The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-15
Betrayer of School Teacher
Springs Surprise.
Defense Charges Attorney Nc
Candless With "PressAgenting." ."
ASK FOR A CHANGE.
Prosecution to Present 200
More Affidavits Thursday.
Jealous Wife Starts Story Caus-
ing the Trouble.

Lincoln. Kan, Nov. 15.-Ed Record,
the Beverly barber who betrayed Miss
Mary Chamberlain to her enemies the
night of August Z, when she was given
a coat OF tar. today pleaded guilty to
the charge of assault and battery. He
Will be sentenced at the close of the
present term of court
Records action was a surprise to
the defense. Some time ago he de-
clared he would not plead guilty. He
had already made a confession in
/ which he implicated the men accused,
and had been fined on the charge of
disturbing the peace on another count
/ in connection with the case. When
/ attorneys for the defense learned he
/ was preparing to plead guilty to the
! they counseled with him and Record
| changed his mind
County Attorney Surprised.
Today, however. Record sent for
He said that he wished to be taken
into court and when court convened
announced to the judge that he wished
to plead guilty to the charge against
him.
Charging that County Attorney Nc
Canless had conspired to spread err
roneous reports of the tarring of Miss
Mary Chamberlain. attorneys for the
nine defendants accused of being mem
bers of the tar party today filed with
Judge Grover an application for
change of venue.
McCanless is accused of having
caused Edward Record. the barber
who betrayed Miss Chamberlain to her
enemies, to be brought out of Jail for
the sole purpose of compelling him to
give an interview to a metropolitan
newspaper reporter and of having
himself interviewed regularly by
L,
Too Much Publicity.
other details regarding publicity
given the tarring of the young Shady
Bend school teacher, which has con-
vulsed four counties and aroused
storm over the entire state as a stain
upon the honor Of Kansas, are given
as reasons why the nine prominent
citizens charged with the tarring could
not expect a fair trial in either Lin
coin, Ellsworth, Ottawa or Saline
counties.
To refute the charges that the de-
PENDANTS cannot secure a fair and i'm
partial trial here County Attorney Nc !
CanleSs has 200 affidavits declaring |
there is nothing in the opinion or at
tituGe OF the people to make such con- |
,iifion pussibIe He is taking mere |
shown statements Ot1ay AMI expects to |
present 400 affidavits Thursday morn |
ing to The court to show that a fair |
trial can be had in Lincoln county.
appeared in court today and was closet /
co several hours with Attorney McCan- /
less and Assistant Attorney General |
Hawkes. She refused to give out any /
statement further than to say that at |
the conclusion of the criminal hearing |
she intends to institute suits against |
six of the defendants for personal dam |
ages.
To Hear Arguments Thursday.
Arguments on the motion for change
of venue were set for tomorrow. The /
defense has 20 witnesses to offer in
support of its contention while Attorney |
McCanless has a dozen affldavits to
present to show that the citizens could
expect a perfectly fair trial in Lincoln
county where tarring took place.
Miss Chamberlain today appeared
entirely recovered from the efIects
from the torture she underwent last
August. when under the pretense of
Ia king her for a drive, Edward Record,
the barber. took her in buggy to a
delivered her over to a mob waiting
behind the fence with the hot tar pre-
pared
Record Only a Tool.
Record, who was the first man ar
T sted, is believed merely to have been
a tool of other men prominent in the
county. among them Everett G. Clark,
the Shady Bend miller. and number
of wealthy farmers.
The defendants to be tried at this
C.
Watson Scranton Sheriff. Clark. John
Schmidt. A. n. Sims, Chester Ander-
son and Delbert KindelSparger and
Edward Record. F'itzwater, Scranton
and E c. Clark, who secured the
quashing of the indictments against
them. are again among the defendants
after being arrested on new informa-
ton.
The case is full of grief for Lincoln
county people Not only is the case
itself a stain upon the name of the
county but further odium Is added.
the residents think. in the declaration
that The accused men can not get
fair trial here. Then there is a feel
ing OF shame at the reports that the
defendants, being men of wealth and ,
influence. Will not be punished as they
deserve. if found guilty. And SO Lin
coin and Lincoln county grieves-
HI Wife VV-s Jealous. ,
According to stories told here. it
was the wife of a customer of L. v !
Green OF Shady Bend who started the !
feeling against the woman who was
later made the victim of the tarring
episode The school teacher began
clerking in the store last spring, after
the close OF the school which she
taught OF jolly disposition, she talked ,
and laughed with the customers who
called at the little store and it be-
came a popular place The men. mar
ried and unmarried, liked to loaf
there because the witty girl was con-
stantly twitting some of them about ,
something and the crowd liked to ,
witness the discontinue manifested
by those who were victims of the new
clerk jokes
one OF the men who spent consider
WIFE and she at at once decided that i