The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-06
"XOu Are Lower Than Snake"
Meagher Filings at Hannah.
Statement Followed Family In
cident Related by Chief.
BLACK HAND LETTER is SHOWN
Hannah Given Five Days to
Live Unless He Resigns.
More Developments in Police
Investigation Today.


"Chief, you are the dirtiest man I
ever ran across. You are lower than
a snake"
With intense bitterness those words
were addressed to George G. Hannah,
suspended chief of police. by Patrol
man William Meagher on the witness
stand in the city commissions investi-
CATION of the police department this
morning.
The scathing announcement of the
chief was uttered with the patrolHan
looking squarely at the chief, the two
men not more than three feet apart
1t followed the chiefs detailed dis
closure of intimate charges concerning
the patrolman's daughter, which Han
nan was attempting to show had given
Meagher a motive for testifying that
Patrolman Jess Hill had been 1ntoXl-
Gated while on duty. Meagher was
entirely self controlled, tho his eyes
Were full of tears. while the alleged
revelations were made by the chief.
The daughter, now away from To-
peka, has been the cause of much
suffering for her father
And you say all of this, chief, when
you know that 1 would rather have
taken off my star and gwen up my job,
rather than expose those married men
yesterday" Meagher said. His refer
ence to married men" was to the
three policemen he testified he had
seen intoxicate while on duty.
An involved controversy among the
chief, Hugh MacFarland, resigned
police judge, City Attorney Branaman.
and various witnesses with Meagher
finally summoned, over the actual
date of the night on which Meagher
testified he had seen the three police.
men intoxicated, had preceded the
chiefs disclosures. The episode of the
drunken men, as told by Meagher, is
sad to have happened after the shoot
ing of Sheriff Larimer. which was on
February IS, 1919. Meagher said to-
day he was not sure of exactly what
n 'ght it was that he saw the three
men.
You are testifying as to what you
believe to be true?' City Attorney
Branaman had asked Meagher
Il am testifying to what KNOW
TO be true" Meagher said spiritedly.
Bring Drunk Charges.
Jesse Hill, patrolman and Maurice
Leonard. captain of the police force,
who were charged yesterday by
Meagher with drunk while on
duty, were put on the stand by the
chief and denied Meagher's charges.
Hill said that he had been in the
Emergency hospital, Thirteenth and
Quincy streets, from February 2 to
Z and produced statements from the
state board of health and from his
physician, DR.. A. b. Jeffrey, that he
had been ill at that time. Leonard
said that he had been ill at home on
the Sunday night he understood it
charged that he had been intoxicated.
Testimony followed, introduced by
Meagher. that the night of the alleged
drunkenness of the police officers was
not exact, ! ut that Meagher was posi-
tive he had seen the three men in
such condition. .
Visit to Mayors Office.
Not the least interesting of
Meagher's testimony was to the effect
that he had been taken to the office
of Mayor Corwine during the time of
the case of the city versus M. NJ. Bow
man. merchant policeman, and told
that he would get along better and
hold his job better if he would stand
by the department" in the case.
Meagher's testimony also told how
the mayor is alleged to have said that
Bowman had no business to go bull
doing around the police station"
Chief Gets "Black- Hand"
One of the sensations of the morn
ing was when Hannah produced an
anonymous letter to himself. When
it was suggested that the hearing be
postponed until Friday afternoon, the
chief protested, saying:
THAT may be all right for you
gentlemen, but L may not be alive at
that time
He showed a strange appearing let
ter, made up of printed letters cut
from a newspaper and pasted on a
filthy scrap of paper.
This was brought to me by the
police station regular letter carrier
He told me he picked it up on lower
Monroe or Madison"
The letter is reproduced on this
page of The State Journal.
Letter From ''Alba's District"
"I am not afraid of that letter." the
chief said. Il am positive l know the
origin of it. 1t was written down in
Albas district. but L don't know
whether 1 can prove it or not
MacFarland introduced several wit
nesses tending to show that Augustin
Alba had not taken money from Mexi-
cans in protecting them from the po-
lice He prefaced his summoning OF
witnesses by demand to the mayor
that the mayor show a letter written
to the city commission by officials OF
the Santa Fe railroad commencing
Alba's work as a detective.
Il have the letter." said the mayor
sT will be glad to show it, 1t was
addressed to the mayor of Topeka"
The mayor did not produce ths
letter.
fare worker who is in the pay of the
CITY police department, and who ha'
worked with Alba in many Mexican
cases. said that not to her knowledge
had Alba ever extorted money from
Mexicans-
Petition for Alba.
One of the strongest witnesses We
,,rod1ced for Alba was Thomas Hors
field. 2S5 Harrison street. who con
ducts a business at 200 Kansas ave