The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-11

lobby of the hotel and learned tnat he
was Judge Gillett of Kingman, Kansas
He was dressed in dark clothes, me-
dunn, slender and smooth face, hlgh
forehead, bald spot on top of his head.
Further affiant sayeth not.
The Thormann woman swore to this
affidavit before r. w. Eaton, a no
INV name is Mrs. Charlotte Thor
mann. MY home is at Holton, near
Summerfield Kansas. am PERSONAL
" acquainted with Leta Foster, nave
known her for more than one year
1 have read her affidavit sworn to
before r. w. Eaton, a notary public
of Topeka, Kansas, and that the facts
therein stated are true as she stated
them to me in the presence OF ii. Z.
Medlock and H. G. Ericsson.
"Affiant further states that she d.
rected Leta Foster to go to the lad1es'
parlor of the National hotel and there
wait until she would call for her lat
err in day, and further affiant sayeth
not"
How Black Got Into Case.
Then things began to happen.
Judge GilIett received a clever letter
from Black in which he said nice things
about the judge. In one paragraph
he mentioned the judges visit to TO
peka on Kansas day. He said there
we're some ugly charges being made
and offered to help Gillett straighten
them out, he said. Judge Gillett knew
of no reasons why charges should De
made against him. The letter sounded
strongly of a Matchmaking scheme ana
he began an investigation of the al
fair From that day-the first time
Judge Gillett heard of the charges
he became the aggressor in the case
that today led to the wholesale ar
rests for criminal libel He recalled
that Black was a personal and intf-
mate friend of the county attorney OF
Harper and from this basis the facts
were finally secured
AS the investigation proceeded, Will
cox and his following began to see
trouble ahead. Some of the pr1nc1-
pals in the case were subpoenaed to
appear before the federal grand Jury
in Fort Scott this week. Perhaps they
knew Just what that meant.
With this knowledge in their minds
they went before County Attorney 81
mon last Sunday and asked for crim1-
nal complaint for the arrest of Judge
Gillett for criminal abuse of the Fos-
ter girl. Not only did the detectives
offer the affidavits of the Foster girl
and of the Thormann woman, but each
of the plain clothes men made under
oath most damaging charges against
Judge Gillett's character. These charges
looked vicious and ugly on their face
and Simon smelled smoke. He imme-
diateiy began an investigation In their
statements Medlock and Ericsson dove
tailed the incidents leading to the al
legged visit of the Foster girl to Judge
Gillett'S room. These charges were
proven by Judge Gillett and his friends
to be false and without the least foun-
dalton. So trouble began to multiply.
Erricsson's Afidavit.
Erricsson's affidavit reads:
III. c. Ericsson being first duly
sworn deposes and says: My name is
H. c. Ericsson. live in Topeka, Kan
sas. I am personally acquainted with
Il, IT,
have read his affidavit and know him
to be the same person who was with
me at the Kansas Day banquet at Ma
sonic hall on the evening of January
20, 1912. Mr.. Medlock and 1 sat side
by side only four chairs west of Judge
Gillett of Kingman, Kansas.
when the banquet closed we went
to the National hotel, where we saw
signed to room No. 507 on the fifth
floor. On the morning of January 80.
1912, 1 saw Leta Foster, who is per-
sonally known to me, talking to Judge
Gillett in the ladies' parlor at the Ma
tiona1 hotel and shortly thereafter 1
saw them leave the ladies' parlor
separately. 1 talked to Leta Foster
afterwards in the presence of Char
1otte Tholman and she told me that
she had been accosted by man while
in the ladies' parlor and had gone to
his room at his request.
Leta Foster later in the day pointed
who had accosted her and took her to
his room. He was seated at the west
end of the hotel lobby. Further affiant
sayeth not"
ricsson in his false affidavit, but he
added strength to the testimony at
hand. He swore to the facts:
"H. c. Medlockz being first duly
Medlock: live in Topeka, Kan. I
am personally acquainted with H. c.
Ericsson of Topeka, Kan. I accom-
panied Mr.. Ericsson to the Kansas
Day banquet at Masonic hall on the
evening of January 29th, 1912 I
there saw Judge Gillett of Kingman,
Kan, who sat four chairs east of us
and next to Judge Johnston. 1 saw
Judge Gillett registered at the Ma
tional hotel in Topeka, Kan. He was
given room 507 on the fifth floor. 1
again saw Judge Gillett early on the
morning of January 80, 1912, talk
known to me. in the ladies, parlor of
the National hotel. In a short time 1
saw Gillett return to his room
No. 507 on the fifth floor, and
in a few moments Leta Foster came
and entered the same room. Later
in the day 1 had a talk with Leta Fos-
ter in the presence of H. Q. Ericsson
and Charlotte Tholman, when she told
us that man met her in the ladies'
parior and asked to his room on the
fifth floor, No. 507."
Then follows a repetition of the
Ericsson affidavit.
Gillet Runs Down Story.
Then +. n. Tincher, of Ringman. as
attorney for Gillett, came to Topeka
and began an investigation. He learned
Of the contents Of the aff1davits filed
with County Attorney Simon. This gave
the first clue to the alleged facts on
which Wilcox and his friends based
their campaign of oppression. It gave
something tangible to work on A
representative of the Burns agency in
Kansas City went to work on the case.
BY this time Ericsson, Wilcox and
Medlock were claruorfns for, the return