The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-12
ROtarians VIII Help to Raise
Money for the Y. Nj. c. A.
Topeka Is Indebted to the AsSO-
citation for $4,000.
DECISION OF ROTARY COURT
Judgment Rendered at Dinner
Trial at Noon Today.
Copeland and Other Witnesses
Tell of Work Being Done.

Judge J. S. West, of the state SUI
preme court, today rendered judg-
ment of $4,000 against the city of
Topeka in favor of the Young Mems
Christian Association The judgment
was rendered at the Rotary Club din
ner at the Y. NJ. c. A. gymnasium.
Members of the Topeka Rotary club
acted as jurors George T. McDermott
represented the Young Mems Christian
Association and E. H. Hogueland act
ed as attorney for the city of Topeka.
After the decision had been handed
down, Robert Stone made a motion,
which carried, pledging the individual
support of the members of the Rotary
club in the Y. NJ. c. A. campaign to
raise $35, 900 to clear the debts of the
association and establish a working
fund S. L. Courtney offered an
amendment providing for raising a
volunteer company of Rotarians who
Will participate in the campaign. An
other amendment was offered which
provided for drafting Rotarians into
the company.
mo, SIR" shouted Courtney, 1--WE
want to give the boys a chance to
show their patriotism first
Amendment Carried.
Courtneys amendment carried.
Fred Voiland and George Hart will
pany viii be recruited Tuesday night
at the Y. M. C. A A meeting for the
purpose of organizing for the cam
paign will be held at the Chamber of
Commerce this evening. George
HoyeS, secretary of the Y. NJ. c. A,
was unanimously made a member of
the Rotary club on a motion of Robert
Stone.
When the case Of the Y. M. c. A. VS..
the city of Topeka was called George
NJ n oft Ii.
told the jury he expected to prove
the city just indebted to the institution
for work done in building up the body
and characters of the young men of
Topeka.
Hogueland, as attorney for the city
of Topeka, informed the jury that
he would prove the claim false He
charged that the Y. NJ. c. A. operated
! rooming house and resta urant which
ran in open competition with hotels
and regular restaurants, that it sent
young men out on fishing trips, made
them love volley ball and other exer-
cises more than war or enlistment
and openly permitted youths to play
pool and billiards.
E. L. Copeland, president of the as
ISOLATION. was the first witness called
by the plaintiff. Under clever cross
examination of McDermott, Copeland
| esta blished himself in the eyes of the
jury as a clerk for the Santa Fe.
a lover of golf and a man who mere
ly signed statements prepared by
hard working under officials.
Copeland Tells of Work
State your case briefly" said Nc
Dermott
The Santa Fe man told of the won
derful work done by the Y. NJ. c. A.
for the community in building up
of the city's youths. He told of the
EN- barrassm which has faced the
management for years in not being
| free from debt. He informed the
Rotary jury that an architect had re-
Gently examined the building. Upon
his recommendations the management
| has decided to open twenty-five more
| dormitory rooms on the fourth floor
| and in addition will increase the gym
nasium capacity of the institution suf-
ficient to care for 500 youths instead
of 225.
| E. F. Kestler, of Harrisburg. Penn,
was the next witness called by Nc
Dermott. Kestler has conducted fl
nancial Y. NJ. c. A. campaigns thru
out the country. He described the
work done by other Rotary clubs in
behalf of the Y. M. G. A. He pointed
to the L. M. c. A. as an institution
which conserved the country's great
est asset, its young men. Applause
greeted the statement that Billy Sun
1 day had volunteered to turn all the
proceeds of his New York revival to
the Y. NJ. c. A. and American Red
J Cross society.
Other Witnesses
r. w. Graves, a student at Wash
burn college, was the next witness
called by the plaintiff. He established
the fact that the Y. NJ. C. A has done
great work for students at Washburn
and with better facilities could do still
greater good for the students. Clar-
enCe Jasper. another Washburn stu.
dent, offered more testimony along
similar lines.
Then, Carl Alright, a high school
youth, was placed on the stand. He
testified to the physical and moral
good the institution works for the
high school lads He also testified to
the excellent opportunity the build
ing with its magazines and encyclo-
pedias affords for study.
| j. Will Kelley, secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce, informed the
jury that it should not look upon
| smokestacks and crowded warehouses
as the only signs of a city's prosperity.
A city can never be really prosperous
| and happy unless proper facilities are
provided for the physical and moral
well being of its youth, he declared.
Topeka with it's high class of citi-
| zenship is entitled to have one of the
best organizations in the country"
said Mr.. Kelley.
DR.. Edmund J. Kulp of the First
Methodist church. was the last wit
ness called by the plaintiff. He, too,
| offered laudatory testimony of the ex-
/ cellent work of the institution.
Charles H Matthews was the only
| witness called by the defense. He tes-
titled that theinstitutio was not open
to the public that it had glazed glass
| windows and bars over those windows.
He further testified that youths find
the institution work house.
| Boy Is Evidence.
Look at my boy, said Matthews,
"he entered the Y. NJ. C. A. weighing
90 pounds. He now weighs $50
pounds"
Then, too, he complained of the
youths swimming naked in the swim
ming pool and ended his testimony by
declaring there We're padded cells in