The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1895-05-12
YELLOW DETECTIVE WORK.
PIE-EATINo PETE OF CALiFOR-
MA AND HIS BOTCH JOB.
THORN AND SEELEY EXONERATED
nv Judge Lawrence, Who. After summing
Up the Evidence IN the Case, Finds
Nothing Against Them-Louise No
land aud Midget stewart fright
cned Into Telling highly col
ored stories In the Matter

In Judge Lawrence's court yester-
day the preliminary examination of
W II. Thorn and O. C. Seelcy charged
with being implicated in the Ledger
murder. was closed After "a mastery
summing up of the case, the court held
that there was not an iota Of evidence
to hold the defendants, and they were
discharged After the finishing Of the
evidence, able arguments were made
10y Judge George Green aud j. y. Mer-
rick, representing the defense, aud at
torney Harris Huston for the state.
IldVe Lawrence reviewed the case at
great length and held that the defend
ants were held solely on the testimony
of Midget Stewart and Louise NolaHd,
TWO colored courtesaEs who were in
mates Of Mrs Jackson~ where the
prosecution maintained Ledger was
murdered In tie testimony of the
defense Judge Green introduced the
sworn statements of these two women
given 30 the coroncrs inquest In
,hese statements Midget swore that
she knew Thorn when she saw him
and the holland woman sNore ,hat
she did no, know him Both swore
positively that neither Thorn. ~ec'ey
nor Ledger were al Mrs Jackson S
house ON the night when the pro>ecu
iion sets mp that Ledger was killed
A. the preliminary just closed stewart
ana holland made oath that all three
of ibe men were al the house. aud told
many contradictory stories as 90 the
time they called. etc. The court
weighed the testimony Of these two
women carefully aad held that both
women had been influenced TO tell
highly colored stories in order that
the detective might be beneited. lie
told Of the arrest of the holland woman
at Perry; how the detective had
frightened her by telling her that a
mob was waiting 20 take her of the
train, and he prompted her As TO the
evidence she must give. The Judge
said that he had entered the case pre-
iudiced against the defendants on ac-
count of the stories in circulation, but
that he now felt confident they were
guiltless and merited full eNoneration.
The court held that the saving clause
for the defendants was the women's
coroner's inquest testimony when
they were under no restraint, and had
that not been brought TO light To of
set the fresh testimony Of the two
main witnesses, he would have been
constrained to bind the defendants
to court As it was the court held
that the evidence given before him by
the holland and Stewart women, could
not be given credence, as he felt it
had been put into their mouths by the
detective who took them in custody.
Speaking Of the alleged Suspicious
actions of Thorne, the court held that
he had done no more than any other
man who had lost friend in a mys-
terious manner. A. to Ledger's burial
he eNonorated Thorne from all blame
saying that il any carelessness was
apparent It was due to the partie, TO
whom Thorne had intrusted the burial
of the young Englishman. Referring
to the $50 deposited by Thorne with
Felix Adler it was shown that th he
money belonged TO Thorne and was
due for insurance. The money had
been received after banking hour, and
was placed with MI Adler for safe
keeping The court further held that
there was no apparent motive for
Thorne and Seeley committing the
crime and that they should not suffer
from idle rumors. Judge Lawreucc's
review Of the case was exhaustive and
no point brought out i'm the testimony
was left untouched The action of
the defendants Jn the stand and their
willingness that the case be continued
until the prosecution could procure
more evidence were points in their
favor, and altogether he thought they
had proven their innocence.
Judge Green when asked about the
testimony Of Mrs Seeley, said that
Seeley asked his wife several days
after the coroner's inquest to remem.
Der the time when he came home on
the night Of the supposed murder as
she might be called upon 20 testify.
Thorne is not pleased with the way
he and Seeley were arrested, and says
when taken by Officers SatterIee and
Upton, they failed To keep their
promise TO notify his neighbors in
order that his wife might have com
pany during his absence. Thorne has
received several letters from Ledger's
brothers in England and also receipt
for SG9O5, money received from tine
sale OF Ledgers effects
The outcome of the many arrests
made at the instance of Clark or Mea-
ger the California detective has rather
disheartened the prosecution and as a
result Thorpe, Mrs. Jackson, Midget
and Louise holland have been released.
The concensus Of opinion is that the
people and officers have been taken by
in Clark, whose ferreting traits are very
bum.
But the mysterious taking of OF
Frank Ledger must be accounted for.
If he were murdered the crime