The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-12
County Attorney Taggart Ac
cused of Receiving Money
For Protecting Gamblers in
WyandOtte County.
A STRONG COMPLAINT.
John Elliott Says He Saw Prose
cutOr Take $500.
The Affidavits Made at the
Office of Notary Public.

Kansas City, Sept. 12.-Charges of
graft in the protection of gambling by
the county and police officials is the
latest turn in the Trickett-Taggart
controversy in Kansas City, Kan.
G. w. Trickett, assistant attorney
general, has received through the mail
an affidavit signed by John Elliott and
sworn to before w. D. Majors, a no
tarv public in the New York Life
building. 1t contains the graft charge.
The affidavit is to the effect that Ell
Hott saw Andrew Kassimer, who was
arrested Thursday in a policy raid,
hand Joseph Taggart three 500 bills
while they talked on a street in this
city When Taggart left, Kassimer
told Elliott, the affidavit says, that
the money was for protection Of his
policy game in Kansas City, Kan. Ac-
cording to Elliott, Kassimer said, also,
he was paying money to the police
for protection.
The identity, of the man who made
the affidavit is a mystery Nobody
appears to know John Elliott. Mr..
Trickett doesn't know him.
A gambler said the affidavit was
a fake"
men who made the charges he said.
"Who is John Elliott? I don't
know" said Jack" Elliott, the Kan
sas City champion fly caster at the bar
of the Merchants hotel, Ninth street
and Broadway, this afternoon. 81
never knew a John Elliott, unless it
was a negro porter who used to work
at the Merchants hotel"
'T cannot talk concerning the affi-
davit until Fred S. Jackson, the at
torney general, passes on it," Mr..
Trickett said. HE is my superior Of
ficer and 1 have left the matter en-
tirely with him.
81 will say this. however" Mr..
Trickett continued, County Attorney
Taggart did come to my office sever
al times the first part of this year and
asked me to allow him to prosecute in
gambling cases. He said he desired
to show the people of the county he
was for law enforcement as well as
myself I told him I had no OBJ
jections; I had enough to do to handle
liquor prosecutions.
Mr. Taggart then asked me if 1
would give up my commission to pros
ecute in gambling cases. 1 said, No
These conversations took place af-
ter Februay 10, when I filed injunc-
ton proceedings in the court of COM
mon pleas against Andrew Kassimer
and others to keep them from sell
ing policy tickets. Mr.. Taggart en-
Joined these men in the district
court the next day and has done
nothing in gambling fcaSeS since.
That is the reasoni 7 took a hand. A
month ago I had four other men ar
rested for selling policy"
At the same time the affidavit Mr..
Trickett received was mailed two
others similar in character were sent.
Mr.. Trickett received notice of this
and was waiting for them. The pos
tai authorities have been tracing
them. The envelope containing the
affidavit received was addressed to
&C. w. Trickett. county attorney.
1t had a special delivery stamp on it.
Mr.. Trickett is assistant attorney
This misdirection probably explains
the reason Mr.. Trickett did not OBJ
tain the two other affidavits.
Il will not dignity the charges with
a denial" Mr.. Taggart said when he
was told of the affidavit made against
him. Il knew about the charge. One
day this summer Mr.. Trickett stopped
me on the street. He said he had the
affidavit ard related the charges con-
tanned in it, I told him an affidavit
from a gambler was good evidence
and told him he had better use it as
soon as he could.
"As to any agreement with Mr.
Trickett relating to my taking hold
in the prosecution of gambling cases
] remember no such conversations. !
did have talks with the assistant at
torney general concerning gambling
prosecutions, but no more so than
with anyone else"
w. d. Majors. a notary public in
the New York Life building, said this
morning that the affidavit Mr.
Trickett received was made in his
office.
THE men who swore to the
afidavits gave nothing except their
names" Mr.. Majors said. They
came into my Office and simply