The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-31
Organization One to Help Dodge
Prohibitory Law.
IT PAYS VERY WELL.
Promoters Reap the Benefits
from the Thirsty.
Frank Bush in Conflict With
Doniphan Authorities.

handed down on Saturday OF next week.
1t has received a black eye in many
Kansas courts and in others it has been
victorious. Now the supreme court has
"a guess coming and lawyers generally
believe that the X. L. A. viii step down
and out.
The K. L. A. is probably the most
colossal graft in the state Of Kansas.
Primarily it is an organization of drink
ing clubs. The graft is simply incl
dental. Frank Bush of Belleville fur
nishes the brains and aids in fighting
the legal battles of the jointkeepers or
lodge managers. But while it is a
graft, it is directed against a class of
people who are themselves either seek
ing to break the law or helping some
body else to do it, so that so far as the
graft is concerned no one is particularly
/ sorry.
The theory Of the lodge IS that an
association Of men, as members of the
X. u A. can employ another man as
their agent to buy liquors for them. He
simply acts as their gent and as such
he makes no sale of liquor
Ih he modus Operandi' is as follows;
The WOuld-be jOintist appears in a town
and announces that he VIII institute
"a lodge of the X. U. A. He finds out
/ the drinking men OF the town and gets
them to give him two dollars each.
I which entities them to be members OF
/ the lodge or order The jointkeener
\ or lodge manager" as he is called in
I the 4. T. A., secures a charter from
Bush It IS reported that charter
4 costs $50. and this is the first graft.
/ good many ignorant jOintists believe
! that This charter comes from the state
and that if they obey its rules the state
4 VIII not nlcIest them. In reality it en-
4 titles the lodge keeper to legal coun-
sci without cost in case he is arrested
I 10 low
When the lodge is in working order
f ana sufficient members at two dollars
pef nave been secured. the lodge man
sger" lays in stock OF dqIors-tleaf
IS ne orders them for the ner7,5=rs.
j The theory is that each member has
advanced the money and instructed the
lodge keeper as his agent to buy him
some liquor He does not specify just
what the liquor shall be Then when
4 he wants drink he goes to the lodge
keeper for it. If it is whisky he takes
ne gives the keeper a dime: if a glass
of beer nickel But this is not to paw
for the liquor-Oh. no. Tt IS simply an
adVan anCe order for more liquor. When
he has advanced two dollars his first
stock is declared exhausted and he is
4 supposed to have ordered a new sup
ply. which is at once on hand
1t is reported that in addition to the
charter fee. the grand lodge" other
wise Mr.. Bush gets certain amount,
] some say SO each month for further
protection. but no definite proof OF this
has been produced. But it is very evi-
dent that Mr. Bush has a good thing
from a financial point of view. if he
gets nothing but the charter fees. for he
himself says that the association has
several hundred lodges" and 62090
members in Iowa alone. and he is ex-
tending it to other states wherever amy
restrictions are placed on liquor sell
ing.
Bush is really a very bright fellow
He is the brains Of the whole business.
1t requires brains to get up the elah-
crate system necessary to carry out the
project. He is stenographer of consid-
erable ability and sometimes acts as a
court stenOgrapher in BeIleNille. He
has strong political pull and is secrc-
tary of the Republican county central
committee OF Republic county He is an
expert telegra pher and is versatile in
other lines Personally he does not
drink nor even use tobacco but he is
not averse TO helping along those who
want to and in participating in the pro-
fits. He understands the science of pub
licity and whenever he secures an ar-
ouittaI of one OF his lodge mana gers
he gets a notice of ii i'm all the news
Dapers possible to show how the *. r.
a. cannot be touched by the PROM bitoly
law Whenever a lodge keeper is con-
S-icted il is because he has not obsyet
the rules of the order wll0a posi-
lively forbid selling LIQUOR. Bush has
VrOY NeQ TINS system Until ne mas IA g.
A. lodges AL over Kansas and in Ne
braska and iowa wherever liquor sell
ing is restricted. He makes all his
keepers take q brass bound oath to
obey the rules. support the constitution
of zhe United States Ghat Of the state
of Kansas is not mentioned and stang
by his order. his country his home and
his friends.
But notwithstanding Bushs vigiiaaes
his s77a ma gers sometimes fall into fits
clutches ff law. ana Ulln1 rDlfs
cannot see the legality Of the It0plar
idea One of these unfortunat tes Nas
Matt Peak. who was manager q q
TrroDian lodge at Everest. Brown couh-
tv w F Means county attorney OF
Brown county. prosecuted Peak dac
an Infeeling jury decided that ne Wa
lust as much of d criminal IS any Cfa--
nary Joint keeper, nQtWl testa111ng t-l-
ofHclaf standing in the Kansas Utopia q
association. Bush got an array Of lega
talent behind Peak and the case Wa
aunealed to the supreme court deer
sion is due on Saturday of next week
I-l.til a short time ago Bush has kepi
out of the unuleasan MT features OF the
business, which consist in being arrest
ed ana having q jail sentence stare onf
in the face His work was to furnish
uish the legal talent to defend thosf
who di1 fail into the clutches OF thf
law Now however Mr. Bush is eXpe
riencing some of the unpleasant parts
ayers Up at Denton. Doniphan county
believing that Bush had unlImite-
power 70 defend him. became sassy
towards Judge stuart. and the lucg'
in addition to a considerable fine Mr.
Bush fer some reason was not Vefl
prompt I'D securing his release. and IL
I Continued on Page sixth.)