The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-06
A TRIFLE STORMY.


ing are the facts:
With other members of the Topeka
club, the courtesies of the Elks had
been extended to me until the new To-
peka club building is ready. I am not
a member Of the Elks. had been up
all Saturday night working on the
Sunday paper going to bed about
O'Clock in the morning, getting up at
H. I went to the Elks club shortly after
noon for the purpose of getting shaved
went into the barber shop at once and
took a number from the barber. There
We're five numbers ahead of me. 1t
was a long time to wait but I waited.
walked from the barber shop and
lavatory, which are the same room,
toward the office counter.
Seeing Mr.. Stotts, member, ask
ed him for his key to the State Jour
nal office. I was then standing in
wide corridor which is the cloak room
and really a part of the public office.
quite near the office desk. Mr.. StOtts
walked away and Mr.. Kelly. whom I
had seen about the office, walked
toward me.
I faced him and he said, you have
been pursuing me long time in your
paper and I want to give you warning
now that it will have to stop"
said: I have nothing to say to
vo4."
Mr.. Kelly then used some abusive
language and suddenly struck at me
with his fist, which hit me a giancing
blow on the side of the neck, but with
out damage. I threw my head back,
as man naturally would and said: Il
have some regard for the proprieties Of
o1r4 nf
Mr. Kelly then muttered something
about what he would do to me at an
other time.
A half dozen people focked around
Kelly. among them one of the State
Journal reporters, Mr.. Stotts.
Mr.. Stotts promptly hit Kelly on
tbs chin. Kelly moved toward the
lavatCry. I walked to the front of
the desk. In fact, Mr. Kelly went in
one direction and I went in another.
There was no exchange of angry
words between US, unless the abusive
words of one man could be called an
exchange.
sat around the club for an hour
before my turn came with the barber,
and then drove out home in the coun-
try, not returning to the office until
after this morning. I did not know
that anything would be published
about the incident. No one telephOned
to me, nor asked me for any state
ment; neither did I have any CONVEX
sation over the wire or otherwise
with any reporter of any paper until
this morning, or know that anything
had been printed.
did not retreat down a corridor
afraid of Mr.. Kelly Whatever may
have been said in the paper about
him has not been a personal matter,
but a criticism of his official acts.
Personally Mr.. Kelly is said to be
generally quite an agreeable gentleman.
It is a regret that an opinion of him in
this respect should be so rudely and
suddenly disturbed-but officially he has
been unfortunate in his conduct of af-
fairs.
The fact that Kelly has returned
money to Miami county, which we
charged him with wrongfully taking and
the fact that he has just returned s., O0O
to the state. money which we accused
him of wrongfully using, are matters
of public record and will bear out al
least that portion of the State Jour
nails criticism of the man as a public
official.
It is not necessary for any re-
/ porter on the State Journal to come to
the rescue of the editor of this paper.
He was and is able to defend himself.
although it was naturally a kindly act
upon the part of the reporter to take
the part he did. I could have smashed
Mr.. Kelly's nose and knocked him
|
instant debated whether I ought tc
do it, but had no desire to engage In
fistic encounter, particularly az the
place and on the day in question.
/ In regard to the statement thai
Mr.. Kelly had been looking for me foI
/ three months, but was unable to fn6
me- the facts are that for the past siz
months I have been at tho office
nearly every day, with the exception
of a weeks trip to New York and two
or three days absence on business il
nearby towns. I have met Mr.. KelI5
frequently and repeatedly and this i.
/ the first time he ever tried pugilistit
methods.
Last Wednesday night, about Z
o'clock went to the Copeland to at.
tend a dinner given TO START the kan.
/ sas exposition. When I walked up Il
the register Mr.. Kelly was Ieanine
over one page OF the register writing
a note or telegram. He looked at ms
and 7 looked at him. He stepped
aside about a foot to give me room
to register. He then continued hi,
note and I stood at the desk for SOM
minutes waiting to pe assigned :
room. Mr.. Kelly and I were in arm.
reach of each other Tor a number o
| minutes. The air was cool, the siIenc,
oppressive, but there was absoIutel,
nothing doing but the scratch of M
pen on the register and of Mr.. Kellv'
pencil on the paper. There was no
a yard between us. In fact we wer,
holding little in common except tn
peace and the hotel counter r,1or.