The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-25
THEY were FACTS
Justice JOhnStOn'S Stories OF 40
Years Ago in Missouri.
Were Verified Before Justice
Mason by Visiting Lawyer.

At the Cremerie round table the 9TH
or dav Justice Henry Mason of the
supreme court bore witness to the re-
markable memory of Chief Justice
Johnston, apologiZing at the same time
to his collea que for having ever DOUBT
ed the veracity of his statements re-
garding men and things of other times
For years" said Justice Mason. Il
and the other justices have listened m
doubt and wonder to Justice johnston
tell of men he had known forty years
ago and the things they did and d1dn
do. He gave names, first middle anu
last names, names of children and
names of grandparents, dates, detail
and flourish that, it seemed to US, could
be known only to the Keeper of the
book of life. 1t would appear impos-
sibIe that a man with manifold duties
in public life could remember so many
things with such minute exactness-
For instance, Justice Johnston
would tell a little story about Bill Ia
Tendish and how he sold COW to
Hampton J. Flores forty-five years
ago. How $26 changed hands on the
transa ction. The COW was red with
white streak on the off side. Taven-
dish's boy Clement drove the COW to
the home of the new owner. Flores
was son of old Alexander Flores, who
practiced law in Judge Stevens court
Judge Thomas BabcOck Stevens, who
had brother named Ebert Vincent
Stevens. Tavendish had three other
boys. Luke, Luther and Leopold, the
last named having been admitted to
the bar three years and three months
after the COW transaction. Luke had
five children, Mary, Martha Magda-
lene. Mark and Matthew respectively.
And so on down the annals of half the
people of a populous neighborhood.
Can you wonder that we of the
Cd 11n Lott lie of Inns
tice Johnston's narrative. 1t did seem
to be uncanny that a man could carry
a state directory around with him for
half a century.
But, gentlemen, I am here today 10
apologize publicly to Justice Johnston.
I will never doubt his word again. AS
a narrator of ancient history he ranks
with ST. John of the Golden Mouth.
"A few DAYS ago while I was visit
ing in Justice Johnston's office. 4
friend of ours brought in a friend of
his. a we'll known lawyer from War
saw. Mo, named w. S. Jackson. We
chatted awhile and it soon developed
that Warsaw was close to Osceola.
Now Justice Johnston had taught
school near and in Osceola in the days
of forty years ago and many of his
stories to me had had to do with peo-
pie of that locality. Mr.. Jackson had
attended court frequently at Osceola
and had a wide acquaintance there.
He and Justice Johnston began to dis
cuss these men and events of another
time. Mr.. Jackson was fresh from that
country. Justice Johnston had to go
back over the trail of forty years for
his facts, but with that he knew more
men and remembered more names and
had more facts than did the bright and
capable Missouri lawyer just from
that section of Missouri.
My eyes stuck out when I heard
this man Jackson Che had strong
face stamped with TRUTH verify the
Tavendish story and say aye to a null
titude of names that I had thought
picked from the bush of fancy. Hills
and mea dowS, streams and farm
houses, livestock and human beings.
courts and schools passed in swirling
procession before my bewildered
senses They We're real. At least thev
were forty years ago. 1 am glad mot
that Missouri lawyer. I apologize p
second time to NV learned colleague
And then Capt Joe Waters added his
evidence to the records IF that man
Jackson knew these people" he said.
then is the truth made clear aud es-
tablished. I know him. and I knew
his wife before him. She used to run
the best hotel in the west The man
that won that woman had to know
truth face to face
The captain launched into an eulogy
of the old Campbell house of Warsaw
in the early nineties. Justice Johnston
presiding over the round table. smiled
benignly on the assembly while he
tried to take the captain up the Usage
river to Osceola, his ancient homa
Major Harvey tried to switch the talk
to the coming campaign for the United
States senatorship. Justice Smith
looked with new wonder at the head
of the table Justice Mason finished
his meal in silence. And the dinner
came to an end.