Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-19
A GAMBLING HOUSE.
Dick Dodd Makes Some Allegations
in a Petition Filed Today.
WANTS GAMBLING NUISANCE ABATED
Commission of Physicians Say That
Grube,s Condition is About Normal
Con Stafford Convicted Of
Highway Robbery.

Highway NObDefy.
Richard Y. Dodd does not say so,
but he means by a petition filed in
district court this morning that the,
gamblers trust spoken of some time
ago in the Courier is not broken but
actually exists. This forenoon petit
ton was filed by Scott g. Ayres, in the
name of the state of Iowa to be prose-
cuted by Dick Dodd, against Thomas
Shea and Z. c. LaChance, proprietors.
| OF the gambling rooms over LaChance's
saloon on East Main street, and Joseph
j. Cornell and Mrs. j. E. Smith, own
ers OF the building, asking that an iu-
Junction be issued restraining the de-.
PENDANTS from conducting a gambling
room. Dick alleges that the defend!
ants and each of them have establish
ed and are using, keeping and main
tanning the second story of the said
building for the purpose of gambling
ana gaming; that they are keeping and
maintaining games of Chance where.
money is wagered; that on the 14th
day OF April and prior thereto did en-
tice. encourage and permit divers citi-
zens of Ottumwa and adjoining towns,
Whose. names are unknown to Dodd. to
play cards and dice therein. He furth-
er says that Thomas Shea and L. c..
LaChance are the proprietors of said
place and share the receipts of said
gambling house, aud are concerned in
operating and maintaining it contrary
to law; that unless restrained the de-
PENDANTS will continue to operate said
place to the irrepairabie injury of this
| plaintiff. the state of Iowa, and the
citizens of this county. Wherefore
plaintiff prays that temporary in.
junction issue restraining defendants
from conducting said place and that
upon the final hearing the same be
made perpetual.
! The Courier has heretofore said that
gambling does exist in Ottumwa, and
by rood and sufficient evidence in de-
tail proven that such was the case.
Now comes one of the gamblers, who
makes no pretsnse of concealing the
fact thSt he is a gambler, and asks
that the evil be abated. No matter
what Dicks motives are, be they for
the purpose of getting a piece of the
profits, or whatever they may be, he
lsays that gambling house does exist,
ana LICK OuSnU 10 knOW.
| Further than this Dick has filed an
other petition against the same par
lies, alleging that they are selling
liquor contrary to lazy and asks for an
injunction restraining them from so
doing. The plaintiff does not say that
they sell liquor in the gambling house,
but it is 10 be inferred from the tone
of the, petition that they do SO. Scott &
Ayres are also attorneys for plaintiff
in this case.
| Brown ON Trial.
j. w. Brown, alias A. E. johnson.
charged with disposing of mortgaged
property, is on trial today. A jury
twas secured this morning and at noon
the evidence had been finished It is
Expected that a verdict will be reach
ed this evening. The crime for which
Brown has been indicted is that OF
ldisposing of a team of horses that had
been mortgaged to George Evans, the
said mortgage being unknown to the
buyer, young farmer named Rhine
hart. The mortgage for the team was
made out in the Office of AfcNett d
Tisdale, and it is said that the defend
ant claims he did not read it, altho
| it was handed to him to read for the
reason that his early education had
been neglected. 1t is said that this is
about all the defense the defendant has.
Some other things may turn up in con-
nection with fraudulent mortgages on
Missouri land, in which the defendant
| is said to have been concerned.
Physicians Examine CRUDE.
Yesterday evening the court APP
pointed commission of physicians
composed of Drs. ID. C. Brockman and
l.. j.. Baker to examine Fred CRUDE,
indicted on the charge of robbery, and
who is alleged to be of unsound mind.
These gentlemen made the eXamina-
ton of the defendant and reported to
the court this morning that CRUDE was
suffering from rheumatism but was
able to attend court notwithstanding.
As to his mental condition they did not
make positive statement except that
in their opinion he was as well quail
fed mentally to appear in the court as
he ever was, so far as their knowledge
went. An additional showing will be
made by the defendant this afternoon
in support of their motion for new
trial and in support of their conten-
ton that the defendant is of unsound
mind. 1t is said that the defense has
seriously contemplated filing an infor-
nation against CRUDE alleging that he
is insane and asking that the commits
sioners Of insanity be called together
to inquire into his condition. If Ham
mondtree, the pianist at the Baker
house, and the two women, all of
whom it is alleged saw the robbery,
can be found at the next term of court
a continuance would do but little harm.
In the meantime, however, should
these witnesses take notion to leave,
they could not be stopped and without
them the case would amount to moth
ing.
Con STAFFORD Convicted.
Little did Con Stafford think when
he was working as time keeper under
his father at the time the Wapello
county court house was built that one
day he would be found guilty of a fell
ony in the building of which his faith
er was the contractor. Last night saw
that thing come to pass, however,
when the jury which had been empan-
eled to try him, came into court with