Omaha daily bee., 1895-04-24
NEWS FROM COUNCIL BLUFFS
Interesting Session Of the United States
District Court About Closed.
MAwHoR CASE GOES OVER ONE TERM
Point Raised by a Juryman in Connection
with the Enthusiastic Prosecution
of Bootleggers During the
Present Session.

The session Of the United States district
court will probably close today. The prin-
cipal things left over for today is the SEN
fencing Of the Grswold bank robbers Wilson
and Smith. motion for new trial will
be made In the Edgngton fraudulent pension
case. II this is overruled sentence will be
pronounced on Edgington today.
The case Of c. S. Keenan, against the
Equitable Life Assurance society Of the
United States was to have been tried yester-
day but it goes over for another term. This
case is of considerable interest as 1t grows
out of the death Of Fannie Mawhor, whose
husband, William Mawhor, was indicted for
numbering her, but acquitted He assigned
to Keenan, a SO, 900 insurance policy on her
life and keenan, is suing the company. ii.
l.. Laird, administrator OF Mrs. Mawhors
estate has interviewed, and when the case
comes up 1t promises to be an interesting
one The company bases its refusal to pay
on the charge that the death was caused by
either suicide or murder, either OF which
would invalidate the policy. When Mawhor
was tried his defense was that his wife
committed suicide and the evidence put for
ward by him at that time will be introduced
by the attorneys for the company. Ihe post
ponement until next term was decided upon
in order that briefs covering the disputed
points OF law might be drawn up by both
sides
Det Divert Of Adams county was the last
| alleged bootlegger to be tried, and he was
| discharged on account Of lack OF evidence
| against him. Considerable interest has been
caused by the developments. in the boot
! Logging cases at this term, and the jurors
are among the loudest in their condemnation
| of the proceedings.
| WORK OF PROFESSIONAL INFORMERS.
As stated in The Bee a week ago, there
| have been a number of cases tried in which
| nOt slightest evidence
| the accused The marshal, all his deputies,
| the district attorney and the clerk OF the
| court have denied in warm language that
| they have ever hired any one to act as pro-
fessional informer in a whisky case, and
one of the deputy marshals even went sc
far as to threaten to offer $50 to any one
who would prove that he had done so
| Nevertheless, now that the term is so near
over and the Jurors feel free to talk, they
have no hesitancy in saying that all appear
| ances indicate that certain men are making
a business OF working up trade for the
| United States officials whether they are hret
| or not.
II have sat in the court room for nearly
three weeks" said one of these jurors yes
terday, level headed business man Of
western Iowa, land watched the trial O.
these cases pretty closely and have not
doubt in my own mind that the greater par
of the bootlegging cases are brought abou
by professional informers, who perhaps ge
no pay excepting the witness fees they re
ceive for testifying before the grand Jur!
and at the trials. But whether they &c
outside pay or not this sort of business Il
disgusting to men like myself, who hav
TO sit and watch it all the way though. l
an investigation were made | have no douo
that some interesting disclosures would b
turned up. Eighty jurors are hired at 5
a day to try these cases. many of which hav
not the slightest foundation"
The Offices of commissioner and clerk, mar
shal and district attorney are considered ia
-. ~, Na.I tn fhn nT
of which varies, of course, with the amour
| of business done. The commissionershi
pays, it is said. $1,000 a year, the marshal
ship about the same and the office of distrc
attorney perhaps $1,000 more.
STOOD UP FOR HIS REP.
William Matlock of Creston, who was on
of the principal witnesses in the case Of tn
United States against George Marshall, re
Gently acquitted on a charge Of bootleggint
wrote letter yesterday to Judge Woo
son stating that his reputation for veracit
had been assailed by some aftldavits whic
, he claimed had been signed by acquaintance
: in Creston and filed by the defendant, MAI
shall. His letter was accompanied by aft
dayits of the several men referred to, sta
] ing that any affidavits purporting to hay
+. been made by them impugning Matlock
!. reputation for truthfulness were false, fl
they had known him for several years. an
| knew his reputation to be good.
: Judge Woolson called upon Marshall's a
: torney, Colonel Daley, to tell what he kne
about it, saying that if any forged affidavi
had been used the court would put the ma
shall and his deputies at work making &
immediate investigation. Colonel Dale
stated that no such afHdavits had been us
by his client, and that the nearest thing
s it was an affidavit in which Marshall stat
that he expected to prove by means of Il
several gentlemen referred to that Matlo'
&c was a liar This explanation satisfied t
court and what looked like trouble for som