the Topeka Capital, Tom Nc
Neal Of the Mail and Breeze, Rev. Chas.
NJ Sheldon of Topeka, William Alleh
White of the EmpOria Gazette, Henry
Allen of the Ottawa Herald, G. o. Smith
, of the Burlington Republican, A ].
Basye of the Belleville Telescope, Ewing
; Herbert of the Hiawatha World, John
Seaton of Atchison, E. w. Hoch of the
Marion Record, Victor Murdoch of the
Wichita Eagle and John S. Gilmore of
the Fredonia Citizen. any three, five,
seven, nine, or all of them, or a like
number of men whom a majority of
these men may suggest, come to Paola,
inspect the records and documents In
the Kelly case, and if they find any OF
them missing, altered or mutilated or
differing in any respect from the finding
made thereon by the county commits
sioners, the editor of the Republican will
forfeit $1,000 to T. T. Kelly, Frank
Grimes, w. J. Stagg. Frank FARRELL, the
Topeka Herald, Kelly's attorneys or to
any individual or public private
charity that these latter individuals may