The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-18
Alma Holmes Had To Testify in
Doctor Poland Case.
Secretary of NO-TObaccO League
on Trial Here Today.
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS CHARGED
Boy Tells of Agony OF
the Dying Cat.
First Criminal Case Before
Judge Robert Carver.

Alma Holmes. a teacher at Lafay-
cite school was today brought from
the bedside of her father. who is crit
ically i'll, to testify in the first division
of the district court in the case of the
city against DIR. E. NJ Poland, secre-
tary for the No-Tobacco league
charged with using cruel and 1nhc-
name methods in killing cat with
nicotine for administrative purposes
before school children Miss Holmes
was subpoenaed for the defense She
was brought from her home in mo-
tor car and rushed back to her IA
ther's bedside again Immediately after
giving her testimony 1t was stated
by H. o. Caster, attorney for the oe-
fense that the father was critically
low but he characterized the witness
as important one
The case of Doctor Poland was the
first one to be called today when
twenty-five criminal cases appealed
from police court came up for jury
trial before Judge Robert Carver In
cidentally. this is the first jury Grim
inal case to be heard by Carver since
he assembled to the bench.
Inject Vaudeville.
At different times. considerable
vaudeville was injected thru testt-
mony, sixteen witnesses being sworn.
and this was supplemented by AL
phonse and CASTOR maneuvers on the
part of Caster and George p. Hayden,
city attorney, who led the prosecution.
Hayden was assisted by Gene Will
pigue, assistant city attorney. and t.
d. Humphreys, who volunteered his
services for the Foster Humane So
ciety. which is taking an active hand
in the prosecution. Kilmaurs King
and Miss Kate King were both in the
courtroom, Kilmaurs testifying.
L n
took place last November. At that
time Poland. who was conducting a
crusade here against tobacco and in
cidentally taking up collections among
penses. found himself the subject of
considerabl censure for killing the
cat before the children.
Jurymcn Had Opinions.
Mayor House took hand and was
instrumental in having the warrant
for Poland's arrest issued. Rev. Rob
ert Gordon. pastor of the First Bap-
tist church. lined up in opposition to
the Indignation" side and came nea-
getting into a forceful argument
with Jailer William Kieiy, while at
tempting to deliver Poland a dinner
while the defendant was lodged in tn.
bull pen
Poland was convicted in police rouat
and fined SO by Judge Paul Heinz.
He appealed to the district court and
Some trouble was experienced this
morning in getting jurymen who didn't
have ideas of their own about the
case. Two jurors stated that they
possessed opinions relative to the
propriety of killing the cat in the
presence of the school children and
were promptly challenged by Caster
Testimony introduced by the prosecu-
ton was off cred in an attempt to show
that the cat suffered physical agony
while being killed
Boy on Stand.
The strongest witness for the state
was probably Kieth Montgomery a
student at Lafayette school and the
boy who supplied" the cat. The
youth said a rope was tied around the
animals neck, and while it was held
wire into vial of nicotine and rubbed
the wire on the cats tongue Kieth
declared the cat paved at its mouth
and then threw itself on its back,
kicked and lay still. Other children
said the cats "eyes bulged out"
Doctor Poland went OH the stand
in his own behalf. The defense at
tempted to show that the cat did not
suffer agony when it died, End tried
to show its death was humane and for
educational purposes.
Both sides completed testimony at
noon. This afternoon the Judge read
his instructions and attorneys argued
the case preliminary to its being given