The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-05-03

dence obtained by Mr.. Hardin, will lay
an information against Cooper with the
Decatur county grand jury, charging
him with conspiracy to defraud an in
surance company in which they expect
to involve at least one other man.
The Lineville News had the following
interview with Mr.. Cleland:
Fro II Mr.. Robt. Cleland, the person
against whom the crime was committed.
we get the following statement in Mr..
Cleland's own words:
II live at Bevington, Iowa, where |
am teacher. have taught los terms
of school and am now II years of age.
In 1892 ]. ii. Cooper camr to where |
lived and said he was looking for a farm
he wished to purchase for a client of
his. During our conversation we wan
dered out to my barn where had two
/ stations and asked me if those stall
lions were for sale. told him thew
were and he said he knew a person that
he believed would buy them, and want.
ed to know if would give him 500 if he
succeeded in making good sale of them
for me. told him would. He then
went away and came back bringing with
him party he introduced as his broth.
err +: P. Cooper. We finally agreed on
a price of $3.50 for the stations and i.
P. and j. III. Cooper gave me their note
for 800 and then put up in my hands a
mortgage given them on 100 acres of
land in Barry Co., Missouri as collateral
security. They then wanted the 500 for
making the sale and gave John Cooper
my note for 500 payable when l realized
the money on the $3.50 note. They then
told me they were afraid they didn't
have enough money to pay expenses
home and let them have SIS to get
home on. soon found out by going to
the records that there was no such land
IN Barry Co., Mo-, and l went to the
Coopers and wanted them to settle with
me. They refused to do this and filed in.
formation before justice of the peace
againgst both of them charging that
they obtained property under false nre.
lenses. They waived preliminary ex
animation and were bound over TO fine
grand jury which indicted them. When
the case was called the defendants ask
ed for a separate trial which was grant
ed by the court and +. p. Cooper was
tried and found guilty and sentenced 10
Is months hard labor in the TT. Mad.
ison penltentiary. He appealed the
case and gave bonds. He was convict
ed at the spring term of court in 1898 of
Madison Co., Iowa, Judge j. Ii. Hen.
derson, presiding. During the summer
of '93 one of F. P. Cooper's bondsmen
died and the other becoming frightened
went to Rippy took F. p. Cooper and
started with him to surrender him to
the sheriff Of Madison county. They
had to wait for train at Des Moines
and +. p: pursuaded his bondsman
to go down to the White Chapel Dis
trict with him and while in one of the
"dives' down there he got away from
his bondsman and his remained a fugi.
tive from justice until his capture 70.
day.
But to return to John Cooper's fate.
He took change of venue in the trial
of his case and moved the case to an
another county. My wife was one of
the principal witnesses for the prose-
cution and as she was an invalid, the
trial of P. F. nearly took her life from
her and when we found out we would
have to go to a distant county to try
the case we were afraid the excitement
of the trial and the trayel and strain
would kill her, so asked the prosecu-
ting attorney to dismiss the case against
John and that's how he's free down
here among you folks. F. p. is this fell.
low here and he is half brother of
JOINS. Their father lost his fortune.
some ST., 600 trying to keea1 5