The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-03-01
A BOOK OF FILTH
SalaciOus Pamphlet Circulated
in Schools of Kansas.
Officials Think "Apple Bios
SONS" at RootOf immortality.
MAY ORDER GENERAL PROBE
Attorney Generals Office Con-
sidering Launching Crusade.
Book Deals With Sex Affairs in
Crane Street Tongue.
MAY ORDER GENERAL PROBE

The attorney generals office may
have discovered one of the reasons for
the numerous demands for admittance
of young girls to the state industrial
school at Beloit and the farm for wo-
men at Lansing. Apple Blossoms" a
a pamphlet by an anonymous author
and dealing with sex affairs in the
language Of the underworld, is being
circulated among school children in
several towns in the state. In an eff
fort to block circulation of the book
let, crusade may be-launched against
railroad news butchers and book
stores where care is not shown in Sc
lection of literature.
May Make General Probe.
That general investigation may be
made by the state as to literature cir
culated among school children was in
dicated today in the state house. "Ap-
pie Blossoms" deals wholly with sex
ual affairs, but without the finish and
polish of many offerings which have
been severely criticised and Con-
demned. Instead of display OF writ
ing ability. the unknown author tells
his lewd stories in the vernacular Of
Crane street police character. Its APP
peal is to the child mind. the ignorant
and the unthinking.
Evidence that many copies of ZAP
pie Blossoms" are in the hands of
children has been secured ty Maurice
Mcneil, an assistant attorney general.
Mcneil is now investigating reports
from several towns where the book is
said to have been freely distributed.
Several complaints regarding the
book have come to the attorney gem
erals office from Oswego, 1abette
county. "Repulsive as IT will be. !"
wrote Rev. Harry S. Wise. you will
need to read it to get true apprecia-
ton of the pernicious influence it VIII
inevitably leave in the minds of chill
dren in community where it is cir
culated and read"
a janitor in the Rev. Mr.. Wise's
church found a copy of the edition
buried under a pile of leaves. The
! book had apparently been hidden by
children in the public schools. >*>
Circulated in Schools
a teacher in the eighth grade,
continued the minister, found the
punished three boys who, 1t seems,
/ would not divu1ge the source of their
possession Of it. The superintendent
of schools also knew of its circulation
I IN the high school but, SO far as l
know. was never able TO trace il TO its
country testified to me that his chill
dren had read it and that the chill
dren of a neigbbor had also.
! Last November woman told Mrs.
Wise that her daughter had beeh
urged to read the book which was
/ being circulated in the schools. on
February this mother visited me
here and repeated that statement and
said in addition that last summer her
daughter had read page of the book
! in an onion field where many young
| and old people are employed. She
gave me the name of another girl who
! had given her daughter the page.
! This mother said that when her
daughter confessed the book was be
ing urged upon school children, this
! woman went to a neighbor and told
| her of that fact. Sitting in a room
was the married daughter of this
neghbor who said that a week or sc
previously. she had caught her hus-
band reading the book and that he
| confessed he had bought II of bust
ness man here in town.
has Had a Large Sale.
It Is reported that in several towns
! the book has had large sale state
action isl being aroused thru reports
that reading of the pamphlet is being
strongly urged upon many boys and
girls in the grade schools. 4 copy Of
1.-THE booklet is now in McNeil's pos
Eaccinn