The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-18
WE'RE NOT GUILTY
Senator Fred Dumont Smith En-
ters a General Denial.
Says That He Can Explain
It All.
JUST AS ATTORNEYS.
Represented Cattlemen Who
We're Not Indicted.
Ryan Also Blameless, Asserts
the Senator.
HE BLAMES MR.. DEAN.
Didn't Give Him Chance to
Explain.
Action of Jury Creates a Great
Sensation.
HE BLAMES MR.. DEAN.
Didn't Give Him Chance to
Explain.
Action of Jury Creates a Great
Sensation.

The sensation of the day in kansas
politics is the indictment of Senator
Fred Dumont Smith for fraud by a
federal grand jury. Senator Smith
was easily the most prominent figure
in the state senate, both at the re-
cent session and that of four years
ago. He was the leader in the oil
fight and afterward became openly
the attorney for the Independent oil
organization. He was the railroad
champion in the fight for new rail-
road law and defeated the measure
championed by the commercial or
ganizatiOns. 1t is therefore easy to
understand why the Indictment oil
Senator Smith should create sensa-
ton.
4 am not guilty of what the in
dictment charges me. Neither is my
law partner, Roscoe Wilson, guilty
So far as T. z. Ryan is concerned, Il
will say that would just as soon go
over here and offer my friend, w. A.
L. Thompson, Doodle as I would Ryan
He is a fine old gentleman, square and
honest What is more, he is a
fighter"
In this manner Fred Dumont Smith.
of Kfnsley, state senator from Ed
wards county, spoke of the indict-
ment which was returned Jointly
against him, his law parner, Roscoe
Wilson, and T. e. Ryan, formerly spe-
cial agent of the land department. by
! the federal grand jury on Saturday
night. The offense charged against
the three IS conspiracy. Smith and
| Wilson are accused OF having paid d
money bribe TO Ryan to keep him
fore him.
Senator smith. stated that Wilson
would be in Topeka tomorrow.
Why was this complaint made
against you, and who made it?" was
| asked.
ut was for no other reason under
the sum- answered Senator Smith.
except for the reason that a number
of fellows out there, among them
Montague, Johnson Morgan. and sew
era1 others, engaged US as their attor-
neys and paid us, and then when
| they were not indicted by the grand
jury they were sore that they had
paid US.
To make the matter clear he con
Iinued, III just tell the whole story
back of it. Hannah Montague. John
son, Morgan and several others. five or.
| six altogether, are guilty of fraud in
connection with a land entry Hannah
and johnson both made entries. The
others had connection with them as
witnesses when they proved uD their
claims. The general offense of which
! AT
time i. e. Ryan was special agent of
/ the land department and got wind of
the guilt OF these men. He began an
investigation. They learned that the
department was after them. So they
at once set about to get attorneys.
They went to Reeves and Tom Seates
out in our country and to a number of
other men, and finally they made up
their minds that we were the best per
sons TO look after their cases. So they
/ saw Wilson and stated their case. The
thing they wanted above everything
else was to keep from going to the
penitentiary and that is in fact about
| all they wanted. They knew that they
were guilty and they are guilty, and
cannot understand why under the sun
they were not all caught.
I'VE engaged ourselves as their at
/ tOrneyS and promised to look after
their cases and they paid US. Ryan
only presented the name of W. A.
Hannah to the grand jury at Wichita.
/ He was indicted, and brought before
I the court Wilson and I told him that
/ the best thing for him to do was to
throw himself on the mercy of the
court. I had a long conference with
1 Mr.. Dean, and after much digging
/ around we found a federal decision
whereby we thought it might be ar
ranged that Hannah could escape the
! penitenuary on account of his family.
! Dean agreed, on account of Hannah's s
/ family, to recommend fine of 500
and one day in jail Judge Pollock
gave Hannah a severe Scorching lee
/ ture and gave him nine days and
fine of $100. He was to be made an
example of for the benefit of others out
in the western part of the state who
were guilty of violating the land laws.
/ Why the others were not indicted is
more than I can understand. That is
/ something I know nothing about at
all. They are guilty, or at least the
most of them are. But because they
had paid their money to US to defend
| them, and then were not indicted
made them sore and they began to
talk
Before very long the matter was
common gossip throughout HOdgeman
and some neighboring counties. It
was, therefore, easy for the federal
I officers to probe into the thing One
thing is absolutely true, however, and
/ that is that we simply were employed
as their attorneys, that we acted solely
/ in that capacity, that we made no
! overtures to T. E. Ryan whatsoever,
and that there are absolutely no
+ grounds for the Indictment which was
ireturned against US And that viii be
/ proven. too in the trial.
/ Every. cent of the money paid to US, >
I said Senator Smith. was paid in
I checks Now, let me just say that If a
I man is in the boodling business, he
+ don't take pay for bOodling business in
/ checks but in the long green, or he is
! q. darn fool Of the worst kind.
There is another thing that want