The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-13
STAHL ARRESTED.
Chief of Police Charged With
Assault and Battery.
Patrolman Hutton Held on the
Same Charge.
WARRANT is SECURED.
r. F. HOdgins Complaining Wit
ness in Both Cases.
Charges That He Was Detained
blythe Two Men.
Held Guns on Him and Handled
Him Roughly.
WARRANT is SECURED.

Chief of Police Frank StahI and
Patrolman William Hutton were ar
rested this afternoon charged with as
saulting R. F. Hodgins on Sunday
morning. The latter swore out the
complaints, which were made sepa-
rate.
The trouble arose over an aIterca-
ton which Hodgins and Stahl had in
Rowley & Shows drug store the day
after the primary, at which time
aodgins told StahI that he was a
boodler and that he had a whole lot Of
boodlers around him. He made it Il
special point to say that Hutton and
| Small, the two north side patrolmen,
were both guilty of taking hush
money from the jointists.
On Sunday morning about 10
o'clock, as Mr.. Hodgins was passing
the police station to go to the Topeka
Ice and Cold Storage company Of
which he is vice president and general
manager, Chief Stahl and O1icer Hut
ton came out on the sidewalk, stopped
him, and demanded that he retlact
what he had said. The stories of the
parties differ as to what was said and
done.
Hodgins told the following story be-
| fore Deputy County Attorney McNary
Ills IIOEullS at the shawnee county
court house: Il went by the station
about 10 O'Clock to go to my plant
as do every Sunday morning. 1 was
about 100 feet past the door when
heard somebody call my name. 1
turned around and saw Hutton and
Chief Stahl advancing towards me.
Hutton grabbed me by the lapel Of
the coat on one side and the chief
grabbed me on the other side. They
Jerked me so violently that the upper
button was torn loose from my coat
Take back what you said about
me- cried Hutton, or I'll knock your
head Off
Take back every word you said,
cried the. chief. .or. I'll blow your
'.I told them that I would not take
a thing back" continued Hodgins in
telling his story Il told them that
would stand by what I said that it was
! a go. and they couldn't bluff me to
! back any water. Both of them jerlxed
me around and continued their demands
and abused me with vile language
They kept saying that they would
make me take back what I charged
them with.
Both of them came in on me real
close. They had their hands in their
overcoat pockets, and had their revol-
verS in their hands. Hutton showed up
close and rubbed the tip end of his gun
that what had said was a go, and
that I wouldn't take it back.
Just then a man and little boy
passed by I told them to call Sheriff
Lucas, that was being held up by a
couple of highwaymen. Stahl told them
to go on and call him. A man by the
name of Patterson. whom I knew, came
by right then. I told him to call Lucas
because two dirty, coWardly highway
men were holding me up. Don't you
co. cried the chief to Patterson. You
are in trouble said Hutton to him,
and you had better keep out of this
Dot
Il noticed Arthur Massey coming
across the street. 1 called out to him
to get Sheriff Lucas for I was being
held up by dirty highwaymen. Massey
started on a run to the sheriff's office.
Then Stahl and Hutton let me go and
started back to the station. I walked
back to find Lucas. Massey came back
just then and said that he could not
find the sheriff So Massey and I start
ed down the street towards my plant
again. Stahl followed me and began to
abuse me. I told him to keep away be-
hind me or in front of me, that he was
crazy, and didn't know what he was
about I told him that he was a cow
ardly highwayman. He followed me for
three blocks talking like wild man.
4 knew what they we're after as soon
they came towards me. I told them to
go on, that I wanted no trouble with
either of them The row was over
the talk that the chief and I had at
Rowley & Shows drug store, the day
lIlC pilIidI y eCld nm At ti-eNe
time that he was dirty, had not
had bath for a year, that he was
farmer and ought to go back and
swing on Dlow handles. Furthermore,
I said to him that he had had whole
bunch of boodIers on his force and that
he knew It. He kept saying, 'Taint
SOL sTain't sol"
I'm going to make the chief and
Hutton suffer for holding me up like
that. Both are cowardly. 1 had no
chance at all. They grabbed me by the
coat and bellied me with their guns.
Talk about McCollum going out with
black eye. Why, he went out with a
clear record beside that of StahI.''
The chief was seen at the station and
asked concerning the matter. He re-
piled:
ssOh, it was only little affair and
not much to it. Hutton and Isswere
standing in the station door about 10
O'Clock as Hcdgins went by. Hutton
said to me that Dick was passing.
said to him that we had better stop
Hodgins and talk to him. We did stop
him. I never laid my hands or him
and did not abuse him. didn't have
nv hands in my pocket or a gun in my
pocket I demanded that he take back
what he said He didn't take it back,
b1lt he Tnumbled and hemmed and
hawed around, showing that he was
scared to death.
@F5utton laid his hand on Hodgins'
shoulder" continued the chief HE
DIDN'T Jerk him or tear the button from
his coat. He didn't belly him with his
revolver That is an out and out lie
and Hodeins knows it. Hutton did say
that unless he retracted what he had
said about our being boodlers, that he
would smash his head. But no farther
threats than that were made