The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-24
POLICE J0TTINCS.
Mary Collins, Charged With
Liquor Selling, Goes Free.
Peter Murphy Suffered Severe
Loss of Memory.
FIRST TOLD SAD STORY
RST TOLD SAD STORY
Said He Was Lured Into Place.
Dragged and Robbed.
nDurha mStands on COnstitu-
tiOnal Rights.


| her place at 121 Adams street. Peter
Murphy, a son of the old sod, was the
prosecuting witness. The story he had
| told the police last Saturday was to
the effect that he had been lured in to
| the Collins woman's place the day be-
! fore and doped and robbed.
| When the Collins case was called
| Monday at $3.50 p. m, Murphy was con-
| spicuous for his absence. An officer
| was sent after him and found him go
ing south on Jackson. When Murphy
| was brought into court Judge Urmy
was pretty mad. Murphy is big, red
| faced, hard of hearing and his head is
| shaver smooth as friars poll Under
| the city attorneys questioning he knew
absolutely nothing. He knew his name
| and that was all. He did not know
when he went to the Collins woman's
| house, whether it was daylight or dark.
| I'D had a drop O. drink yer honor"
| he said. I'm an honest man and I
wurrk hard, when I'm not in drink"
| Murphy did not know who waited on
| him at the house, did not know wheth-
/ er he walked there or not or when he
| left there if he ever did. Mr.. Murphy
| admitted, under pressure, that he had
drank whisky for % years. but never
! before had he suffered such severe
| attack of loss of memory. The judge
was mad clear through and he took the
witness in hand. The Irishman's an
swers to the judges questions were
| funny in their unconscious wit. When
| the judge took Murphy to task for run
ming away from the court the latter de-
! clared that he only walked away. Then
the judge exploded and sent the wit
ness to Jail. When Murphy was called
! into court again he was asked again
I why he ran away from the court. With
I solemn face and earnest voice Murphy
replied, II jist walked, yer honor"
The vacuum in Murphys brain pan
| forced the court to dismiss the case
| against Mary Collins.
| Ben Durham was the next prisoner
| called. He was charged with carrying
| concealed weapons. Durham is a short,
| squat man with stern face, struggling
red beard and twisted place between
| his nose and lip. He looked just as
| fierce as he felt.
You are charged with carrying con-
| cealed weapons" said the judge, what
have you to say?'' '4%
.I demand a trial-by jury snapped
| the prisoner.
| When told that he could not, have a
| jury in that court, the man impressive
| ly got off the following: Il am within
the rights of the constitution of the
| United States of America. read
| section of that document to the officer
that arrested me and he paid no atten-
| ton to it," This appeal did not seem
Y
| ed the prisoner If the gun on the desk
was his, and if he had carried it load
| ed. The man Durham defiantly replied
| that it was and that he carried it to
protect money on his person, and was
going to refer again to the constitu-
| ton when the judge interrupted him
| with 1925 fine, and stay in Jail until
| it is paid"
| Leila and Felix Dotson, Jim Jordan,
Mary Collins and Lenora Jackson were
| the next prisoners called to answer the
| charge of raising disturbance In the
| bottoms Sunday night. The evidence
| showed that the bucks had been fight
ing and the wenches had interfered
| with an officer in discharge of his duty,
| SO the Judge handed them $25 apiece.
| The attorney for the rioters wanted
| their appeal bonds placed at $50 apiece,
| but 500 was as low as the judge Woulo
| go.
| The Dotson- Jordan outfit recon-
sidered their idea of appealing their
| case, and late last night paid their
| money into the city exchequer
| AL Warren, the fellow who was ar
rested last Tuesday on suspicion of
! being the Rouse store robber, was
| turned over to the county authorities
| last evening. Warren is in a bad box.
| Rouse, the storekeeper, and citizen
| who was passing at the time, and who
| was held I'D by the bold robber, both
came to the jail last night and iden-
titled Warren as the man with the
mask and gun. To add to Warren's
| troubles Mrs. Slusher appeared at the
| police station and positively identified
| the grip the police found in Warren's
| room on North Madison street as the
| one that had been stolen from her
| short time ago. "Since warren has
yesterday, there has been a decided
| lull in the petty thieving and hold
| UPS that were so frequent about town
lately. There is not much doubt that
he is the man wanted. We are still
holding Talkington, who was taken up
last week on suspicion. He is now
working on the rock pile. I believe
he is an allround crook. These vagS
and criminals who hang around To-
peka without visible means of sup
port must either leave town or hit the
rock pile
Jessie Harris, the coIored girl, who
has given the police more trouble
for the past year than any one in
dividual in the city; again occupied
this is to be Jessie's last visit for some
time The police are tired of her
and her tantrums. She has been
promised lodging in the dungeon
| down in the basement the next time
| she calls The girl is addicted to the
| use of cocaine, morphine, whiskey
and other dope that centuries up ser
penis and other things. She has
caused her hard working mother all
kinds of trouble the last two years,
and has been a regular boarder at the
| jail She is incorrigible. Her favor
| tie pastime lately has been to go
| down on the streets at night and load
| upon cocaine and whiskey and then
go to the station house and apply for
admission for the night. Once inside
| she makes life a burden for the other
prisoners Jessie has the Mysteries,
| the tremens and other little peculiari-
| ties When in this condition she can
| Brighten even the oldest and tough
| She has haen tried byv