The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-18
1T WAS FRAME-UP
Charges Against Amrine Made
for Political Purposes.
Graybill Practically Admits 1t
on Witness Stand.


admitted that the fight of the Demo-
cratic state administration to GUST NJ.
F. Amrine as superintendent of the
Hutchinson state reformatory was d
political frame up. GraybilPs admis-
sion came only after a stubborn fight
in which the defense dragged from the
Hodges appointee the confession that
the charges against Amrine were filed
purely for political purposes. 1t was
Graybill who swore to the charges
against Amrine and it is generally be-
| lieved by persons who heard the tes-
! timony that Graybilrs own evidence
has outlined the finish of the case.
Practically all of Thursday afternoon
and until 10 o'clock at night Graybill
was on the witness stand. Apparently
! Graybill's memory had slipped a cog.
Time after time his recollection was
! hay as to events, conversations and
! his own instructions to Amrine regard
! ing the quarantine of the reformatory
: stock herd. Through the testimony was
/ decided tinge of bitterness on the
| part of the witness which showed that
his personal feeling toward the defend
ant was not one of friendliness.
This afternoon, when Graybill left the
stand, practically none of the charges
against Amrine had been clearly sub
stantiated Only in a vague and gen.
eral manner was the Seventh district
Democratic chairman able to convey
to the penal board his assertions that
Amrine had violated his oath of office
and acted as a manner that warranted
action on the part of the state admin
istration. Graybill was taken through
a course of cross-exa mination that left
him with a tagging memory and uncer-
tainty as to events.
Cross Examination.
Asked on cross-examination If ne
knew personally that the charges
against Amrine were true and If he
OF he
signed the complaint, Graybill smiled
and admitted that he did not. Then
suddenly Graybill was asked If the en-
tire plan to GUST Amrine was not for
political reasons and was not framed
up at a meeting in the governors Of
flee.
The witness practically crucif1ed the
administrations case by admitting that
the statement was true.
Things didn't stop here. Amrine |
was charged in Graybilrs complaint
with giving out interviews which re-
Elected on the state administration and |
made him guilty of dereliction of duty |
Asked if he had not advised Amrlne |
to make such statements as WouIo put
his attitude regarding the quarantine |
in a clear light, Speaker w. l.. (lron- J.
jaw Brown, as chairman of the penal
board, admitted that he had given the
superintendent such advice. Brown (
admitted that he had told Amrine that
it was all right to give out such inter-
views as would prove a proper de-
Tense of his actions and If possible
clear him of the charges made by
members of the Democratic admins
tration and insinuations contained in
newspaper interviews.
Late this afternoon Amrine himself
went on the stand. Such charges as
remain against his record, the reform-
atory superintendent will endeavOr toll
clear up and it is probable that his
testimony will require the greater por-
ton of the afternoon session.
Members of the penal board, which
is hearing the. evidence. in the case, II
expect to close the hearing tonight
Whether a decision in the case will be
given at once, has not been indicated
by any of the members.
Relies on Letter.
Hutchinson, Kan. July 1S.-That NJ.
F Amrine will rely chiefly on a letter
from the state board of health to acquit
him of the charge of violating the
Graybill quarantine orders was indi-
Gated in the evidence in the action to
Dust Amrine from the SUPPLEMENTARY
of the Hutchinson state reformatory.
1t is the contention of Amrine and S. J. |
Simmons, his attorney, that Graybill
could in no manner be concerned re- |
yarding the feeding of milk from the
tubercular cattle herd, since the juris- I
1iction over the milk in question was in
the board of health.
-ary commissioner was on the witness
stand nearly a half a day. He wis
yrilled and pounded by Simmons and
IN several occasions refused to answer :
questions. Graybill refused to admit ,,
hat the charges against Amrine were 9
lied for political purposes and for the '
single object of obtaining another slice 3
IF political pie to be handed to the r
aithful. Once, in the course of the
ross fire between Simmons and Gray I
IL,
# the board stopped Simmons and re- r
used to permit him to proceed with r
lis line of questioning. Simmons then a
eturned to the direct charges against g
Amrine. b
In the complaint against the Hutch f
nson superintendent it was charged v
hat Amrine violated the laws of the v
tate and the order of the live stock t
commissioner when he ignored a quar-
milne order and fed tuberculosis milk n
o the several hundred inmates of the s
tory. Answering this charge r
Amrine produced a letter from the state s
'oard of health in which members of Ii
he board thought that the milk would
lot endanger health if properly boiled T
t was acting on this suggestion. Am II
inc says, that he refused to observe u
he Graybill instructions. Immediately a
. n. Brewster on the part of the state q
epled that the board of health could -
ot interfere in the orders of the stock -
commissioner and that Amrine as =
umed all risks when he failed to OBJ h
erve the quarantine. q
Virtually all of the fight for Amrine's If
Ob will center around that quarantine "
rder. If he can convince the penal a
GARD that he did not violate the W
quarantine laws and has been faithful 7
1 his service. then it will be difficult W
} remove him from office. On the other e;
and GraybilPs orders were of an Off fC
ial nature and so strong was the SEN in
ment against Amrines orders to use OF
ne tuberculous milk, that the refor- ic