The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-05
GANG MUST help
OR GARDNER Will
TELL SOME THINGS
Mayor Ames and His Encourage Attend the Trial To-day
Lincoln Crossman One Of the States Closing Wit
nesses, Gives More Damaging Evidence Defense
Witnesses Reported to Be Reluctant - Several
Steerers - Also Testify.

Mayor Anes and his brother, Fred, the
chief of police, accompanied by an i'm
posing staff Of plain clothes men, patrol
men and police officials generally, were
in Judge IIarrison's courtroom to-day un
der subpoena to testify for the defense in
the Gardner case.
This removes the last doubt regarding
the course the defense will take. The city
hall contingent will come to Gardner's
rescue. They will deny the charges made
by Edwards. Crossman and other wit
nesses. They will probably try to i'm
press the jury with the idea that those
charges were instigated by political mo-
tives. The old cry of Conspiracy will
again be raised, and the jury will be told
that Assistant County Attorney Al J.
Smith is prosecutor rather than a
prosecutor.
The exact line Of the defense has al
ready been Indicated. This morning Lin
coin Crossman, the financial member OF
the "big mitt" combine, admitted that he
had once rented a place from Gardner,
near Minnehaha Falls. The defense will
claim that Crossman desired to renew his
lease and that his various talks with
Gardner were on that subject. Just how
this will affect Norbeck's position, or the
statements of A. p LOOMS that Gardner
admitted he was the administration ego
between is not clear. However, when
the explanation comes it will be an in
genious one. That much is certain.
Defense Witnesses Reluctant.
It is said that the city hall officials are
10th to appear in this case and that they
dread and fear the severe cross examin-
atoms. However, there is no escape. II
| is said that even threats were used tC
induce them to take the stand. Report
| has it that when Gardeners attorneys
realized the, strength Of the case against
him, they told him that his only hope
OF safety rested with: administration Of
| acials who are themselves implicated
/ by the testimony. One Of these men a.
| first fatty refused to testify; and in
formed those who approached him thai
| he would tell all he knew il the defense
persisted in calling him.
! This difficulty, however, had been fore
seen; and the reluctant official was at one
| informed that 1.-THE administration did no
help Gardner out he himself would d.
some talking. The threat had it's effect
and the witness will appear upon tn,
stand with the others.
The name of still another city offlcia
was injected into the trial this morning
Lincoln Crossman, under cross-examina
tion, testified that he had once sent none
to the city hall for Thomas r. Brown, Jr,
the mayors private secretary. There
nothing in the evidence, SO far, to shoy
l that Brown ever received the money, o
that he knew it was to be sent. In thi
respect he stands upon the same footin
as does Captain Hill.
State Soon to Close.
When court adjourned for the moo
recess Crossman was still upon tn
stand, under cross examination. Unles
his questioning is unduly prolonged 1t
likely that the state will rest It's cas-
some time this afternoon.
Throughout the proceedings the defens
has apparently done little but spar fc
wind Gardner's attorneys have nc
known what to do with the states wit
4 resses when turned over to their mer
cies. Their cross examinations hav
been futile, and have resulted in no goo
to the defense
It is generally admitte dthat Mr. Smit
has made out an unusually strong cas-
So,.I
manner. Edwards and Crossman, ebi
.. mitters," have testified that they CAV
money to Gardner, to Detective Chris
topher Norbeck, and to Chief Of Polio
, Fred Ames in person. They testified
also, that they gave Gardner money fo
the mayor, and that Gardner afterward
said ''the old man. was much pleased.
& Gardner had confessed to him that he ha
extorted money from the gang, and he
volunteered the information that it wa
II part Of his duties to collect graft frol
II abandoned women.
> City detectives have themselves a6
mitted that Edwards was hand In gloy
!. with the department and that he we
, made party to their plan for eptrappin
II Fred Bonge, a reporter who knew 6
!: much OF the inner workings of the pc
! lfce department that 1t was deemed az
Il yisable to drive him out of town.
=, The presence of both Gardner and Mo-
!. beck in the "big mitt joints" on vario,
! occasions has been proved beyond que.
!. ton. Witnesses whose stories cannot |
; doubted have testified to strange III
: willingness on the part of the police
, modest the gang, even when formal con
; plants were made at headquarters. An
! above all, the fact remains undisputt
! that though numerous complaints we
+ made to the chief himself arrests did n,
: follow, although the character Of Et
wards, Grossman and their associates W,
well known to the police.
Whether the result of Conspiracy
or not, the case against Gardner appea
to be almost impregnable.
i CRossMAN UNDER FIRE
i
= He Was the Leading Witness OF IL