Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-27


arguments and upheld Lowe IN his efforts
TO Introduce the motive testimony Lowe
as public prosecutor, should hnve known
where to find that law but he was sur
prised. astounded, dumfounded and men
tally shattered 10y the arguments of Mr
Beebe. and SO the trial proved an abortive
one on behalf of the state. Since that trial
Lowe has discovered the supreme court
decisions which he declares will permit
him. TO Introduce the evidence showing ga =
which he ought to have had in court at the
last trial.
DIxErncefuI Methods.
But Mr.. Lowe does not believe in trying
his case only upon its merits. on the law
and evidence as presented in court; he
must influence the jury by other means and
must do 1t at the most opportune nme at
the moment when the jury is drawn, and
before its members have been bound by
their oaths 10 not read the newspapers 10
reach this end Prosecutor Lowe and the
Shannon gang planned coup. and car
ried IL out, which was disgrace TO court
procedure in this county. Monday spe-
cial venire of $50 jurymcn was drawn from
the wheel for the Goddard case. Wednes-
day evening seventy more were drawn.
From among these 220 men the panel of
forty-seven was 10 be selected yesterday.
After their selection they would be bound
TO not read newspaper comments on the
Goddard case. But Thursday and yesterday
morning these Jurymen might read what
they chose. Lowe decided that they should
he furnished. with reading matter that
would influence them and prejudice them
against DIR. Goddard.
Thursday noon Prosecutor Lowe told a
reporter for The Journal that at he m had + the ,
dard jurymen had been tampered with He
said that William Mohler, haokdriver,
known as Dummy Line Bill.'' had been
approached by Robert Ray and promised a
reward II he would be a witness for Cod
dard and swear that he had driven Jackson
in search of Goddard to Kill him the night
before the killing.
"Wfn you cause the arrest of Ray?" asked
the reporter.
refuses to swear to his statement or to
No, ] cannot do that because Mohler
swear out warrant against Ray:
Then The Journal cannot use the story
why? 1t is the hottest kind of stuh,
said the prosecutor.
But" said the reporter. Ray will deny
simpIyI sim % the Word of one man e against an n
other and that man ashamed or afraid 10
make oath to it. That sort of testimony
is of too flimsy a nature to publish and
brand another man with the serious crime
of attempted jury brfbing.
Didn't Expect to Convict Lntshnw.
Then Prosecutor Lowe said to the re-
porter that he had information that Ross
W. Latshaw had attempted to bribe. Clar-
ence NJ. Boyd. a juror. Boyd, he said. was
clerk in grocery store on Twelfth street
And will you cause the arrest of Lat
shaw"
mo. don't think WILL
''why not?"
81 don't think he could be convicted"
"why?"
well, there were no witnesses to the
transaction between Latshaw and Boyd.
But it is hot stuff to print"
A later investigation by The Journal
showed that Mohler had been in Jail and his
reputation for veracity was not nearly so
good as that of Ray. the man he accused.
would not talk for publication about the
charges made by Lowe against Latshaw.
evening Dapers o With ybe me inferma.ion se had I
given The Journal and Thursday night he
visited the Office of a morning Democratic
Ing ii with the same fiimsy charges, which
were published with his promise to cause
the arrest of Latshaw.
One of the lawyers for DR.. Goddard had
this to say last night about loves meth
ods Of prejudicing jury against his client:
Attorneys Promise a Revelations>y
Lowe has started an avalanche which
he will try to get from under before 1t is
stopped. will state on behalf of the coun-
sci associated with me in the defense of
DIR. Goddard that from the first we have
maintained square and open and above
board fight. There has been no attempt
on our part to influence jurors or wit
nesses. and when I say our part, I mean
on behalf of anyone connected in any way
with the defense. On the other hand, Lowe
has stopped to methods that are utterly
.unprofessional and, 1 might say, disrep-
utable. We received information long be-
fore the beginning of the first trial that
Lowe and his gang of pothouse politicians
must convict Goddard at all hazards. We
knew we had the whole Shannon crowd
fight. That is why We requested Judge
Longan to keep the jury away from
Lynch's hotel. We did that because we
had been told. after the twelve jurors were
sworn in. by other members of the pane
who were discharged that members of the
Shannon gang had approached them. Al
the beginning of this trial We moved tina,
special venire be drawn because We haG
Information that four men were on the
from the jury wheel. That is why We wen,
with Judge Longan when the special venirs
was drawn and wrote down the names a.
they came from the wheel.
I'VE knew that In other cases in the Grim
inal court where Lowe especially desired ;
conviction. men favorable to him, member,
of the Shannon gang. had been put on ju
ries
I'VE. too. have had men watching th
Shannon gang since the special venire o
1urymen was drawn. We too. will max
startling exposures when we are prepared
We expect to show that Sam Lowe. III
brother of Frank Lowe, has been hobnob
bling with men on this special yenire of tu
ros in the Goddard case. We have evi
dence that Sam Lowe was seen in the stor
of one OF the jurors yesterday, talking Il
low tones with him. We have evidence tina
Roswell. one-eyed man. has been talkin
with jurors in the interest of Lowe.
Trial a Political Issue. Z
"We know that Lowe recognizes that tn
public is condemning him for his failur
to convict any one He realizes that h
must satisfy this public clamor by convict
ing Goddard or lose his chances of renomi
nation. The Shannon gang knows IT, toe
and is fighting tooth and nail for Lowe. A
matter of fact, and every one knows II
the trial of Goddard has become a politica
issue.
He must be convicted or the Shannon
lose Prosecutor Lowe for another term
That is why Lowe and his gang hav
trumpod up these charges of jury fixing
Did you ever see men of repute in tn
community accused of so serious a Grim
on such fiimsy evidence? Look at IN
chapmans story is true, what does !
amount to? What fiimsy thing is th
story OF Boyd about Latshaw. Do you i'm
asine that Ross w. Latshaw, knowing
TO a Juror ana with other men as witnesse
attempt TO bribe him for S15 and nut tn
money up with a groceryman whom h
scarcely knew That proposition bellies tn
In