Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-11
Attorney "Dick" Wade States His
Defense in Case.
CLAIMS Hi DID NOT ACT As "FENCE'
Chicago Lawyer Who Defended Sam
Richie in Ottumwa, in Trouble in
Chicago But Says He is Entirely
Innocent of Charges Against Him.

Attorney "Dick" Wade. for whom
the Chicago officers looked long and
earnestly. and who finally turned up
in st. Louis few days ago and was,
taken back to Chicago on the charge
OF receiving stolen goods, says he took
the furs as fee from client. At
torney Wade is we'll known in Ottum-
wa, having been the attorney for the
defense in the case of one of the al
legged Eldon bank robbers, Sam
Richie.
Il did not run away from Chicago
because the police wanted me on
charges of disposing of stolen proper
ty. States Attorney Deneen, on ac-
count of a case in which | was inter
ested, knew my whereabouts and
wrote to and received letters from
me. The st. Louis police were APP
prised of my presence in that city,
authorities when / heard of the case
advising them as to when ! would re-
turn to the city. 1t was wholly I'M
necessary for them to go to the ex-
pense of sending an officer into Mis-
souri, after me-"
Such is the statement made yester-
day in Chicago by Attorney Richard
A. Wade concerning his arrest in
connection with the recovery OF a
quantity of furs stolen in Clinton last
June.
Part of the Furs Found.
| The furs taken were valued at
about $4,000, and during the latter
part of last week city officers recov-
cred several hundred dollars worth
of the booty in the establishment of
a State street furrier in Chicago, who
explained that he had purchased
them from Attorney Wade. The law
yer was in st. Louis while the Chica-
go detectives were searching for him,
| and Saturday he returned from there
accompanied by Detective John Rohan
of detective headquarters. He went
before Justice Prindiville and was re-
leased on bonds of $4,000.
| The lawyer was visited at his apart
ments in the Woodstock, Twenty
eighth street and Wabash avenue, and
offered this explanation:
Some time last January l defended
a man on trial on the North Side for
| burglary and the jury disagreed. My
fees were not all paid, and when this
mans wife came to me last summer
and wanted me to defend him again in
Michigan. she explained that her sis
ter, who had been in business in
Michigan, had practically gone into
bankruptcy, but had lot of furs
which she would turn over to me as
! security for money due me. | ad
vised my client to take the goods to a
certain reputable furrier in State
street.
Accepts the Goods.
I Later. several weeks ago now,
tried again to get what was due me
but there was no cash in sight Again
l was offered furs, and finally took
what they rendered. Il sold the mate
rial for about $3.50 to the same State
street fuTrier to whom | have already
referred | did everything openly
having no reason for concealment,a nd
gave bin of sale in my own name
Then l went to st. Louis on business
AS to any case against me. there is
| none. ! have done nothing wrong anc
can readily prove it."
Lieutenant McWeeney admitted
that he had received a telegram from
Attorney Wade, but said he had re
ceived word from another source ear
lier the same day as to his where
abouts. He insists that the police
consider their case against the attor
ney exceedingly damaging. Lule Null
wife, of the man whom Wade was ask
ed to defend in Michigan, and Lizzie
Winters are under arrest also in con
nection with the transaction.