The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-17
Z. B. Armstrong Treats Friends
and Buys Lunch.
OF Course He Was Getting Evil
dence" at Time.
HIS CAPACITY LARGE
In One Week He Buys 80 Quarts
of Liquor.
Denies He Was Expelled for
Heavy Drinking.

In the week which T. B. Armstrong
spent looking for Topeka joints, he
bought and drank large quantities Of
liquor, according to the stories which
he is relating this week in the Shawnee
county district court. Accompanied by
Rev. Robert Norris and William Les
sure, Armstrong made daily visits to
Topeka resorts, where largo amounts
of liquor was bought and drank and
where the minister and his helpers
treated women of sundry shades and
questionable repute.
Just how much beer Armstrong
bought in his one week in Topeka, the
public may never know. His testimony
in two lone cases shows the purchase
by himself and companions of not less
than 80 quarts of beer and some
whisky. Except in one instance, the
intoxicants were drank in the buildings
where purchases were made.
Drink and Treated Friends.
Methods pursued by the Armstrong
Norris-Lessure trio were a trifie differ
ent from the beaten paths of ancient
evidence getting In the olden days,
spoilers made their purchases, labelled
the bottles and turned the liquid evil
dence over to the prosecuting attorney
With a salary of 500 a month and all
expenses, Armstrong bought with a
lavish hand and consumed the refresh
ments right on the grounds. If he
bought unwisely, the spotter and his
companions treated the house.
| Details of the modern method vera
backed by the evidence of Norris. It
was explained that the new plan re-
moved suspicion from the minds of the
alleged violators of the law and better
results were obtained. Norris himself
! drank beer in numerous Topeka joints,
a fTcr fn flA CIR. ,q
/ these witnesses, the prevailing retail
price of beer in Topeka during state
fair week was 80 cents a quart. After
a weeks work in the local vineyard
the spoilers, compiled their notes,
| footed their expense accounts and filed
them with their employers
| Sometimes, Armstrong explained to
| the jury, it is hard to locate the re-
freshments centers. AS an official spot
ter under Governor Stubbs. ArmstrOng
is permitted to Tip" people to tell
| him whore beer and whisky may be
| found. The witness recalled one tip
for local information. It was given to
| a negro from Kansas City" and the
man was not in court to tell of the
| transaction.
He Calls at Ida's Place.
| In one week Armstrong made four
trips to Ida Bryants place, i25 North
Monroe street. Sometimes it was in
/ company with Norris and Leisure and
sometimes With a man named Sanders
and others In addition to eleven bot
ties of beer, some whisky was bought
at the place. All was drank on the
premises. Occasionally there were wo-
men in the house. The thirst of these
ladies was not overlooked and Arm
strong and Norris divided their beer
with the women.
This morning Armstrong found trou-
BILE in the Lizzie Young case. His ca
pacity for liquor was carefully investi-
gated by the defense and the witness
was asked concerning the amount of
beer he could consume. Then Arm
strong was asked concerning his rec
1 ord at Wlshburn college. He was ask
/ cd if he did not leave the college be-
cause of his affiliation with liquor and
| frequent visits to local joints. Arm
strong denied these statements and