The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-19
Judge Fischer Will Not Give
the Usual Holiday.
THERE is WORK TO Do.
To Investigate Money "Graft''
by the City Council.
Witness viii Tell of a Large
Division of Spells.

Kansas City, Kan, Dec. 19.-Judge E.
l. Fischer spoiled the holiday arrange
ments of the members of the Wyan-
dotte county grand jury yesterday
afternoon. The grand jury adjourned
to meet again on Monday, December %,
but the members had hardly left the
court house when Judge Fischer sent
word to them and to Attorney General
Coleman that they had no right to adj
iourn for such length of time without
consulting him. He commanded them
to report Monday morning ready for
duty and continue the investigation I'M
til Wednesday afternoon, when they will
be excused until Monday morning, De-
cember %.
The only witnesses before the grand
jury yesterday afternoon were Lewis
Benson, a grocer on North Seventh
street in the Fifth ward; John Fox, who
runs a butcher shop in the same build
ing. and Martin McHale, real estate
agent, who lives in the same ward
These men were expected to throw
some light on the charges of grating in
paving contracts, but their information
was purely hearsay. McEiale, II IS sald,
possesses some information of the al
legged grating on the part of some city
officials during the Craddoek admins
tration on the Joints" and gambling
houses, but that question was not
touched upon yesterday afternoon.
H. W. WOlcott, general manager of
the Kansas City-Leavenworth electric
railway. who was subpoenaed to appear
before the jury yesterday, did not ap-
pear He will be notified that if he
doesn't appear Monday morning he will
be in contempt of court. The report has
long been current that the Kansas City
LeaVenWorth Electric Railway company
was held up for $4,000 by certain mem
bers of the city council not more than
two years ago, when its franchise was
before the council. One county official
declared yesterday that he would pro-
duce a witness at the proper time Who
would testify that he saw representa-
tive of that line pay eleven 800 bills to
a member of the Kansas City, Kan,
council. Certain other members of the
council, another witness will TESTIFY, 1t
is said, held u meeting in an office
building in this city, where the balance
OF the money was divided equally
among all present The witness has
described the scene in the following
way:
combine assembled in an Office building
on the Missouri side Of the line the
leader and stakeholder announced that
they had been called together to divide
a little money they had earned He
then divided the money in equal parts,
and placed the several parts in row
and told each councilman present to
take his share, at the same time say
ing, I now have a few biscuits TO give
you, but after the passage of the Met
ropolitan franchise I will deliver to
each of you a whole Loaf Then each
councilman went his way"
When the grand jury aeonvenes again
next week the charges that money was
paid to councilmen for their votes for
the first LeaVenworth line franchise.
as well as for the one amending the
first franchise, passed on the night of
December IS, 1902, will be investigated
AS the latter and the Metropolitan
street railway franchise were passed
after midnight on the same day, both
will be investigated together.