The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-04


Commissioners Wasson and Stanfield
agreed with Commissioner McGiffert.
Commissioner Hancock was not pres
ent.
THE doors are not locked here
Judge MacFar!and said. THE chief of
police could have been here. He
knows what is happening. He knows
what L think about it, 1t was finally
agreed that Alba should be heard.
In opening his demand that an in
vestigation be made, Judge MacFar-
land said:
Alba n Valuable Man.
"I am not here as a counsel for and
not as a friend of Augustin Alba, but
as an admirer of Alba. I think with
out doubt Alba. is the most valuable
maR-in the police department and the
only man who has the nerve to go
out single handed and bring in a bad
man when he can get him. Records
sshow< that wherever there's a dirty
Job to be done and a bad man to get
Alba is the man who gets the job.
Charges have been made pro and
con-" Judge Mcfarland continued.
For two years 1 have watched this
Alba affair smoke. For sixteen years
Alba has been a help to the police de-
partment. In the last ten years, time
and again Alba has been charged with
ant and crooked Mexicans. At no
time were the charges sustained.
offer to duplicate every Mexican af-
fair charged against Alba in extort-
ing money, with one dollar if the
charges can be proved with affidavits.
Many Attempts to Get Rid of Alba.
This is not the first time they have
tried to get rid of Alba. At the be-
ginning of the administration Alba
had his things packed ready to go.
The plan was to get rid of Alba. An
other Mexican was chosen to take MS
place. The newspapers and taxpayers
made such a roar about it that moth
| ing was done.
1.-The excuse now to get rid of Alba
| is a lame one. What citizen cares II
| Alba asked the chief whether he
might make the raid or not? Alba
raids the place, brings in the goods.
the chief turns back the goods, the
family at the raided house became
drunk, riot call was issued and
Frank Summers was sent to quell the
disturbance"
| Many Questions Asked.
| After Alba began his story, ques-
ltioned frequently by Judge MacFar-
Hand. Mayor Corwine was heard to
whisper to Commiss' oner McGiffert:
Bob, do you think this is fair!
| "Why not?" answered McGiffert-
| This is only one side of the case,
| the mayor said.
well, can't anyone be heard mere =
McGiffert replied.
Tells of Theft of Sugar.
| One part of Alba's story to which
listeners were most intently attracted
concerned the sugar theft from the
Santa Fe railroad and what became OF
a part of the sugar. Alba said he did
not know whether the sugar was
stolen or bought, but that Chief of Po-
lice, Hannah had received a sack oi
the sugar as a Christmas present last
year.
There were two robberies of sugar
from the Santa Fe railroad" Alba
said, with an effort to make himself
understood plainly. Some one tool
thirty-two or thirty four sacks of su
gar from a car. Two fellows con-
fessed they had sold the sugar
Cockey Robinson testified that he ha6
bought the sugar. Five or six day:
Ed Wright went to the police station
in an automobile with a sack of th'
sugar as a present for the chief. H,
was not at the station and they tool
the sugar to his house. I do not know
whether the sugar was stolen or not
Is Place Protected?
sis Cockey Robinson's place pro
tected by police?" Judge -MacFarlant
asked.
Il have tried to get the police t,
raid the place." Alba said. robin
son keeps a wide open place at 10l
Kansas avenue. 1t is wide open,
gambling and bootlegging place I wa
refused the authority to raid the plac,
and the police refused to Investigate
it. After that 1 never tried to get
warrant"
He Tells of Raid.
. Tell about your last raid, TO
which Chief Hannah tried to dismis
you" Judge MacFarland told him.
'I got the warrant for 'Mooch
l Dagan, SIS Sardou. / went and spok
: to Lieutenant Summers. Summer
: said to go and take Bunday and LONG
l The chief was not there and / wen
: back to Summers. Better go along