The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-24
PAID FOR 1T.
Ex-Roueh Rider Tried to Bluff Fed
ereaI Court.

United States court officials, return
ing today from Wichita, brought a grist
of good stories about some interesting
criminal cases which were tried there
during the term just closed
| One of the most remarkable cases was
that of Samuel j. Kennedy, a former
member of Roosevelt's Rough Riders,
and holder of a. congressional medal for
bravery, who was sentenced by Judge
Pollock to serve 91z years in the peni-
tertiary for counterfeiting.
Sam Kennedy" says Deputy U. S.
Marshal Frank F'lenniken, lis probably
the biggest liar that ever came into the
state of Kansas
Kennedy is also a natural born bluff
er, but he tried to run a bluff on the
United States officers which cost him
an extra five years in prison. Kennedy
was charged with passing two $40 coun-
terfeit bills in two disorderly houses at
Wichita. Some time ago at Kansas
City he was given a chance to plead
guilty and take a light sentence of
about five years.
mo, indeed" said Kennedy, Il can
prove that I'm innocent I have got a
lot of good evidence, and will produce it
at the right time"
So the case went over a couple of
terms, and finally was called at Wichita
during the past week. Four women
who had been subpoenaed at each of
the former trials, were on hand from
Hutchinson, where the queer" was
showed into their possession, and gave
strong testimony against Kennedy.
When the time came for Kennedy to
bring forth his defense, he said he
didn't have anything to offer. He did
not even go on the stand in his own
behalf. After the judge had given him
his 91a year sentence, Kennedy told the
officers that the testimony of the four
women was all true; that he had work
ed the deal exactly as they represented.
He confessed to having hau some ac-
completes, and the officers are now
hunting for them. They do not have
much confidence in this part of Ken
nedys confession, however.
Kennedy is such an expert in the fax
ing business that he can produce a
fake hemorrhage whenever he wants to.
He has done it several times when
placed on the witness stand. He has
served several terms in Jail.
Another choice lot of counterfeiters
were Montgomery, Beaver and Stanton.
Montgomery made counterfeit dollars,
Beaver and Stanton did the passing.
The factory was in Wichita, but some
of the money was passed in Hutchin-
son. Montgomery was given three
years. Beaver 81. 600 fine and six months
in JAIL and Stanton, who is less than
p years of age. was sentenced to the
Reform school of the state of Missouri
at ROOnville.
Bert Stewart and Aaron Spencer also
were on the list. Spencer told an inter
esting tale about how he went wrong,
and the number of bad things ne had
done during the four months prior to
his arrest. The two men were charged
with robbing the postoffice at White
water. and cutting open mail sack at
Bainville. Stewart was given 21s years
on each charge, the sentences to run at
the same time. Spencer was sent to the
Government Reform school ia the Dis
trict of Columbia
The Stewart-Spencer case is the one
in which all the elements of dime novel
realism entered. The Whitewater post
office was provided with a set Of burg
lar alarms, connected with the homes
of amout 100 members of the Anti
Horsethief association of that locality.
When the two men entered the building,
they touched off the burglar alarms.
and in a very short space of time, the
whole town was on their trail.Th Anti
Horsethief associa ton did business in
good shape. It overlook the robbers
and battle took place. The posse fired
on the robbers. and the robbers returned
the fire. Both of the robbers were
wounded, and had to surrender The
postmaster at whitewater had a narrow
escape
Stewart told the officers that he had
held down good positions all his life
until four months before the White
water robbery, when he started in on a
career of crime. He confessed to six
postoffice robberies in the four months