The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-29
He HANDS IT BACK
Mayor Billiard Lays Blame on
Attorney Schenck.
Claims He Paid No Attention to
Police Information.
ARE READY TO HELP.
Mayor Says Chief Jenkins Will
Cooperate Willingly.
ARE READY TO HELP.
City Commissioners Give Their
Ideas on Booze Question.

In answer to the charges maze Dy
County Attorney Schenck that the To-
peka police department failed to as
sist the county in the arrest of liquor
dealers in Topeka, Mayor Billiard
stated this afternoon that the trouble
in enforcing the prohibitory law at
this time was that the county attor-
ney failed to cooperate with the city
in the conviction of guilty liquor men.
County Attorney Schenck has taken
little action to help the police depart
ment in the enforcement of the prohibi-
tory laws in Topeka said the mayor.
Time and time again we have furnish
ed him the evidence and the necessary
help to make convitions and he has
paid little attention to anything we
have done. This has happened ever
since the present administration came
in charge.
Il notice that the county officials
have made six arrests. 1t should be
noticed that of these six men arrested
the police department had also ar
rested four within the last few days
We could have furnished all of the evil
dence to prosecute these men, but it
would have been taken with indiffer-
ence by the county authorities.
Ready to Cooperate.
1.-The police are ready at all times to
cooperate with the county attorney
and the sheriff in the conviction and
the arrest of anyone disobeying either
the prohibitory law or any other law.
This is more than can be said for the
county officials-they have little use
for the police department and extend
few favors."
Although the mayor has direct
charge over the police department and
his influence is with them directly, the
other city commissioners are free with
their views on the present situation.
Commissioners NJ. G. Holman and h.
P. Miller believe that the police de-
partment is doing its best to enforce
the laws and they believe that so lar
their efforts have been successful
| Commissioner Tandy says he hasn
had time to look into the matter. but
| if he thinks that the laws are not
being enforced he will enter the fight
| and lend all assistance to see that they
/ are Commissioner Bone has nothing
to say.
Ideas ON the Situation.
Here are the ideas on the situation:
Commissioner Holman:
ssOther administrations have made
more arrests and they have made more
noise about it, but have noticed thaI
under Chief jenkins and under the
present order of things the arrests
made have amounted to something and
they have ended in more conv1cuohs
than at any other time
''I am not in favor of promiscuous
arrests with release shortly atter-
wards. It has been the custom in late
years to arrest anyone on the slightest
provocation, then turn them loose be-
cause enough evidence was lacking.
''Under Chief jenkins have noticed
that evidence was the first requlsltlon
then came the arrests and the con-
victions This costs the city less ana
means more to the enforcement OF the
prohibitory law"
Commissioner Miller:
ssJ have been so busy at the water
department tht 1 don't get chance
to see whether there is any hquoT pc
inc sold in Topeka or not. But thlnk
that Chief Jenkins has made success
of the work in the police department
What arrests he has made have count
ed and have ended in convictons-an
after all it is the conviction that
counts. ..
"TTnder other administrations ar
rests we're made by the scores and only
a favored-yes, I may say favored
few were convicted. These few are the
same old characters who have been IN
the business in Topeka for years.
Commissioner Tandy:
81 will have to say that don't know
whether there is liquor being sofa IN
ToneIxa or mott haven't been in po-
sition to know. But I will say that II
there is LIQUOR sold here and the OIL
GERS of the law are not handling the
dealers as they should be handled.
will do all in my power to see that the
laws are enforced
Commissioner Bone:
"I am commissioner of finance and
haven't anything to do with the ponce
question 1 don't know thing about
this trouble