The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-17
Evidence Concerning the Miss
ing Medical Questions.
Topeka Man Admits He Tried
to Buy Them.
HIS MISSION FAILED.
EdmOnds, the Porter, Refused
Offer of Ten Dollars.
State Printer McNeal Thinks
He Is Near Solution.

Evidence secured by T. A. McNeal,
state printer. leads him to believe that
the man who might be able to explail
the leak in the state printing plant
through which the examination ques-
tions of the recent state medical exam
ination escaped, is Bert HILL of 720 FILL
more street a former employe in the
bindery OF the state printing office.
Hill admitted this morning that he
tried to get possession of the examina-
tion questions, and tried to bribe George
Ellis, night watchman of the building,
and John Edmonds, porter but declares
emphatically that his efforts failed, and
that he didn't get the questions. Mr..
McNeaI asserts with equal emphasis
that he thinks Hill is not telling the
truth, and that Hill knows who got the
questions.
The evidence secured seems to indi-
cate that there has been a we'll develop
ed plot carried on for some years past
for a traffic in the examination ques-
tions of the state board of medical regis
tration.
A year ago an attempt was made to
secure the questions from Tom Brown,
the foreman. of the composing room, to
give out a copy of the questions in ad-
vance Brown received a letter from
Hill making this proposition. Last year
Hill tried to bribe John w. Edmonds,
the porter of the printing office, to steal
him some copies of the questions. Both
of these attempts 1t is claimed, failed.
but there have been ,ruInors for the past
few days that this not the first time
that questions used in the state medical
examination have leaked" 1t is possi-
BILE that Hill may have been mixed up
in these affairs, but this he denies.
The theory of the officials of the state
printing office is that some one came to
the state printing office early Saturday
morning, June 10, before any of the
called a "stone proof from the type of
the examination questions, which type
had been used in printing the questions
the previous afternoon, and had not
been distributed. The printed copies
of the uestions had been sent off by
express late Friday afternoon.
Hill Makes a Statement.
Bert Hill this morning made the fol- |
lowing statement to a reporter for the |
State Journal:
'It is true that I made several ef-
forts to obtain these questions but 1 !
did not do it for myself I had no in
terest in it whatever, personally, but |
was doing it for a friend of mine here |
in Topeka. This friend is a pharma- |
cist, and he said he wanted the ques-
tions for some friend of his.
"A year ago I tried to get the ques-
tions for this same friend of mine. At !
that time 1 wrote a letter to Tom !
Brown the foreman of the plant 1 /
did not offer him any money, but told
him I wanted the questions. 1 don't
think he ever replied to the letter. 1
also offered John Edmonds SIS last
year to get the questions. Edmonds
refused the offer. This year I again Of
fered Edmonds $40 to get the ques-
tons. He wouldn't do it. Edmonds
IS all right-he can't be used by any
body. Then I tried to get Ellis to
pick the questions out of the waste for
me. He couldn't do it, and I failed to
get the questions"
How did you know that the ques-
lions had been printed when you went
10 see Ellis Friday EVENING"" was
asked.
This fellow that I was doing the
work for told me. He found out from
somebody else
do you know whether he was able
20 get the questions from any source ?'
'I don't know for sure, but some of
he things he said indicated to me that
ne had, and was trying to get me into
t to bear the blame. AS matter of
act I went around to the printing
plant twice Friday evening to see Ellis
once alone, and once with this
friend of mine 1 have told all about
10 wthis happened, and while 1 ad-
nit that I tried to get the questions. I
leny that 1 ever succeeded. I don't
know how to take a proof-couldn't
10 it If 1 tried. I did not go up into
he composing room of the printing
office. I did not approach any of the
printers to make a proof for me, and
ion't know how the questions finally
anne into the hands of the applicants
It the examination. I do not know
hat the applicants a year ago had the
questions. except from what I have
cad in the newspapers"
1t was suggested to Mr.. Hill that he
hould clear himself as far as pos
ible by stating who had induced him
o go into this affair, but he declined
o mention the name of the party for ]
whom he was working.
McNeal Explains the Affair.
State Printer T. A McNeal has been ,
lctively investigating the affair ever ;
ince 1t was reported to him by DIR. S.
:. Hatfield of Grenola. the secretary