The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-24
Shakes Fist at Capt. Waters aud
Calls Him ScoundreI.
QUIETED BY THE JUDGE
=" The Court viii Umpire This
Game," Said He.
Interesting Developments Ia
Coleman Libel Suit.

cure no gentleman Don't you dare
to intimate that I am q perjureri I say
you have no right to ask such ques-
tions, and I appeal to the court to pro-
tect mel"
Red and shaking with passion, his
face contracted into a malignant scoWl,
Mr.. Joel r. Burrow, secretary Of the
state of Kansas, stood on the witness
stand, shaking his fist and kissing these
words in the face of Capt. J. G. Wa
ters who had been putting him through
severe cross examination in the dis
trict court on the trial of the Coleman
libel suit against the State Journal
" Wednesday afternoon.
Mr.. Waters question, which so arous-
ed Mr.. Burrows ire, was this:
If you had been involved in a COM
spiracy to unload this issue of Conan
che county bonds on the state. would
you admit it on this witness stand?''
It was probably not SO much the
question itself as it was the generally
intense feeling in the situation that
caused Mr. Burrow to lose his self con-
troll. The ss-examination which he
had been undergoing at Capt Waters
hands was not of the most gentle char
acter. Capt. Waters is not much of a
pacIfer when it comes to questioning
a hostile witness. He and Mr. BurroW
had clashed several times before the
rSt-Shakfng episode. BurrOW had show
ed a disposition to dodge, and Waters
had pursued relentIessly. But the court
hau not been called upon to interfere
until Mr.. Burrow jumped to his feet.
ana delivered his opinion about Capt
Waters, who was standing close to the
railing in front of the witness chair.
Then Judge Dana raped sharply on
his desk, and checked whatever dispo-
sition the belligerent witness and the
stubborn attorney had TO get togeth-
err"
Gentlemen, gentlemen!" said the
court, Tets have order. The court viii
have to umpire this game. There is no
use in getting excited about this mat
/ ter Just keep cool"
i am neither excited nor scared
said Mr.. Waters, who had by this time
taken a chair by the attorneys table
"Well, / don't want anybody intimat-
ing that am perjurer," said Mr.. Bur-
row.
Proceed with your cross-exan1ina-
ton said Judge Dana
] The examination of Mr.. Burrow was
concluded without further outbreak of
hOstilities, though the repartee was
rather acrimonious at times.
Following his direct eXamina ton,
which was reported in Wednesdays
1 State Journal, Capt. Waters took Mr.
/ RurrOW in hand for cross -exa T1fnatiOn.
In fixing the assessed valuation as
a member of the state board of equali-
zatfon,' said Mr.. Waters. did you ex-
pect that the county officials wouia
base their taxation upon the valuation
which you fixed27
my understanding is that this valua-
ton fixed by the board of equalization
! affects only the state tax
Then If the school fund commission
ers had not accepted the valuation fixed
/ by the board of equalization on Conan
che county. the Comanche county bonds
issue would have been about $4,000 in
excess of the Is per cent limit?'
Il haven't figured 1t ~
-'Win YOU do so2"
4 win not. You can figure it for
Are you able to figure it?"
Yes, sir
And you refuse?"
THAT isn't what I am here for.
suppose your statement is about right"
I ask you what authority you had
for using that board of eaualiza ton val
uation IN buying the Comanche county
/ bonds2"
1--WE took the opinion Of the attorney
general IN all such matters"
TelephOned to Kansas City.
Then Mr.. Waters opened up his
questions on the conspiracy PROPOSE
1 ton, which eliminated in the episode
! previously described The line which
Mr.. Waters next took up was not cal
cUiated to soothe Mr. Burrows feel
ings.
National bank of Kansas City?" asked
Mr.. Waters
Yes, sir
You had telephone message from
that bank on the morning of July 22,
Eyes, sir"
What was wanted?"
'HThey wanted to know about this
purchase of CoTnanche county bonds.
and whether A. A Godard's credit was
'sWhat did you tell them?v
'I told them that the school fund
commissioners would buy the bonds of
Mr.. GODDARD if they were approved by
the attorney general. I do not know
whether or not said the attorney gen
eral had approved theTN. I said
would not advise them to loan Mr.
GODDARD money except on collateraf.
did you ever talk to anybody about
these bonds but GODDARD and Coleman
before their purchase -
mo, sir
.'Then how did you know their
value %
because / am familiar with such
things. I told somebody at the time
this infamous article was printed that
If it wasn't for showing weakness
would take this entire issue Of Conan
che county bonds off the hands OF the
state al L per cent less than the state
had paid for them"
A copy Of the July IS. 1901 issue of
'sThe FInancier. big New York
financial publication was shown to Mr..
Burrow. He said he knew the publ
cation. Extracts we're read showing
that on July Is. 1904, the market
value Of Comanche county S per cent
bonds was from $40 to $85. or in other
: words from S15 TO $50 below par. The
bonds refunded bear Il per cent The
list of quotations was shown by the
publication to have been prepared By
f W. Casner of Kansas City
Burrows Opinion OF Casner.
r ..I want to make a statement about