The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-07
ACCUSE SHERIFF
OF COERCION in J
REICHLEY TRIAL
Lawyer Says Larimer Has TAX
en- Witness ssUnder Wing
Rooney Says He Dragged Boy
to Office and Locked Him Up.
NO CLUB WOMEN At TRIAL
Sheriff on Stand Pells of His
Sensational Raid.
Hotel Proprietor Described as
Small Town Man.
NO CLUB WOMEN At TRIAL
Sheriff on Stand Pells of Hi
Sensational Raid.

COERCION OF Inc SnoTlIk AOICC Ia
getting the two principal prosecuting
witnesses to change their testimony
after the preliminary and ignorance
on the part of A. H. Reichley, former
proprietor of the Roam hotel. of acts
OF misconduct carried on there. Will
be shown in testimony presented by
the defense. Such was statement
made by Ed Rooney, one of Reichleys
attorneys, to a jury in Judge George
H whitcomb's division of the dis
trict court. Reichley is charged with
running an immoral house.
Edna Wilson, Josephine Ha mm, Min
ME Friend and Hattie Michaels, girls
whom Frank Tucker, bell hop, and
William Flynn, night clerk, admitted
had been hustled from one mans
| room TO another by them were poor
W orking girls employed as Mattresses
II the restaurant formerly operated
i by Mrs. Annie Trap, Rooney de-
clared. This restaurant, he explained,
adjoined the hotel lobby and was con-
nected with it by a doorway and the
| girls roomed at the hotel.
| Elva Paine, another girl. stayed at
the hotel, Rooney admitted. Yet. her
misconduct, he declared, was unknown
to the Reichleys and while she lived
there her little daughter occupied a
room with her. Irene Cation, another
girl, was unknown to the proprietors.
the same as many other roomers,s who
registered there, Rooney declared.
while Alberta Goodrich, the girl who
went to Sheriff Hugh Larimer's room.
also was unknown to the proprietors-
Sheriff Locked Up Witness.
| I'VE will show that Frank Tucker,
the bell hop, swore under oath at the
preliminary hearing that Flynn told
him to keep this business away from
the boss and Reichley knew nothing
of it," said Rooney. We will further
Oh ~, 10 Id
iff Hugh Larimer dragged the lad al
most by his neck down to his office
and kept him locked up there for two
| hours
Since that time we will Introduce
testimony to show that Frank Tucker,
the bell hop, has been under Larimer's
protecting wing. We will show that
Larimer has obtained jobs for him
and is looking after him. We also
will introduce testimony given by
Flynn, the night clerk, at the prelfrh-
mary in which he denied Reichley's
implicitly in the deal"
Rooney also promised that testi-
I mony would be introduced showing
that the room to which Katie Hender-
son, the Beloit girl, said she was first
! assigned and where she claimed
Reichley made improper advances to
her was the same room occupied by
Reichley and his wife.
| Rooney described Reichley and his
wife as people coming from the small
| town of Ho.ton to Topeka, who did
not know the reputation of the girls
| who stayed in the house, and were
not familiar with their devilish ways
| Rooney stated it would be shown that
Reichley and his wife acted as day
clerks and that in addition Reichley
was Shawnee county agent for the
Oldsmobile and was a real estate man
and was out of the city for weeks at a
| time. E
Hungate Reads transcripts.
Following Rooney's statement, Otis
Hungate, another Reichley attorney
went on the stand and read transcripts
of statements from the preliminary
hearing of Flynn and Tucker to prove
Rooney's allegations.
At the present trial Flynn claimed
he had told Reichley about the girls
running thru the house, and warned
him things were going too far
Rsichley replied. so Flynn testified
that he had "protection from the
mayor and chief of police" and told
! Flynn to go on the same as before.
Tucker also testified that Reichley
had told him to be careful in run
ming girls thru the hall" He also
testified that Reichley closeted himself
one day in a room with one of the
girls and told him to watch the office
while he was up in the room. IS
4 The West side club women who at.
tended the preliminary Cnd who
Hungate stated might attend the tria.
again to influence the jury by theil
presence were absent today. Mem.
bers of the prosecution stated Mon.
day afternoon they wished the womer
would stay away and Hungate, of the
defense, doesn't want them present
either, so he has stated.
Larimer ON Stand.
1 Sheriff Hugh Larimer again told tn,
story of his sensational raid of tn,
house when he registered under an as
sumed name and sent for a girl ant
the subsequent arrest of Reichley
Reichley, Larimer stated, had beer
warned before to clean house." Lari
mer testified that the women VIII,
roomed there who had been namet
bore bad regulations as did Sergean
Sturm of the police department Os
car Larson, an employe at the SAINT.
Fe general offices, who roomed at TIN
hotel. testified that Reichley one
told him he had a girl for him il
H." Larson also testified that Reich
ley approached him Monday night ant
told him he'd better be careful wlla
he told