The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-07
RISEN FROM DEAD
J. BarleycOrn Returns Again In
MoOnshfne Form.
Local Liquor Prosecutions
Show Big Increase.
DIVORCE BIG FACTOR HERE
Forms 33 Per Cent Civil Cases
This Term Court.
There Are 154 Criminal Cases
ON January DOckets.

John Barleycorn is risen from the
dead in Shawnee county. Moro
over, his willing henchman, Domestic
Inharmony, stalks abroad in the land
leaving a trail of divorce, ruined
homes broken hearts and orphaned
children in his wake.
John, however, has returned in a
different form from that which for
merIy was familiar to the discerning
eye. Hurled long ago from his throne
as a perfectly legitimate beverage in
Shawnee county, he sneaked back IN
disguised as bootleg Then attacked
from Washington, he gave his dying
gasp and disappeared.
Now in Form of ''MOOnshine."
But now he is risen in the form of
''moonshine" and in. this element APP
pears to be more popular than he ever
was even as a legitimate citizen Rec
Ords indicate that more persons are
making whisky now than sold the
bootleg article before national pro
hibition became effective Probably
there are two reasons for this First,
the bottled in bond stuff can no
longer be obtained except at the most
prohibitive prices; second, there Is
good money in making and selling
good corn whisky-until one gets
caught.
BUT John and his willing henchman
are not WORKING hand in hand as they
did years ago. Apparently each one
is now. operating on his own hook
and only occasionally is a case found
where one renders the other any as
Sistance.
Of the 154 criminal cases appearing
for trial on the dockets of the district
court for the January term, which be-
gins Monday. eighty-one, or 3 per
cent, are liquor cases. It is a remark
able fact that whereas there were
only five county warrants issued on
liquor chdrges in Shawnee county dur
ing 1920, there We're 115 issued in
1921 This indicates two things. First
Illicit LIQUOR traffic has, taken, a ire
Ihendous boom during the last year;
second, that the county officers are
putting up d heroic fight to stamp it
T5tai Of 5$5 Civil Cases.
OF the 535 civil actions on the dock
cts and scheduled for trial during the
january term III, or SO per cent, are
divorce cases These cases were. car
ried over frcn1 1921 and exceed the
number Carried over to 1921 from
1920 by 81 cases. During 1921 there
were 416 divorce ca2ses filed. If the
breaking up of homes Keeps UP to
standard this year 1t will mean that a
total of 5S7 divorce cases viii appear
9ggs9sn e o'7'ii'' court Oo'Ae'S curing
VI the CIVIL cases ScneQule0 LOT the
January term, 2SS are jury cases. of
which 15] are in Judge George Whit
combs division and 129 in Judge
James McClure's division. The re-
naming PAT cases are to be heard by
the court alone and weEe- assigned
1856 to Judge Whitcomb and 112 to
Judge Mcclure.
But Judge McC1ure's court will also
handle the criminal work this term
and there are 154 cases, of which
twenty-five are appeals from the
lower courts. The defendants in the
criminal cases are charged as follows:
Murder. /; wife and child desertion.
G; Statutory crimes. against women,
5; perjury, /; burglary, 2; highway
robbery, 4; assault with attempt to
Kill, 4 obtaining money under false
ptetenses. /; larceny from a freight
car, 9; grand larceny, II; forgery, 8 /;
no fund checks, 5; bastardy, 1 EN-
pezzlement l; violation court of in
dustrial relations law, /: violating
cigaret law. l selling mortgaged prop
etty, /; unlawful possession and sale
- liquor, IS.
The offenses charged in appeals
from the lower courts are: unlawful
liduor possession, s; speeding, 8; keep
ing swine in city 2: petty larceny 4;
gambling, p soliciting, /; carrying
concealed wea pons, selling cigatets,
assault and battery, 1; interfering
With an officer, /.