The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-20
FEELING BITTER.
Mass Meeting DenOunces Judge
FlanneIly Severely.
President Kennedy Gives Gas
Belt Side of the Row.

Judge T. J. Flannelly; denounced him
as subservient judge, a hireling of
corporations, a traitor to his trust and
unworthy of public confidence and
esteem.
The resolutions also denounced the
Kansas Natural Gas company as
pirates, robbers, thieves and other
things as we'll as demanding that the
legislature repeal the law giving pipe
lines the right of eminent domain. In
fact the resolutions did almost every
thing but openly approve the wrecking
of the Kansas Natural Gas company's
line.
The resolutions were unanimously
adopted, but almost Immediately after
ward A. B. Clark, who has been as
sistant district attorney, asked that the
resolutions be not published.
I'VE thoroughly understand the sit
uation here said Mr.. Clark, 'and we
know that the words of the resolutions
are not too strong, but they will give a
wrong impression to the people of the
other parts of the state and they will
condemn US and we will lose some of
the support necessary to support our
cause. We don't desire to be misrepre-
scented, and therefore the resolutions
ought not to be published but ought to
remain in the custody of the meeting
. President Kennedy outlined the atti-
tude of the Kansas Gas Protective as
ISOLATION on the Montgomery county
dynamite matter in the following state
ment:
THE incident is greatly to be de-
plored. The Kansas Gas Protective as
Sociation is in the fight to keep Kansas
gas for Kansas instead of Missouri use,
and it is in the fight to the bitter end,
but 1t does not cOuntenance the dyna-
mite method, no matter what provoca-
ton officials or others may give. The
Kansas Gas Protective association be-
lieVeS in law and order. It has been
making its fight for Kansas interests in
the courts and there it will continue
fighting as long as there is the least hope
of success. The fight is to be carried to
the legislature in January from which
the gas belt expects to get sufficient
help to make it's fight successful.
Il am sure that the legislature will be
the matter and see that it is really a fight
to bring man lecturers to Kansas instead
thing that will aid US is that no one
knows the limits of the gas belt and there
a part of the gas belt in few years.
"A great many Kansas towns are being
promised gas by the Kansas Natural Gas
company to enable it to make a fight in
the legislature. 1t ist safe to predict many
promises unless they drill The objective
points of the piping company are Joplin
and Kansas City. and when Kansas PEG
pie outside of the belt realize this fact
and the added fact that the piping of gas
away will destroy the prosperity of the
most prosperous section of the state, there
is no question on which side they will be.
1t is the old Kansas-M Missouri struggle of
the sos being fought over in a commercial
way. The Gas Protective association is in
of law and order" u.s.. ~ .-s-ss
than 100 employees of the pipe line COM
pany quit work and left for. Kansas City
and st. Louis They We're mostly Greeks
Another outfit of masked men from In
dependence and Coffeyville, about % in
number. went out where the 500 pipe line
laborers were quartered near Liberty,
and served notice that if they did not
up shortly. Over 100 laborers took the
mob at its word and fed The rest stood
although it is believed that the mob will
continue its .dynamiting to the pipe line
and not to the laborers' camp.
No arrests have yet been made in CON
nection with the dynamiting on Sunday
night Judge F1annelly of the district
court is here, but the violation of his in
junction has not been officially called to
his attention This must be done by af-
There is one feature of the case at
tracing attention, and that is that the
employees of the Kansas Natural Gas
company did not come to town until
last night, although the distance from
here to where the explosion occurred
was less than II miles. The officials of
the company had heard from them by
telephone, but none of them had visited
the office.
The quiescence of the Kansas Natural
Gas company is portentious. The law
yers are working on the books and col
lecting evidence. They are going APP
parently at a snail's pace. but they are
not overlooking anything. John J. Jones,
the general attorney, was asked last
night what the courts of the company
will be. He simply said the company
has rights and the company has pro-
perty and it is going to protect them
both. I'VE are not going to be de-
tered from the pursuit of lawful and
legitimate business by dynamite as long
as the state of Kansas can protect us,
and if the state should fail we might
even then have our rights protected. We
are not brigands or pirates and we de-
cline to be treated as SUCH"
The sentiment of this community as
far as can be learned from casual visits
to men engaged in various pursuits is
distinctly against violence although
this is the home of the battle cry of
Kansas gas for Kansas"
That most of the men who engaged in
the violence Saturday night were hired
to do the work is known to the pipe
line company. Some went from ''patri-
otto motives" but the majority were
paid. The men who put up the money
are the ones the company wants pun
iShed. Detectives are now at work and
it is thought they will soon turn up the
parties.
Some of the participants have begun
to talk already, and full confessions are
expected in day or so. The members
of the mob will not only have to an
swer for contempt of court but also
and criminal conspiracy against the
laws of the state. 1t is the conspiracy
charge that the ringleaders will have to
answer.
While the kansas gas for Kansas