The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-26
MYSTERIOUS TRIP
City Attorney Spencer Goes to
LeaVenWOrth.
Went to See About Liquor
Licenses.
STAHL TO USE LIST.
Will Help Him Locate the
Joints.
One RAaa0n WIZ HUNG Sf0raV
STAHL TO USE LIST
One Reason Why Drug stores
Have frightened Reins.


1t is known now why City Attorney
Charles F. Spencer went to Leaven-
worth, but Mr.. Spencer didn't tell.
Neither did Mayor Bergundthal, who
sent him. Neither did Chief Sthal. who
suggested to the mayor that he send
him. But the secret is out.
Mr.. Spencer brought back with him
from Leavenworth a lot of valuable
information, which is going to become
Of general interest to the joints, clubs
and drug stores within a few days. He
brought back a list of every govern
ment liquor license held in Topeka,
and Chief Stahl is going to do the
rest.
It seems that information of what is
coming has leaked out among the drug
stores and other places, for the town
is shut pretty tight right now. Even
the drug stores which have been doing
the biggest prescription case business
in snake-bite anti-toxin are now clos
ed, except to their most intimate
friends.
It has been considerable of a mystery
why Mayor Bergundthal held up for
so long the appointment of Ch1eI
Stahl, after it had been fully decided
upon. Ten days prior to Stahls ap-
pointment, the State Journal was able
to announce that A1cCollum was Stat
ed to go, and that StahI was slated to
succeed him What was Stahl doing
in those ten days?
There is good reason to believe that
he was not idle. And it is also sus-
pected that his personal business
affairs were not of such an engrossing
nature that it required ten days TO
wind them up. The probability is
that during those ten days Chief Stahl
was doing some detective work, by
proxy, which will satisfactorily &C
count for the mysterious delay in his
appointment.
This government liquor license
game is not a new one with Stahl.
He tried it before when he was chief,
and it stirred up the animals consider
ably at that time The government
law is very strict on the subject.
Anybody who tries to sell liquor with
out a government license plainly dis
played on the walls of the drug store
or joint is likely to get into water of
boiling point. If Stahl finds that any
of the Topeka booze parlors are run
ming without a government license, all
he has to do is to report them to the
United States district attorney, and
receive the thanks of Uncle Sam. If,
on the other hand rlhe forces every
drug store and joint to display its gov
eminent license, he gets a good hold on
the place for a prosecution under the
city ordinances.
Mayor BergundthaI was asked to-
day whether it is true that Mr. Spen-
Ger went to Leavenworth to get a list
of the government licenses.
Il haven't anything to say. Go and
see Spencer was the mayors reply.
Didn't you send him to Leaven-
worth ?"
Il didn't get his ticket for him. re-
piled the mayor.
when will Stahl commence his
fight on the joints?"
"Oh, I don't know-pretty soon, I
guess"
City Attorney Spencer was not much
Inclined to talk, either. He said,
when asked whether or not his trip to
Leavenworth had been to get a list of
government licenses:
you go and see Bergundthal about
that He knows all about it."
did you get what you went after -
Talk to the mayor about it" re-
piled the city attorney
It is regarded as probable that Chief
Stahl is only waiting for some evil
dence of activity in the joint business
to start his campaign. At present the
town is shut more generally than it
has been since Stahl was chief before.
The difference between the McCollum
system and the Stahl system is being
most amazingly exemplifed.