The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-17
County Attorney Will Not Re.
veal Saum Case Mystery.
In Trial Today Man and Wife
Are Sentenced to Jail.
CHARACTER UPHELD BY MANY
C. G. Blakely, Matt Weightman
and ]. r. Burrow in Support.
''Pll Meet My Condemners In
Eternity" Says Mrs. Saum.

Mr.. and Mrs. A. A. Saum, who were
arrested December on the charge OF
keeping house of disrepute at 724
Monroe street, but who were later
permitted to plead guilty to a mis-
demeanor, were each sentenced today
in the court of Topeka to pay $500
fine and serve six months in the
county Jail. County Attorney Fisher
asked for the limit of punishment and
it was rendered by Judge Rad lee.
In an effort to obtain leniency, Ed
Rooney. attorney for the defendant4
read to the court a number of letters
written by prominent men testifying
as to the good character of the Sauna
The longest and most forceful of these
bore the signature of c. c. Blakely.
a local real estate man and a former
member of the state legislature. AM
other bore the signature of Matt
Weightman and a third that of j. r.
Burrow. president of the Central Ma
tional bank. A number of other ref
were read, testifying to the honesty,
integrity and good character OF A.
A. Saum.
Rooney argued that the Saums
alone were bearing the brunt of the
punishment; that the girls who had
been inmates of the house had. he
understood, been sent to hospital;
that the names of those who frequent-
ed the place had been kept secret and
that none but the Saums themselves
would be made to suffer.
Fisher impressed the court with the
fact that, instead of putting the de-
PENDANTS on trial at a tremendous ex-
pense to the county, and facing the
danger of total acquittal by jury.
he had been content to let the Sauma
plead guilty to q misdemeanor; that
the confession of the two that they
| had solicited men to enter the place
was in itself, in substance. q confess
sion that such a place, was smsin-
Ita1ned: and that d $500 fine and six
months in the county Jail was not Sc
1 we're enough punishment for mature
persons who deliberately encouraged
girls to stoop to a life such as that
which the girl inmates of the Saum
place swore in their affidavits that
| they had led.
Mrs. Saum Is Silent
Previous to this morning there had
been rumors that. if given the limit
| of punishment, the Saums would re-
veal the names of the many prominent
| Topeka men who are alleged to have
frequented their house. but this failed
to develop. On the contrary, another
rumor was heard that Mrs. Saum had
stated that she would spend five yea RI
| in the penitentiary before she would
involve a single person. This rumor,
after sentence had been pronounced
! and she had been confined in the
county jail. she would neither affirm
| or deny. but limited at "a time in
eternity" when there would be a
| reckoning.
Il blame no one," she said II NAV
have made a mistake, but those who
condemn me have made a greater mis-
take than I. Our souls live forever
and sometime. in eternity, these very
mortals who have condemned me will
on their bended knees. ask my forgive-
ness. We all make mistakes and IL ]
have made one 1 am willing to suffer
and am the only one who will suffer
Sometime 1 will meet my condemnerl
in eternity and when 1 do, / will be
greater than they. I am willing te
wait patiently"
In his argument before the court
Fisher alluded to the charge made
against him relative to keeping the
names of the prominent men out oi
the newspapers.
Il admit that kept them secret. .
he said, land 1 intend to do SO becauss
of the suffering that would result q
they appeared in print"