The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-04
Council Supporters Discover
Source of Alleged FOrgeries.
Young Men Signed the Names
Out of a Telephone Book.
SUGGESTION MADE TO THEM
Secretary Graham Says Com
mission Sympathizer Did 1t.
Mystery of "Dead Men" Sigma
lures Cleared by City League.

The mystery of the forged names on
the petitions calling a council election
in Topeka has been cleared. Young
men, soliciting names at 80 much
per" copied the dead men" sigma
lures out of a telephone book!
Concerning the alleged forgeries
found on petitions filed with the city
clerk February 81, asking for the
calling of a special city election to
vote upon rejecting or retaining the
commission form of city government
the following communication has been
received from the executive commit
tee of the Anti-Commission Govern
ment league:
The statement.
ReDort of A A Graham. Secretary of
sion of the Commission form of city
government to the voters of Topeka, re
ararding certain unlawful signatures to
II petition filed with the City Clerk, Feb
ruary 23y 1915
Acting under instructions of the Exec
utive Committee of the petitioners, made
a careful investigation into the charges
that the names of three dead persons anu
certain other unauthorized signatures
were found on this petition, and learned
the Following facts:
of the 1870 names on said petition
about 30G are unauthorized. This was
the work of four young men, who. when
brought face to face with the serious ma
ture of their offense. admitted the follow
ing facts: Two of these young men were
faithfully soliciting names to this petition
on the street TO sign, saying to him that
it was Il petition to do away with the
commission form of government rms
man then said there nothing to the
council form. and that the commission
form was best He refused to sign the
petition. He asked the young men, What
are you getting for soliciting signatures 2:
They replied. Two cents name. He
then said to them. IF it was me, l would
get a list of names, and write them IN
the petition. and turn them in.
These two young men; acting on this
copied names from it onto the petition:
and later two other young men did the
friendly advice of this enemy of the coun
ell form and friend of the commission
form of city government.
This middle-aged man. IN making TINS
criminal suggestion to these lneXper1-
enced young men, could not be heard to
deny that he had in mind the making of
their petition irregular and unlawful, and
would also result in their obtaining mon
ey under false pretense, as well also that
his suggestion. if carried out. would tend
to prevent, or. at least, delay the vote
of the people of Topeka on whether or
not they should abandon the commission
form, knowing that 1t is now the desire
of many thousands of our citizens to have
this question submitted
The unjust imputations of crime so
recklessly INDUCED against myself and
associates, charging the forging of the
names of dead persons and others to this
petition, are thus seen to revert to the
friends of the present commission form
of city government, and to a op
posed to the circulation of this petition
Il whose suggestion wholly disrre-
garded honor, honesty, fidelity and integ-
rity in Inexperienced young men-a man
whose suggestion of crime to young men
a greater and graver Offense than
the act of the young men-a man to whom
a political purpose is of more Importance
than the uprightness and moral character
of four young men-a man who would de
strOy their reputation and character for
POLITICS.
These four young men are sons of rep
utabIe citizens. and they went into the
work of securing names to this petition
honestly and conscientiously; they contin-
ued to work until they met this Ill
adviser, and did not know that the fol-
lowing out of his suggestion would be
criminal act. The prosecution of these
young men for this unwilling act would
be a serious handicap to their future and
neither l nor my associates should will
ingly be parties to their criminal prose-
cution, because they were misled by an
older man, an avowed enemy of the coun-
ell form of city government and of this
move on the part of the people looking
to abandoning the commission form.
about 300 out of the 1870, and should be
struck from the petition.
L profoundly regret that this irregular
ity occurred and in vigorously prOsecut-
ing this inquiry to the end that the
ton of the petitioners and the remaining
solicitors might be free from any impu-
charged a duty, not only to them, but to
all the citizens of Topeka interested in
this matter.
A. A. GRAHAM. Secretary
We. the Executive Committee appointed
by the Petitioners League to investigate
the irregularity in the petition referred
to, have heard the foregoing report of the
Secretary, have considered the evidence
and the facts presented, and heartily con-
eur therein.
P. II. COMFY
FRANK s. THOMAS,
NJ. HEERY.
T. NJ JAMES.