The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-16
Rev. G. M. Brewer Has Not Been
Arrested in Oklahoma.
Warrants Lie Unserved at Local
u. s. Marshal's Office.
THEY KEEP PRISONER
Army Officers Do Not Allow
Harrison to See Quirk.
An EgregiOus Blunder by Some
body in Fort Scandal.

That the Rev. Mr.. Brewer has never
been arrested for completely in the
dynamiting plots at Fort Riley. was
made public here today when it was
admitted that the warrants in the
hands of the United States marshal's s
| force have never been served. As re-
suit OF mixup between the regular
| federal officers and military authorities,
| Brewer may not be brought to Kansas
+, for sonstime.
When the confession of Private Mi
chael Quirk was made public this week,
warrants were issued for the arrest of
Rev. Mr. Brewer and Mrs. Anna Jor-
dan United States Commissioner
! Chase, of Junction City, ordered the
marshaPs Office to arrest the minister
and his female accomplice. Right there
/ was where Justice was blocked, Mrs.
Jordan became free woman and Brew
er is still able to conduct his regular
Sunday services in the little town of
| Olustee. Ok
| Officers Are Outside Law.
In ordering the arrest Of the man
and woman, Commissioner Chase reck-
oned not with the federal statutes. 1t
| was entirely out of the question for
Marshal Harrison or his men to leave
their Jurisdiction and arrest Brewer in
| Oklahoma or Mrs. Jordan in Missouri
Had Chase sent his requests to the fed
eraI O11lcers of Missouri and Oklahoma
Brewer and the Jordan woman could
have been taken before the United
States commissioner in their districts
and after a. proper showing the federal
court of that jurisdiction could have
ordered their removal to Topeka But
the United States marshal for the dis
| trict of Kansas was tied hand ana
foot when he received instructions to
| make arrests in other states.
Each day Commissioner Chase and
| Lieutenant Richard Newman watched
| the trains for the arrival of their pris-
oners. They never came. They never
will-if the method Of procedure is not
| changed.
There are other troubles. The mill
tary officers at Fort Riley have been
handling the case for weeks. At this
stage of the game, the army Ot1cerS
are slow to relinquish any of their glory
to the regular federal officers. 1t was
| the army officers who held Quirk IN
solitary confinement for three months,
then dragged from him a confession
that implicated the minister as the
source of trouble. 1t was the confess
sion which Quirk made after days and
weeks of confinement that brought out
the name of Mrs. JOrdan as party
to the series of dynamiting plots.
A warrant was issued for Quirk-
after three months delay-and Mar
shall Harrison went to Fort Riley to
serve the papers. Harrison returned
to Topeka without seeing his man. At
Junction City it was explained that
the military officials wanted to use the
19-year-old criminal and that probably
it would be wise to leave Quirk just
ficials' prisoner. The military Off
cials are conducting the case. Mar
shall Harrison bowed in obedience,
caught the next train and returned to
Topeka.
No Power to Bring Woman Here.
While all of this was happening,
Mrs. Jordan was arrested in Kansas
City, held "a hours and released. The
Kansas officials had no power to ar
rest the woman and no papers had
been sent to the marshals office'in the
Missouri district. While Mrs. Jordan
was being retained for investigation by
the Kansas City police, the Rev. Mr..
Brewer was preparing his regular
Sunday sermon to his Olustee flock.
No one with the right authority had
the right documents with which to
hold the wayWard preacher.
1t was all a big mixup, such as is
seldom confronted by federal officers.
Yet the military officials handle their
prisoners in their own delightful way
and dole out their own particular
brand of justice. The regular federal
officers and federal courts operate
strictly Independent of anyone or any
thing and, much as they might desire, |
they couldn't turn a wheel until the
army officers whistled.
When asked about the matter to-
day, John w. Harrison, United States
marshal, admitted he had returned to
Topeka without Quirk. He admitted
the JORDAN ana BT6W6r warrants were
unserved because of lack of jurisdic- /
ton For further information, Mr.. |
Harrison politely referred his visitor
to the Junction City-Fort Riley army
officers.
Army Officers Forced to Act.
Junction City, Kan, Dec. 16.=Milf- !
tary officials at Fort Riley today con- I
tinued their investigation of the aIleg-
ed plot to annihilate the post with fire /
and dynamite details of which became /
public with the confession Tuesday I
night of Private Michael Quirk. The /
same secrecy which has characterized |
the movement of the officials since the 1
beginning of the Investigation q week /
tails of the alleged plot might not /
have been made public for many days |
had not Quirks friends threatened /
habeas corpus proceedings to obtain |
the priVate's release unless the charge /
against him was stated definitely
Following these threats army Off
Gals were forced to have warrants is
sued. The arrests of the Rev. G. NJ.
Brewer of Olustee Oklahoma, former |
eral authorities and Mrs. Anna Jor--
dan later released, followed. Army Of
ficials it is said with six soldiers un-
der arrest now are giving their whole
attention to finding those, not guilty
of actual acts, but who are said to
have guilty knowledge of the real
criminals. No doubt is expressed at
the fort that enough evidence has been
obtained by confession and by corro-
the officials viii implicate in the af-
fair
Trumpeter John Grille. of battery E.