The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-10
STATE RESTS
(Continued from PAGE oneo

did not know of the old statute until
his attention was called to it by s. L.
Lashbrook. police judge, in the latter
part of March, 1922. He said he had
very recently, and that Ralph T.
O'Neil, city attorney, had advised him
he didn't think it applied to Topeka
The mayor was recalled for further
cross-examination this morning, DuI
would not say definitely whether he
had ever reported the Robinson,
Chase, Cardwell, Martin or Price cases
to the city attorney.
Tell me what your policy was in
regard to officers reporting to you
about any irregularities in the police
department. Did you invite them to
make such reports to you?
mo, sir, not as a general PROPOSE
ton"
want to hear about their little quar-
rels and complaints-isn't that true?"
THAT is true to a great extent"
''In other words, the reports were
supposed to come from the men to the
lieutenants, and from them to the
captain and from him to the chief and
from the chief to you"
You might say that 1t true"
Now, after your attention was di-
rected to the Blitz system, did you in
the bond proposition p"
"I don't know that did person
ally,
Sally and Olson case to you, did you
instruct the city attorney to prosecute
that case?"
ct think I discussed it with him.
along with several others. 1 don't re-
call whether I gave him any instrlic-
tions about that case specifically"
did you investigate to find out If
the bonds were ever forfeited or col
lected on the Clay street house?"
'I did not"
BIitz System mot ColalnendabIe.'
did you know that there were
bonds at your police station signed in
blank by BIitz?"
mot at that time. no sir"
Did you know that the police car
drivers were permitted to take BIitz
and the defendants to their homes in
order that he might collect the bond
money!"
That information came to me only
recently
DO you know now that the BIitz
system was a corrupt system ?"
1T certainly was not a very COM
mendable situation"
iii ask you. mayor, If just before
your last election you didn't state to
Marvin Burge, then a policeman, when
he made complaint to you about the
Payne taxicabs speeding, that he was
to lay off the Payne drivers. because
Hodgins and Merriam were connected
with that company. and you needed
them politically"
No sir, did not"
Immediately thereafter Griffith die
tated into the record an offer to prove
this allegation by Burge. He attempt
edgto Introduce the evidence Saturday
afternoon, but it was ruled out as be-
ing too remote, having been alleged to
occur under the mayors first term.
Following the mayors testimony
Saturday afternoon. his attorneys
called to the stand Mrs. Clara Walton,
saleswoman, mother of the young
Manhattan after it is claimed W. c.
Kelly, former chief of detectives, ap-
propriated small sum of money
turned over to him to be sent to Ohio
there.
A Lengthy Argument.
Strenuous objection to her testi-
mony by C. B. Griffith. assistant at
torney general, preoipitated one of
the lengthiest arguments during the
trial. Col. Clad Hamilton argued that
''the learned attorney general has
gone out and dragged into this court
the very dregS of human society to
prove these charges against the
mayor" and that he now believed the
defense had a right to place on the
stand lone witness, who. thank God,
is above impeachment
Griffith argued that the only pur-
pose IN Gaming MIS- walton was TO
impeach Kiely. He admitted that the
''dregs of human society had been
in court and added:
Il want to say further that of the
thirty-two courts in this state in
which have appeared as prosecutor.
have been openly criticised in six of
them because we have failed to clean
up Topeka"
Mrs Walton was permitted to tes-
tify to a conversation with the mayor.
in which she said she laid the Kelly
case before him. She said Kiely told
her he had placed the currency in the
envelope and sent it on to Ohio.
Kelly had testified that he sent his
personal check for the amount Kiely
was one of the star witnesses against