J. M. TUCKER.

                                                            Arkansas City.

                                                      TUCKER IN SMASH

                                         J. M. Tucker is again in the limelight.

Arkansas City Traveler, August 18, 1921.

This time Tucker breaks into the news, with a motor car accident, which occurred yesterday afternoon on South Summit street. According to all the information that can be gained, Tucker, who was driving a Briscoe motor car in which there were several other occupants, was racing a Ford, which it is alleged was driven by a local groceryman.

During the course of the fast driving, it is said that the Briscoe swerved, struck the Ford, and then hit the curbing, smashing the Briscoe. The front wheels were badly smashed, the frame was bent, and the fender on the left side of the machine was torn off.

Following the accident several passing motorists saw the occupants of the motor car sitting along the curbing laughing over the accident. As far as could be learned today, no one was hurt in the accident.

                                            J. M. TUCKER IN BAD AGAIN

                                            Difficulty At Home With His Wife.

Arkansas City Traveler, August 20, 1921.

J. M. Tucker, Arkansas City's regular rebellionist, rebelled again last night, and today he is lounging at the "parlor" just off the police court, in the city hall. Dizzy headed, from a slight tap from an automatic revolver, Tucker is still attempting to figure out what all the ruckus is about.

Tucker, according to the allegations made by officers last night, got drunk. In the course of giving vent to his corned spirits, Tucker playfully got into a fracas with his better half when neighbors called the police, claiming that Tucker was beating his wife.

Officers Harris and Chadwell answered the call; and upon sighting the officers, Tucker took to flight, making haste down an alley. The officers commanded a halt, but Tucker was breaking records and did not heed the call. He circled his home in the 900 block North Summit street and the officers again called a halt. This time Officer Harris was close enough that he could use his "sap."  Whiff — and Tucker smiled.

Then came the jolt from the .45 gun and Tucker was calm enough to go into the police car and head for the station, with Harris driving and Chadwell watching carefully the actions of the accused.

According to the statement made by the officers last night, Tucker thrice stuck his gleaming face close to Officer Harris and made several insulting remarks, only to be jerked forcibly back in the rear of the car.

Tucker this morning lounged. Having created somewhat of a furor in his neighborhood, and still being somewhat hazy as to the actual happenings of the evening, he was inquisitive as to the cause of his being confined in the city stronghold.

The charges as enumerated against Tucker were: Drunk. - Beating wife. - Resisting arrest. - Threatening to kill Officer Harris. - Disturbing peace of neighbors.

He will be tried on these charges later, the officers stated today.


Tucker was out under three different bonds at the time he was arrested last night. He was a prominent figure in the local state courts several weeks ago; and the three charges against him aside from the case now pending in the city court, are threaten­ing S. A. McDaniel, assaulting Policeman Bert Harris with a knife, and handling liquor. The three bonds amount to $2,700 and are divided as follows:  On the first case $1,500; the second $500; and the third $700. The liquor case was appealed to the district court; and in each of the others, he was bound over for trial in the district court. For several weeks after his alleged spree of some weeks ago, he was compelled to remain in the county jail; and at that time the bonds which he was placed under amounted to over $4,000. His attorney, H. S. Hines, went before the state supreme court on a writ of habeas corpus and succeeded in having the bonds reduced to the amounts stated above.

Late this afternoon H. S. Hines, the attorney for Tucker, while in conference with County Attorney Ellis Fink, agreed to turn the prisoner over to the county authorities and have the bonds in the several cases canceled. Therefore, Tucker will be compelled to remain in the county jail until his cases are called in the district court. Attorney Hines said he would not be responsible for the many any longer as he had failed to follow his instructions as his lawyer in the cases described above.

                                                TUCKER IN COUNTY JAIL

Arkansas City Traveler, August 22, 1921.

Jimmie Tucker now languishes once more.

He is in the county jail at Winfield again, this time there being two additional charges placed against him in the state court. Now he has in all, five criminal cases brought by the State of Kansas in his name, and he will be compelled to remain in the county jail for some time, or until the next session of the district court.

Tucker was arrested by the police last Friday night on the charge of disturbing the peace, and he was placed in the city jail at that time. Later he was turned over to the county authorities as the bondsmen and his attorney, on the three charges filed against him some weeks ago, refuse to be responsi­ble longer.

The former charges constitute assault on Policeman Harris, threatening S. A. McDaniel, and handling liquor.

Now he has two more charges, they being filed by County Attorney Ellis Fink in the court of J. W. Martin, late Saturday afternoon. One is for assault upon L. D. Kuhns, who attempted to stop the defendant from abusing his wife last Friday night. The second is on the charge of disturbing the peace of H. H. Hamilton and family on the same night.

He was committed to jail on these new cases as well as on the former cases pending against him. He will be given a prelim­inary hearing on the latter-named charges in the near future, the officers state. Deputy Sheriff Fred Eaton took Tucker to Winfield late Saturday night.

                                            TUCKER APPEAL DISMISSED

Arkansas City Traveler, September 6, 1921.


H. S. Hines, attorney for J. M. Tucker, in the several state cases against Tucker, who is now in the county jail at Winfield, stated today that in the case against his client, in the matter of handling liquor in this city and in which a convic­tion was had some time ago, the matter of an appeal to the state supreme court had been dismissed. Tucker is now serving time on the charge, and a commitment has been issued in this case. The fine in this particular case was $100 and the jail sentence is 30 days. After the dismissal of the appeal, the case was remanded to Judge G. H. McIntire's court of this city; and he passed the sentence on the defendant, as the case was tried before him in the first place.

The other two criminal cases now pending against Tucker, and in which he was bound over for trial in the district court at Winfield, are set for trial on September 15, according to Attor­ney Hines.

                                                 FORFEITS PEACE BOND

Arkansas City Traveler, November 12, 1921.

J. M. Tucker was taken in custody last evening by Undersher­iff Don Goldsmith, on complaint turned in to the county sheriff by Mayor Hunt. Tucker was on the street late yesterday afternoon in a drunken condition, according to reports from the officer. A gun belonging to him had been left in Attorney Hines' office. He went to the office and got the gun in Hines' absence, it is said, and later put in his appearance around the city hall, where his actions were observed by the mayor, who immediately phoned the sheriff. However, it is stated he was not flourishing any weapons at the time.

Tucker has been in the toils of the district court for some time, on three different charges:  first, on a threat on Judge Swarts' life; then on a charge of selling liquor; and also threatening the life of witnesses in the liquor case.

Attorney Hines had got him out of his difficulty, by an agreement between Tucker and his attorney with the county attor­ney, whereby Tucker was released from jail on a peace bond, which was originally $4,000; but which Attorney Hines had succeeded in having reduced to $1,500, and with the agreement that Tucker was to leave the state within ten days.

This ten-day period had lapsed and Tucker was advised by his attorney that he had better get out of the coun­try. By getting drunk he knocked down the whole structure, forfeiting his liberty and razing to the ground all the work of his attorney. His bond will now revert back to $4,000, which it is said he will not be able to raise.

Attorney Hines has notified Tucker that he will not defend him further.

                                                  IN AGAIN—OUT AGAIN

                          Was Getting Illuminated and was Brought Back to Jail.

Arkansas City Traveler, November 14, 1921.

Cowley County jail last night was again the place of repose of J. M. Tucker, of certain wild escapades. He had been getting illuminated with his home brew, it was said, and was taken up for safe keeping.

A few weeks ago Tucker was fined $250 on a charge of assault on a policeman; and $100 on a liquor charge. He paid these fines and the costs in two other cases pending against him, one for assault and one for disturbance of the peace. He was also required to leave the state. It appears that he was getting ready to move to Oklahoma, and that he put on the illumination as a celebration.

This morning he was sober and was let go back to Arkansas City to finish going away. He is to be away by Monday morning under the terms of the protocol.—Courier.


Local officers say that Tucker was released in Winfield Saturday with the understanding that he was to have his goods packed and leave the city not later than this morning. He has rented a farm near Red Rock, Oklahoma, and will raise hogs there, it is said by some of his friends.

Attorney Hines says he has nothing whatever to do with the Tucker matter at this stage of the proceedings.

                                               TUCKER BADLY INJURED

Arkansas City Traveler, November 26, 1921.

It was learned this morning that Jim Tucker, who is under orders to stay out of the county and the state, is at 1007 North Summit street in bad physical condition, where he was brought Thursday evening. According to the report, he was found near Ponca City, lying unconscious in the road beside his car, which was in the ditch.

According to the report, his head was crushed, one arm and some ribs broken, and both he and the car were badly used up. It is understood the county attorney will not take any action at present, owing to the man's physical condition.

Tucker has had a checkered career in this county. The immediate cause of his present condition is attributed to intoxi­cating liquors, according to reports received here.

                                           JIM TICKER ARRESTED

Arkansas City Traveler, April 12, 1922.

J. M. Tucker, alias "Jimmie" Tucker, is again in the toils of the law, this time on the charge of being drunk and driving an auto while he was in a drunken condi­tion. Jim Tucker was in the city jail this morning and Chief Peek, of the city police force, called the county attorney at Winfield over the phone and noti­fied him of the arrest. County Attorney Fink stated to the local officer that he would secure an order from the district court to have Tucker taken into custody by the court officials on the former charges, of which he was convicted several months ago.

The city officers were called last night to get Tucker and they found him on South B street with his car after he had run into a car in which C. J. Lucas and Irl Beach were riding; and in the collision, the Lucas car was badly damaged it was reported to the police. Tucker was then landed in jail to sober up.

Tucker, it will be remembered by the readers of the

Travel­er, was convicted in the district court some time ago, on several criminal charges, and he was placed on parole with the under­standing that he was to leave this state and remain out of Cowley County and out of the state.

Tucker rented a farm in Oklahoma near Red Rock and moved there. Shortly after that time, however, he returned to the city and has been living at his property on North Summit street most of the time since.

Chief Peek now is determined to have him handled by the state officers and the district court at Winfield, and wants him put where he cannot create so many disturbances and where he will not have the opportunity to injure or threaten the officers and other citizens in Arkansas City, as he has done on several different occasions in the past few months.

Arkansas City Traveler, April 12, 1922.


J. M. Tucker was arraigned in the state court of J. W. Martin here this afternoon on the charge of driving an auto while he was in a drunken condition. He was not taken to Winfield as the district court judge refused to grant an order to take him there on violation of his parole, it was stated this afternoon. Tucker will also be fined in the city court, it is said. He was arrested by the police last night.

Arkansas City Traveler, April 13, 1922.

Jim Tucker, who was arraigned in the state court here yesterday afternoon on the charge of driving an auto while he was in a drunken condition, had failed up to noon today to make a bond in the sum of $500 for appearance in court. The case is set for hearing tomorrow before Judge J. W. Martin. Tucker was fined the sum of $100 yesterday morning in the city court on the same charge and was committed to jail.

Arkansas City Traveler, April 14, 1922.

Jim Tucker was arraigned in the state court of J. W. Martin this morning on the charge of driving a car while he was in a drunken condition. He was represented by Jesse Shackelton, of Winfield, who later signed the bond for Tucker for $500. Tucker was found guilty and sentenced to serve 90 days in the county jail. He appealed the case. He is now out again and will appear in the district court at the next regular term. When the Tucker case came up Wednesday, H. S. Hines appeared for him and asked to have the case continued. Hines did not appear in court in the case today, however.

Tucker was tried and found guilty. He had as witnesses against him Police Judge Brown, who testified that Tucker entered a plea of guilty to the same charge in his court and was fined the sum of $100 and committed to jail. C. J. Lucas and Irl Beach were also witnesses, as Tucker ran into their car on the eventful night he is alleged to have been drunk. Shackelton, who appeared for the defendant, gave notice of appeal in the action and fixed up the bond immediately after the trial was ended.

Arkansas City Traveler, April 15, 1922.

City Officers received several calls last night, which proved to be "water hauls." One of the calls was to the effect that J. M. Tucker was drunk and was raising a disturbance at his home on North Summit street. The officers answered the call and reported that the man was gone when they reached the scene.

Arkansas City Traveler, May 9, 1922.

Lulu Adams was arrested on complaint of J. M. Tucker yesterday on a charge of disturbing the peace. She gave bond in the sum of $50.00 to appear in police court at 5 o'clock this evening.

NOTE:  ABOUT THIS TIME THE TRAVELER BEGAN A COLUMN CALLED "Howdy Judge" WHICH HANDLED POLICE COURT ITEMS IN ARKANSAS CITY.

Arkansas City Traveler, May 10, 1922.

A case in police court last evening was the means which prompted a suggestion on the part of the city attorney, L. C. Brown, that will probably be put into effect at once. That is when a complaint is filed and the prosecuting witness fails to appear, he should be taxed the costs of the case.

In the case which came up last evening, J. M. Tucker, who has figured much in our courts, filed a complaint against Lulu Adams, alleging that she had disturbed his peace. According to the statement made by Mrs. Adams, he had made this complaint because he thought she had turned him in to the officers, which charge she denied.


There has lately been a number of cases where the prosecut­ing witness has failed to appear. Such cases necessarily have to be dismissed, nothing is accomplished, and the city put to extra expense. The city attorney's recommendation was to correct this abuse and save the city some money.