The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-17


counsel in any and all proceedings
which you see fit to bring And if it
appears wise or proper to bring custer
suits against derelict officers or to
prosecute gamblers or boodlers, or
other crooks or thugs, whose conduct
might need to be called in question or
which 1t might be advisable to call in
question in the course of your work
you are authorized to do all that may
be best to be done in your judgment.
not only in Crawford county but IN
Cherokee county, and If the web of
criminality in any way connected with
the Crawford or Cherokee situation re-
quires the institution of proceedings
elsewhere than in Crawford county or
Cherokee county, you are advised that
your powers as special counsel for the
state go to that extent. In this work
you are authorized to do all that may
be proper to bring about obedience t.
and respect for the law. / need hardly
add that you will have my own CO.
operation and support, and l will in
woke such means as the law affords to
see that the local authorities likewise
assist and cooperate with you. Please
keep me advised from time to time
"A final suggestion: L do not think
that any considerable number of the
good people of Kansas care much
about the fines, mulcts and fees which
are imposed by the court upon the
! lawbreakers, but in Difference to sucn
sentiment as there is which criticises
the system of paying fees to prosecut-
ing officers. I would like to have an
accurate statement of those matters
preserved which may be printed in my
biennial report for the information Of
the curious.
Il enclose herewith also a brief
formal authority for you to act in these
matters which you may exhibit should
that be necessary.
Accept my best regards.
'tY ours truly.
John S. DAWSON.
Attorney General
April 20, 1911.
Hon. c. w. Trickett, Kansas City,
Kan:
Dear Mr.. Trickett-Pursuant to our
conference with Governor Stubs I
hereby authorize you TO appear as spe-
cial counsel for the state of Kansas ir
all actions and proceedings civil and
criminal. which may be necessary to
enforce the prolibitcry law in Craw-
ford county and in Cherokee county
and also s special counsel for the state
in all other suits and proceedings when
may be necessary to enforce the laws
of this state against derelict public Of
ficers, as well as private citizens in
those counties. Wherever the reign of
crime in Crawford and Cherokee coun-
ties involves other communities neoes-
sari1y or incidental to tho Crawford
and Cherokee situation your authority
is equally broad, and you NAV ioin
your name as special counsel with mine
as attorney general in all such cases
for the enforcement of the laws OF
the state
yours respectfully,
JOHN S. DAWSON.
Attorney General"
Up to Trickett
The public will realize, If you Go not,
that the attorney general has an
enormous amount OF ether matters be-
sides prosecuting jointists in south
eastern Kansas and il this work has
not proceeded as rapidly as legal
strategy and acuTnes4 could Eush it. it
IS your own attorney, Mr.. Trickett. who
should explain and not myself. It has
oeen a profound modification to me-
ana believe Mr.. Trickett feels the
same way about it-that YOU have
abandoned the plans agreed upon at
the conference between yourself Mr.
Irlckett and me at which you agreed
10 employ men to collect evidence
against the law breakers, What good
is it to collect the evidence If the men
Who have collected the evidence canno1
De kept on your pay roll until the cases
are tried? You also promised either
Ihen or at some of our various confer
ences. that if the ordinary procedure
Tor the enforcement O+ the law was mt
sufficient in southeastern Kansas thar
you would call out the militia and thai
You WoulI even convene the IeeisIatI1re
II taat appeared necessary. I have al
ways welcomed any assistance in this
matter. You know that two years ago
when L was your private secretary it
was myself who put through the wavs
and means committee and the legis-
lature the increase in your contfnge 4
fund from $4,000 to $4,000 and it was
for the very purpose cf furnishing vo11
means for the enforcement of the law
in Crawford and Cherokee counties
Yet 1t is my understanding that when
some of your political opponents last
summer called for explanations of this
increase in your contingent fund thai
you made first one explanation of the
matter and then another until one time
l kindly recalled to your memory what
the real purpose of that increase was
And as 1 understand it, 1t was only
within the last very few months of
began to spend money for that pur-
pose.
Attorney GeneraI Jackson authorized
and you agreed to pay w. p. Montgom-
cry $3.50 a month to go down there and
start this work. You paid Mr. Mont
gomery for month or two and then
summarily dropped him from your pay
roll and it became necessary for Mr.
jackson to pay him and I have paid
him since then when I could although
the depleted state of my contingent
fund would not permit his continuous
employment, and so at the earnest So
licitation of Judge Buckman, speaker
of the house, consented to his return
to Topeka during the legislature Even
at that time Mr.. Montgomery gave his
spare time to the work of law enforce
ment.
Pressed for Time
There are many other matters which
might mention but I deem it more
important TO give my attentiou to pub
lie duties than to compete with you as
to the length of our public communi-
cations. You are now on your vaca-
uion and have nothing to do but to roast
me. If I ever get time to take a Va
cation I can furnish two or three col
INNS for the newspapers every day if