The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-25
A SENTENCE THIS WEEK
JUSTICE TO MOVE SPEEDILY WITH
THE LOGANSPORT BANKER.
Grand Jury to Take Up JOhnsOn's Case
This MOrning-MOney Evident
Iy "saIted" Away.

before the federal grand jury this morn
ing. Bank Examiner Caldwell and eight
other witnesses from Logansport have been
subpoenaed TO appear before it and an in
dictment will be found soon as the work
can be done. He will probably be arraigned
in court on Thursday or Friday when he
will plead guilty and receive sentence. 1t
is likely that Judge Baker, before passing
sentence, will desire TO know judicially
something of the details of the case and
statements will probably be prepared by
the district attorney and by Johnson's at
torneys. A cumulative sentence is not per-
MISSILE, though there is no question of
Johnsons guilt upon a number of counts.
His sentence will therefore be somewhere
between five and ten years.
District Attorney Wishard returned yes
terday morning from Logansport, where he
had spent Sunday in consultation with Elk
aminer Caldwell. He was notified by john
sons attorneys yesterday morning that
their client would plead guilty We shall
have the indictment ready as soon as the
work can be DONE" said Mr.. Wishard yes
terday, land / think he can be arraigned
by Thursday or Friday" Mr.. Wishard had
no opinion to offer as to what had become
of all the money.
In speaking of the lenient treatment
shown Johnson Deputy Marshal Clark said
yesterday: Il arrived in Logansport Satur-
day evening, and when the train reached
the station l noticed a number of people in
the depot / had been called to the town
by telephone message from Commissioner
Funk. While on the way to Mr. Funk
place | noticed groups of men standing on
corners discussing the question. number
or them seemed to be angry and asked
sergeant or police who happened to pass
m n 1T QUIZ hE az n a n
bring the prisoner out on the street on the
way to the commissioners office. he said
when l reached his office, what he thought
of the matter. He said that the best plan
to pursue would be to have the preliminary
hearing in Johnson's home and for me to
keep my prisoner there, under surveillance,
until all of the necessary preliminary steps
had been taken. There was some argument
and Mr.. johnson asked Mr.. Funk if his
father-in- law Mr.. Prescott would be eligible
as bondsman. Mr. Funk said he would
investigate the matter and Johnson tele-
graphed his father-in-law to meet him in
Indianapolis at the Grand Hotel.
Arrangements had been made for john
son S wife TO come down to indianapolis
with the prisoner, and when the party
reached the train Mr.. Johnson asked me If
told him he could if he would stand the
expense for himself and for a seat for me
close TO his berth. occupied q seat across
from the berth in which he was lying down.
When we reached this city we went to the
Grand Hotel where Mr.. Johnson was to
meet his father-in-law, and at my prison
erS expense. We stayed at the hotel with
the permission of Judge Baker obtained
by Mr.. Funk. Judge Baker said that John
father-in-law arrived if under the surveil
lance of the United States marshal About
I . CLOCK IN the afternoon Mr.. Funk decided
that he would not accept Mr.. Prescott as
bail, and turned the prisoner over to me.
1t was my place TO take the prisoner to jail
as soon as MIR. Funk decided the question
NJ fIA he iafI
This was about o'clock
While the district attorney was in Lo-
the National Bank of the Republic of New
York, arrived and displayed certificate
or deposit for $4,000 issued by Johnson IN
favor of his bank May H. This swells the
that other accounts with outside banks Will
further increase it. This serves to
that Johnson has planted" a large sum
OF money, which he expects to get the bene-
mt or after serving his term in prison. While
there Is evidence that he speculated in
bucket shop two years ago, there are no in
dicatjons of recent speculation of a heavy
character, and yet the great bulk of the
money he got away with but recently came
into his possession. The forged notes III
the bank. amounting to about $200, 000 are
all OF recent making; the personal loans he
made are also recent; the $4,000 he took
from the Monticello Bank was taken but
few days ago, and now this certificate of
deposit is but ten days old. The govern
ment agents are inclined to the belief that
by gambling in grain he had got in so deep
that he became hopeless of getting out
without exposure, and calmly made up his
mind to gather in all he could lay his hands
upon and lay it away until he could serve
out his sentence.
Various old citizens of Logansport express
doubts about the story of legacy of indebt-
edness, and Mr.. Johnsons own attorney
who acted in the double capacity of federal
commissioners and attorney, fixes this in
herited debt at 1886 000 which could have
been paid two or three times over with
Johnson's stealings, with a considerable
margin still TO spare. Bank Examiner Cald-
well has not yet made his official report
and until it is made it is impossible to
learn the full amount of the dedication I