The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-24
Charge That He Has Violated
Espionage Act Here.
Made Remarks in Sympathy
With l. w. w. Movement.
FORMER CONGRESS- CANDIDATE
Joseph Otti Was Attorney for
Nations Enemies, 'Tis Said.
Picked Up by a Special Officer
at Santa Fe Depot.

| Joseph Otti, former Oklahoma So
cialist congressional candidate and
now located in Wichita, was arrested
here today under complaint from the
office of Otho Woods, United States
marshal, for violation of the espion-
age act.
Otti is alleged % be an I. w. W.
sympathizer and agitator. To police
officers today Otti admitted he had
at one time defended 1. w W. mem
bers while a student attorney in Okla
! homa His connections with the
''wobblies'' and his statements and
work in Kansas will be careIc'ly in
vestigated by the government.
/ Last year Otti was the Socialist
nominee for congress from the Eighth
! Oklahoma district. He, has been ac-
| tive in Socialist affairs in Oklahoma
and it is claimed his utterances and
actions in Kansas have been in direct
violation of the federal law.
! Preliminary Hearing Friday.
| After being examined before Frank
/ Campbell, United States commission
er, Otti was again confined to Jail and
| his preliminary hearing set for Friday
afternoon. He will be released pend
| ing his preliminary upon furnishing a
! $500 bond. Otti assured Commission
er Campbell he would obtain bond in a
| few hours.
Otti admitted that he was a Social
ist but denied that he approved the
work of the 1. w. VS. in destroying
property. He admitted he had aided
/ in obtaining the release of twenty-one
young men arrested on a vagrancy
I charge at Cherokee, Okla, during the
summer. They were not L w WIS he
declared.
For Industrial Democracy.
DO you believe in the present form
( of government he was asked.
Il believe in democracy he re-
pied. There are two forms of de-
mocracy, political and Industrial Our
government has been a political de-
4 mocracy, mainly due to the fault of
/ the people. However, industrial de-
| mocracy is gradually coming into its
/ own thru the food control bill and
! other forms of regulation for the peo-
pie and against private interests"
In conversation with Officer
! Gregg, Otti is alleged to have told
1 him that it was only a question of time
until the l. w. VS. controlled the
country Such had been the case in
/ Russia, he stated, and America would
! experienced a similar change in gov
| ernment
He Aroused Suspicion.
( Gregg stated that his attention had
i been called to Otti by a passenger on
a Santa Fe train Friday evening. The
/ passenger told Gregg to keep his eyes
! on Otti, that he had been making
| charges against the government and
defending the l. w. w. on the train.
| Gregg neglected to take down the
name of the man. Gregg, the special
| officer, and Jack Gregg, a police Off
! Ger, talked to Otti. Following the con-
Versation, the two officers reported to
the police sergeant, who instructed
| them to arrest Otti. He was found at
the oxford hotel this morning.
! Otti came to Topeka to appear be-
| fore the state charter board to pro-
test against alleged unnecessary ex-
! penditures of the president and secre-
| tary of the Crescent Oil company OF
! Wichita He is a member of the board
of directors. He asks the board to in
vestigate the affairs of the company
/ declaring that force has been used by
1 the president and secretary to keeE
him from examining. the books of the
company.
Files Written Complaint.
A written complaint of this nature
had been received by mail this morn
ing. Frank Organ, special assistant
TO the state charter board, admitted
TODAY, Otti came to Topeka to ap-
near in person before the board and
press his demand for an investiga-
tion of the expenditures. which are
thousands of dollars in excess of the
necessary expenses, according to his
allegations.
The Crescent Oil company is cap
italized at 100000. Otd alleged al
first that his arrest had been brought
about thru the president of the COM
pany. He asked Campbell who ha6
filed the complaint against. him
Campbell told him that it had beer
made by Officer Gregg.