The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-09

county attorney. and the results Of this
probe and like probe into the parole
system in vogue in Kansas win be out
lined to the public by Dreaming in a
series of addresses in Topeka and
other cities in the state.
Dreaming opened his campaign
against the present alleged ineffective
ness of methods employed in handling
criminals in an address before the To-
peka Industrial Council Wednesday
night Similar addresses will be made
a week from Sunday night at the West
Side Christian church and at the next
meeting of the Topeka Ministerial
Union. Before January 1, Dreaming
announces that citizens thruout Kan
sas will be formed into an orgaHiZa-
ton known as the Kansas Crime Com
mission. which Will be incorporated
under state laws. and have for its pur-
pose a program for the better con-
troll of crime, abolition of the parole
and fee system and a probe into the
records Of every county attorney in
the state.
Paroles by Wholesale.
Dreaming first calls attention to the
alleged wholesale paroles granted in
Kansas in 1918 He charges that in
the year 1918 forty men convicted of
first degree murder have been paroled
from state prison and thirty-five men
convicted of second degree murder
have been paroled.
Then he delves into the record of
Hugh T. Fisher. county attorney of
this county. He charges that from
March 7. 1918. until August 81, 1919,
fifty-nine liquor violators have plead
ed guilty and no further action has
been taken by Fisher than to collect
s967.90 in fees and to collect court
costs.
Dreaming charges that there were
no commitments issued, no sentences
passed and no paroles granted and de-
clares that the cases never went be-
fore the Shawnee county courts
Continuing, Dreaming charges that
forty-four other liquor violators have
pleaded guilty. havebeen sentenced and
Immediately paroled. These violators.
Dreaming claims. are among the worst
in Shawnee county.
Dreaming claims that his records
show that there were twenty-six addi-
tional liquor cases in which sentences
averaging forty days were served
Fisher Gets Big Fees.
Summarizing Fishers actions in
liquor cases during the period from
March Z. 1918, until August 81. 1919.
Dreaming claims that ii Fisher had in
sisted upon the assessing of the mimi
mum fines in these cases he would
have been able to turn $4,000 into
Shawnee county in fines in liquor
cases. Instead. according to Dren-
ming. Fisher has turned over $500 col
lected from liquor violators, and, ac-
cording to Dreaming. has collected
$2.196 in fees for himself in addition
to a salary of $4,000 a year paid him
by the county
These figures" said Dreaming. ARE
based upon court records copied by
me in the last few months"
Dreaming then declared that women
vfolators who under the law should
have been sent to the detention farm
have IN many instances served volun-
tary sentences of from ten to thirty
days in the county Jail and have been
paroled after Fisher received his fee,
so Dreaming says. He pointed to the
case of Bertha Mitchell where, he
claims. Fisher received a fee of SIS;
Grace Ewing where. he claims. Fisher
received a fee of $25; Mrs Carr
where, ne claims. Fisher received q
fee of $50: Beatrice Burns where he
Ida BrownelI where, he Gains. Fisher
received a fee of s25; Mrs. Dick Heit-
man where, he claims. Fisher received
a fee of SIS; Ella Buckner where, he
claims, Fisher received a fee of s25;
Maybelle Bridges here. he claims.
Bertha Beverly where he claims,
Fisher received a fee of s25.
Paroles Are Shown.
Next Dreaming pointed to tiShers
alleged practice of permitting the is
suance of promiscuous paroles. He
stated that - Fisher had committed
twenty men and women to state pris-
on and to the state reformatory and
that during the county attorneys ten
ure of office thirty eight men and wo-
men convicted of felonies had been
paroled. The felony charges in which
paroles were granted. according to
Dreaming, include four persistent vio-
lators: one arson case; seven bur-
glaries; one auto stealing; eight grand
larcenies; four forgeries, and one OBJ
money under false pretenses.
The seven others were wife desertion
ca ses where the husband is paroled
pending his good behavior.
Dreaming declared that there is too
much local influence under the pres
ent system of criminal prosecutions
in the state, too many green, I'M
and inefficient good
fellows" in the offices and that the
Kansas crime commission would en-
deavor to use influence to place GRIM
inal prosecutions directly under the
of high salaried attorneys
working under the attorney general.
The commission also will endeaTor to
get laws passed taking police power
away from local politics and esta blish-
ing a state constabulary similar to that
in vogue in Pennsylvania. and thus in
surfing property owners and other