The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-08
Crowds in Federal Court Room
Listen to Preliminaries.
Defendants in Harding-Gilbe
Case Wait on Attorney.
REPORT AGAIN in "a HOURS
Alleged Ordnance Fraud Prob
ably First Case Up. ,
Railroad Loses R0bertsOn's
Trunk Containing Papers.

.
Assigning cases listening to pleas
of guilty, instructing the grand jury
and calling the trial jury occupied
the entir, morning ard part of the
afternoon of Federal Judge John c.
Pollock at the opening session of the
United states district court in Topeka
today. Tie court room was filled
and dozens stood in the aisle while
the docket was assigned. 49,
DR.. Eva Harding. clubwoman, for,
mer candidate for congress in the
First oist, let, who with Ike Gilbers,
prominent Socialist. Prof George w
kleige of Lawrence, and Ernest New
man, is charged with conspiracy to
defeat the draft law, occupied a front
seat She was surrounded by friends,
high in so cial and club life in Topeka.
Professor Kleige acted as spokes-
man for the defendants. He inform
ed Judge Pollock that a telegram had
been received from Seymour Stead
man. noted Chicago attorney, defend
ing tfem that he could not arrive in
Topeka until Thursday. Just prior to
this announcement by the professor
|
! United States district attorney, in
formed Judge Pollock that the gov
eminent was readys to take this case
up Immediately.
Must Appear in Twenty Four Hours.
Judge Pollock instructed Kleige to
/ call the defendants together, arrange
/ for spokesman and appear before
him again {. in. the next twenty four
hours. 4 The Harding case, has at
4 tracted nation wide interest on ac-
counc of the prominence of the per-
sons involved in the charges filed by
| the government.
Next in interest in Topeka in cases
on the docket is the trial of J. F. E.
Ruhlman,, formerly of Topeka and
Capt. Charles w. Robinson of Camp
Funston, formerly prominent New
York business man. J. E. Arlington
while Otis Hungate and q. T. Hazen
| of Topeka will represent Captain
Robinson. Attorneys for the de-
PENDANTS Informed the court they
were ready to go to trial Immediately
and Judge Pollock intimated that the
case would be called for trial either
late today or tomorrow morning @~
\ Fred Robertson told the court that
! the governments preparedness in the
trial of any of the cases on the docket
/ depended upon the railroad company's
success in locating a trunk shipped
from Kansas City to Topeka Sunday
night. This trunk, Robertson ex-
planned, had been purchased for the
express purpose of packing. court pa
pers needed at Topeka In some man
ner, he stated. the trunk had failed to
arrive in Topeka at the proper time
and at noon he had been unable to
find any trace of it.
Impersonated Government Officer?
huffman is charged with represent
ing himself as government officer
and obtaining goods from St. Joseph
/ and st. Louis merchants and shippin q
| them to Camp Funston without paving
the war tax imposed on the govern
ment for such shipments. Robinson
is charged with conspiring with Ruhl-
man in this practice.
/ Robinson is one of sixteen men in
the United States chosen by the gov
eminent at the outbreak of the war
| to take charge of the purchase of sup
plies in army environments. These
men were selected because of their
business sagacity and standing and
commissions were awarded to them
by the government despite the fact a
/ majority of the men were beyond mil
itary age. Robinson is so years OF
age.
After the expose of the alleged, plot
| Robertson faced a court martial on a
charge similar to that placed against
him by the government. He was ex-
onerated by that trial, according to a
statement made by Otis Hungate, his
| attorney, today.
I'VE think We; will prove that Rob
ertson had no connection with the
CASE said Hungate.
Because of Robinson's standing
and because of his family. enjoying q
thigh social standing in New York. eff.
forts were made to keep the trouble
away from his wife and children ir
the homes that the case would be
dropped before it came to trial, gov
eminent officials stated.
Clemency for Topckans.
The strange sight of a prosecuting
attorney plea aiding for clemency for two
men who pleaded guilty to an offenst
during the morning. Ishmael Dun
bar, an employe in the Santa Fl
shops. and John T. Durkin. of Illinois
were charged with shipping game thru
the mail without properly labelling th'
shipment
Testimony introduced showed tina
the two men, who are brothe~s-in-law
shipped forty-seven rabbits and sever
'possums to a friend and marked "rab
bits" on the outside of the shipment
neglecting to say anything about tn
'possums. Robertson told the cour
that Durkin had been thrown in jai
in Illinois for four days until a bon'
could be furnished and that both h
and Dunbar were men with families
Even that four days is too mucl
for such an 1ffense," said Robertson
In speaking of the great amount o
effort employed by the government j
detecting such a minor offense. Rob
ertson used a little yelled sarcasm
Judge Pollock told the men the
might return to their work and init
mated that further prosecution nigh