The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-01
MATCHING OF WIT
How Shawnee Officers Wiring
Out Confessions.
Very Little "ROugh STUFF" Is
Practiced in Topeka.
COERCION is COMMON PLEA
Prisoners Before Bar Try To
Dodge Their Breakdown.
Various Methods Used To OBJ
tain Real Facts.
COERCION IS COMMON PLEA

Every session of the Shawnee coun-
ty criminal court brings to light
charges of unfair confessions obtained
by county officers from men facing
criminal prosecution. The words
coercion, third degree, bullying,
threatening and unfair promises" are
stock expressions in the mouths of
Topekas criminal lawyers.
Usually these charges follow the in
PRODUCTION of confessions by the men
on trial, which. in themselves, make
the prisoners guilty The American
law, unlike the English law, gives the
man on trial every opportunity to
ITCHY in permitting the refutatfon of
confessions, providing it can be proven
these signed confessions were obtained
by threats, coercion or by other of the
mysterious third degree methods.
1t has been proven in courts that
certain metropolitan police depart
ments practice actual physical vio-
lence and bread and water for un-
limited periods of time in wringing
confessions from accused criminals
In the Fred BisselI case a limited diet
and the action of officials in smoking
cigarets in the presence of Bissell,
cigaret fiend, and refusing to give him
anything to smoke, ELECTED from him
a confession which has placed him in
state prison for life.
Matching of Wits.
Ordinarily, the mystic third degree
practiced in Topeka is the matching
of wits with the accused man. Hugh
Larimer. sheriff. and Bob Miller, un-
dersheriff, probably work the modern
third degree more cleverly than any
police officials in the city.
The officers waste little time in
dealing with men of high mentality.
Such fellows realize that they are not
obliged to talk and that ordinarily the
best time to tell their story to the
public is in the court room.
But criminals as a rule aren't
weighted down with brains, and are
usually young men, who can be
reached in a short time. For instance:
Soldier Boys Stories.
Two soldier boys were arrested for
robbingsa taxicab driver. Both proved
sul1en and refused to listen to the in
ducemepts of "the easiest way which
the sheriff and his undersheriff held
out to be the way of straight forward
story. And. ordinarily. police officers
do sees that the man who talks and
clears up matters does get the best of
the deal The men were interviewed
separately.
.'Oh, hell, Hugh" said Miller, I'm
not going to waste any more time
with this fellow. He's a plain liar, and
1 hate liar. I'm going to take him
over and slam him in. He's smart
now. Wen see if he'll be as smart
after he's in jail two or three months"
The man began to display some in
terest.
Come on" ordered Miller
This boy isn't fool" said Lari-
mer. He isn't a bad boy. either.
Probably he didn't know what he was
doing. Let me talk to him alone"
"A11 right" replied Miller. Hes
nothing but q crook and you're vast
ing your time on him." and Miller
walked out of the room.
after Miller left the room. Il don't
know just how you feel. You're
is our business to arrest you. Yet,
we're human and want to do what's
right. It'll be a lot easier if you tell
US all about it."
Conversation IL this vein continued
for half an hour and then the boy told
it all and the sheriff. true to his word.
did the best he could for the lad.
Later. the lawyer comes into the case
and endeavors to get the boys off with
no sentence at all. Hence, the con-
stant hue and cry about the third de-
gree and its mysteries. This is a fair
example of the degree as invoked in
Topeka. Sometimes they get hard
boiled, so to speak, and then it is a
different story.