The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-26
GOES over A DAY
Coleman Libel Suit Postponed
Till Monday.
Evidence Giving Details Of State
Journal Story.
FACTS HARD TO GET.
Effort Was Made to Keep Them
From Public.
Reporter Who Wrote the Story
Thinks Friendship,
Not Rake-OR, Induced Coleman
to Favor Bond Deal.
FACTS HARD TO GET.
Reporter Who Wrote the StOrl
Thinks Friendship,

Clarence H Matson the state jour
nal man who wrote the article ABOUT
the Comanche county bond deal which
formed the basis for the Coleman bC
row and Dayhof libel suits was lhe
principal witness on behalf of the ae-
tense at the trial of the Coleman case
in the district court Friday afternoon.
Mr.. Matson's testimony was of speclal
interest to those not familiar Win
newspaper work. because it gave con
siderable insight into the diThcul1ieS
which are sometimes encountered by d
newspaper reporter in the discharge o-
his duties, and the methods whlch ar
employed to obtain facts which TOT Some
reason other parties have desire -
suppress.
At 4.80 the court adjourned until
Monday morning, at the request of sew
eral of the attorneys who desired 20
spend Sunday at their homes out OF tlle
city. Mr.. Matson's testimony nau lS'
been completed when court au9out ne
so he win probably be recalled Tor con
tfnued cross-exa nination on Monday
morning 80
The case has been on trial for four
days. and indications are thal II VII
not be completed for at least Two uass
more. The plaintiffs witnesses were
as follows. c. c. Coleman, r. +. MAJ
Lehman. J. r. Burrow, /. L. Dayholl,
A A GODDARD CELU 9. w CHS JAM
Nation T. j. Hayes and deposition py
IL ID. thompson. the man who sold the
Comanche county bonds to A. A COO
ar.
witness stand Mr.. MacLennan, James
Nation and c. H. Matson. 1t mas IN
troduced the dispositions OF 5eols p
Hovey and w c. Henriei, OF the N
terstate National bank Of Kansas CITY;
D. F. Dunn and 0. II. Benton, Wichita
bond dealers and l. II. Cole, former
bond clerk in the Office of the state
auditor.
at g O'Clock Friday afternoon He was
questioned by Bale Waggener. he
first told the history of the Smith coun-
tv bond deal in which ]. r. BurroW
was involved. This matter was pre-
liminary, to show the reasons for the
attempt Of state officers to suppress
news about bond deals. Mr.. Matson
wrote an article about this matter,
which was printed in the State Journal.
Next the witness told the history of
the Dodge City bond affair These were
the bonds which MI Nation refused 10
register because the bonds were out
side the IS per cent limit as returned
by the county clerk.
Ia telling of the Comanche county
transact Mr. Matson said, in an
swer to questions;
How the Story Got Ont.
..Some time in June, 1 think Mr..
Kiene the city editor of the State
Journal, asked me why / did not ind
out why the school fund commission
ers had bought some 4 Il per cent Co
manche county bonds when they
might have been bought at six
Der cent told him I did
not believe there had been any such
purchase. but he said he was so in
formed by Mr.. H. B. Kelly, and I said
I would look the matter UP. A few
days later 1 asked Mr. Cole of the
auditors office, if any such bonds had
been registered, and he said there had
not Some time later / went to see H.
b. Kelly about the matter, and he TOLD
me he had offered these bonds to the
school fund commission through MI.
GODDARD to bring the state per cent, but
that he understood Mr.. GODDARD was
trying to get hold of the bonds, and
was offering new bonds to the com
mission to bear only 4 per cent The
way Mr.. Kelly found out that GODDARD
was trying to get the bonds was be-
cause Mr.. T. T. Kelly, the state treas
urer. had asked him one day if he had
some Comanche county bonds for sale
and if so that Mr.. GODDARD could sell
them to the school fund. Mr.. H B.
Kelly told me that he then sent written
offers of the per cent bonds to each
member of the school fund commits
sion and also talked to Mr.. Coleman
personally about them.
'sI had asked Mr.. Cole to let me
know if any such bonds came in for
registration. and some time later when
asked him again about them he said
he would rather I would find out about
the matter from some one else. be-
gan to pump him and found out thar
Mr.. GODDARD had said something about
them, but didn't want 1t to get out
Some time after that I saw pile or
bonds lying on Mr Nations desk in the
auditors Office and saw that they were
these Comanche county bonds. re-
HnarNed that those bonds had come in.
end Mr.. Nation said they were there
NOr registration as bonds had 0ra-
Viouslv talked with him about mis-
proposed deal. On the next dav. I
asked him what had become Of the
COmanche bonds He said thew had
been taken away and he did not he
lieve any attempt would be made to
sell them to the school fund He said
II it should be checked up to him to
register them in the school fund he.
would not do it without a written opin-
ion from the attorney general thay
they could be bought on the valuation
fixed by the board of equalization.
ION the day that the board of
equalization had met [ had gone fo
Mr.. Wells. at noon and asked him If
the board mad reached Comanche
county, and If so what III had dome Es
said Comanche county had been river,
good sized raise. but he did not
know what. He said he was in a hurr,-
70 60 to dinner and did not want r.
give me the figures till they were com
pleted.
When the bonds were taken awsx, r
supposed the deal had been held mn nm
after the election at least and thoupbt
little more about 1T till saw Mr.. Cod
ard go into Mr.. Wells office one .dav-
into The room next TO private Office T
went into the room next east and in
1utred VINO was IN Mr.. Wells office. I