The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-28
Preacher Phillips Is Charged
With Making This Statement.
Trial for DislOyalty Before Fed.
eral Officials Today.
DAMAGING EVIDENCE GIVEN
C. j. Evans Left Meeting Call
ing Sermon HTreasOn."
Crowd Here in Support of Mis-.
siOnary's Character.

Preacher Harvey E. Phillips, by his
own testimony a missionary at Luxor.
Egypt, for the last seven years. today
was on trial before Commissioner
White on a charge of disloyalty. Phil
lips was arrested just a week ago to-
day by C. C. Jackson, assistant United
States marshal on a warrant issued
by Fred Robertson, United States dis
trict attorney, after a complaint was
sworn out by G. E. Barthell, special
agent of the department of justice.
Phillips was arraigned before Com
missioner White Immediately after his
arrest by Jackson last week. but on
account of the ignorance he displayed
of all knowledge of forms of law, he
er or not he would demand hearing
before the commissioner. Monday of
this week, Phillips announced that he
would demand his preliminary.
Phillips has been out of jail on
$1,000 bond signed by Mrs. Annie S.
Cradle and E. c. Mclaughlin.
That the preliminary hearing set for
this morning has caused great deal
of interest among the people of To-
peka was shown today by the big
! crowd in attendance at the hearing.
| The audience was mixed two ways,
/ against; old men and old women,
! young girls, and preachers.
| Churchmen to Topeka.
| OF especial mention in the audience
at the opening of the trial today were
men of prominence in the church
world who came to Topeka as char
acter witnesses for the defense. These
persons were Mrs. Dr. P. ]. thinner
man of Chicago; George Shane, Of
| Philadelphia, and DR.. p. NJ. McClena-
han, of Cairo, Egypt. DR.. Eva Hard
| ing was also noticed sitting in and
/ nf fI1a Irf a
hearing. The lips of old ladies In the
audience trembled and their chins
| gave signs of the verge OF tears"
stage at several critical moments in
the hearing when the government
witnesses called first gave especially
DANA ging evidence. 1t was necessary
for Marshal G. c. Jackson to warn
one woman against any attempt to
influence witnesses by laughing and
smiling at testimony given.
1--All thru the morning hearing Phil
lips found it necessary to keep moist
ening his throat with sips Of water
from a glass kept perpetually filled
by a faithful woman adherent-
At the opening of the hearing the
government demanded that all wit
nesses be excluded from the court
room. This was objected to by the
defense, but the court ordered with
. drawa1 of the witnesses. Four wit
{ nesses were summoned to the hearing
!, by the government and about fifteen
, or twenty, including the four character
witnesses, by the defense. The whole
witness force was lined up in front of
the rail in the court room and the
oath was administered en- masse.
c. E. Barthell, special agent of the
department of justice, was the first
: witness called by the government at
the hearing. His testimony revealed
: the fact that Preacher Phillips had
spent two vacations in Switzerland
since he was sent missionary to
Egypt. Other than this Barthelrs tes-
timony at the hearing this morning
dealt entirely with the methods he
. used in the investigation Of Phillips
Reporter on Stand.
Mrs. Maureen Wood. the reporter
who wrote the first report of the Phil
lips sermon at Central Park school
house Sunday evening, August 1S, was
, the second government witness to take
the stand. Mrs. Wood at times ap-
peared a little bit excited on the stand
and on several occasions took occasion
l to say that to her mind "the sermon
preached by Doctor Phillips was dis
loyal in effect II not in intent"
One point not brought out hereto
fContinued on Page TWo)