The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-04-22
AN UNsUPPoRTABLE CHARGE
District Attorney Buckmaster Charged
with Conspiring to Kidnap

District Attorney Buckmaster Charged
With Conspiring to Kidnap.
District Attorney Buckmaster, Mich
ael Harkin and few others went down
to Chicago again today to attend the
trial of Detective Cowie on the charge
of kidnapping Bernard Hoeffer at the
time of the arson trial here. The TAX
ing of testimony began Wednesday
morning. During the course Of the
trial Assistant States Attorney Grove
made the statement that he would
prove that Hoeffer was the victim of
plot in which District Attorney Buck
master and Michael Harkin were i'm
plicated.
The Chicago papers in reporting the
affair said Wednesday evening that
Representatives of the police depart
ment were known to be awaiting the
testimony of Messrs. Buckmaster and
Harkin with the purpose of taking
them into custody if their statements
on the stand bear out the suspicious
held by the prosecutors.
Hoeffer claims he was kidnapped
from Chicago and brought here to be-
come either a principal or witness in
the arson case. The trend of some Of
the testimony may be judged from the
following telegram from Chicago where
the trial is in progress:
Chicago, H., April IA. Police De-
tective Mccarthy testified in Judge
Smiths court today that William Alex
ander, who is on trial with Fred G..
Cowie on q charge of kidnapping Ber-
nard Eel. Hoeffer, told him that Cowie
forged the name of Gov. Altgeld to
Irequisition papers at the time Hoeffer
was taken to Kenosha. The officer
said that CoWie, to carry out the de-
ception, forged the name of Gov. Up
ham, Of Wisconsin, to the application
for extradition. These papers were
prepared, as was said, to intimidate
Hoeffer should he object to going to
Kenosha. But they were not used.
Cowie, according to Hoeffer's story,
told the latter he was only going to
take him to Lake Forest. After he
got Hoeffer on the train he kept him
interested until the train crossed the
state line, Bernard Graf testified that
his uncle, Bernard Harris, was accused
by CoWie Of some connection with the
Kenosha arson case, and Cowie came
to the house of Graf with what he
called requisition papers. Graf ordered
| Cowie from the house, and the latter
left and did not return.
District Attorney Buckmaster was
seen by a representative of this paper
| Wednesday night and asked about the
charges against him. He SAID the
charge was simply a grand stand play
for the evident purpose of frightening
| off some of Mr.. Cowie's witnesses. He
said he knew nothing ABOUT Hoeffer's
coming here until he appeared with
Cowie one evening. Then when Hoef-
fer was in jail here he never said a
word to anyone here about having been
kidnapped. He did say that he had
been here to talk with Perrin before
the factory was burned and Mr. Buck
master had evidence that he conspired
with Perrin and had been here to look
at the job. He was finally released on
his own recognizance on the personal
word of his attorney that he would be
produced when wanted at the trial.
But he never again showed up. There
is an information in the circuit court
now on file against him.
Mr.. Buckmaster pronounces the con-
spiracy charge pure rot.