The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-10
Latest Yellow Story Concerning
Mayor Parker.
Charged With Trying to Block
City Interests.
WHAT DID HAPPEN.
Attorney Asked to Have DOnO-
vans Name Substituted.
G. c. Clemens Explains the
"HOrrid" Transaction.

1.-The story of the morning paper is all
true-except most of it, said C. c.
Clemens this morning, when asked to
make a statement concerning the latest
fake story Of the organ" which appears
in the morning.
The morning paper claimed that
Mayor Parker and Chief of Police Tim
Donovan had secured the services OF
LAWYER Clemens to file a brief against
the city in the Gray habeas corpus case
now pending in the supreme court
Mr.. Parker and Mr.. Donovan nave
never made such an arrangement with
Mr.. Clemens. Mr. Clemens did not ask
the supreme court for permission to lie
a brief on behalf of Mr.. Parker and Mr..
Donovan.
BY its wilful neglect, the morning pa
per has thus continued its campaign OF
falsehood and libel against Mayor Par
ber- It is a repetition of the Wichita
fakes and the May Stanton fabrication,
and the other anti-Parker series which
the morning paper has sprung under
scare heads and failed to substantiate,
but of course that isn't yellow.
The history of the Gray case is as fol-
lows: Gray, an alleged jointist was ar
rested and convicted by Chief Stahl- He
went from police court to the supreme
court under habeas corpus proceedings
, against Chief Stahl, to test the HurreI
law. His attorney was Joe Reed. Since
the action was started, Chief Stahl has
been succeeded by Chief Donovan. Thus
tackled, the city had no official represen-
tative. Lawyer Clemens got into the
case by means of an intervening petit
lion on behalf of several Topeka drug
gists. Mayor Parker told Mr.. Clemens
that he was willing that Chief Dono-
vans name should be substituted for
that of Chief Stahl. Mr. Clemens
repeated tAis statement to the judges of
the supreme court. Mr.. Clemens also
stated that he had been so busy that he
had not found time to prepare a brief
on behalf of the intervening petitioners.
and asked for hve days time to do this
The court granted Mr.. Clemens the five
days time he asked for and also gave
Mr. Donovan five days to file a brief in
behalf of the city, should Mr.. Donovan
desired TO do
There is where the morning paper got
its wires crossed. 1t thought, or pre-
tended to think, that the court gave
Clemens five days to file a brief at the
request of Mayor Parker and Chief Don
ovan. Mr.. Clemens stated distinctly to
the court that he was on the other side
of the case. and simply mentioned the
change of StahlS name to DOnOVan'S as
an accommodation to Mayor Parker
I simply stated to the court" says
Mr.. Clemens. that the mayor wished
the new marshal to be substituted for
the old, or at least that time be given
to file a brief if it should be deemed de-
sirable- I distinctly told the court that
I had nothing to do with that side of
the case. The court understood the
whole matter, as did counsel in the case.
1t is absurd to suppose that the court
would have listened to so unheard of a
suggestion as that the mayor and city
marshal should file briefs against the
city
When the matter was mentioned to
Mayor Parker this morning he said:
I would rather not enter into an
argument with the morning paper, be-
cause if 1 tried to deny everything false
which appears in that paper 1 would
have no time left for anything else. Mr..
Clemens stopped me on the street one
day and said that the city should sub
stitute the name of Donovan for Stahl
in the Gray case. 1 told Mr.. Clemens
that I did not know anything about the
case. but to talk to Mr.. Donovan and
do whatever he said. That is the only
conversation ever had on the subject
I suppose the change in title is a mere
formal matter, such as takes place fire.
Quently in law suits, in case parties to
the suit die or retire from official posi-
tons"
City Attorney Spencer. who with
Judge T. +. Carver represents the city
in the Gray case, says: Il was not pres
ent at the court when this Clemens in
cident occurred, and know only what
Mr.. Carver told me, and what 1 read in
the morning paper 1 don't know what
Mr. Clemens object would be in doing
what the morning paper says, unless it
was simply to prejudice the judges
against the city by making them think
that the mayor and chief of police had
taken position hostile to that occupied
by the city. 1 think there must have
been some misunderstanding. 1 do not
believe that Mr.. Clemens would resort
to such tactics
Mr. Clemens has prepared the follow
ing open letter to the editor of the
morning paper;
ITO the Editor of the Daily Capital:
OF course there may be exceptions, but
1t is my philosophy that when a news
paper prints a lie about a man he
should, as a general rule, remain serene
If any newspaper should publish the
truth about man, he should raise a
rough house; for to have the cold bald,
unvarnished truth told about him is a
brutal outrage which no Christian man
should stand Indeed, it may be ser
iously doubted whether any Christian
man is in a position to stand it. How
ever, what you published Sunday about
case in the supreme court hurts the
mayor and the mayor might have it in
his power to hurt me. would therefore
be extremely obliged if you would help
me to patch up this particular lie so as
TO let me out with a whole skin. The
reporter begins by gently suggesting
that unless 1 am a liar. Mayor Parker
mas done very remarkable thing and
then leaves the innocent public to judge
whether l am a liar. 1t has nothing TO
DO with the matter in hand, but to your
readers confidentially, and with the dis
tinct understanding that it is not to be
repeated. 1 am willing to admit that 1
am a liar. Without needlessly wound
ing the feelings of scores of people every
week. no man can get through his life
in this world without being a liar Dur
ing the last month, several thousands of
the thousands of voters of this city who
voted Tor Parker and worked hard
against Hughes have urged me to urge
Mr.. Parker to appoint them postmas-
tiers, United States .marshals chicken
tax collectors and collectors of the port
of New York These people had never
done me any harm Why should I re-
fuse them2 Did / lie to them2 Every
blessed day of the month | am a liar
4 nave fifafo