The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-12
Absence of Important Witnesses
Leads the Governor to Suspend
Action for the Present.
WITNESSES AGAINST DUDLEY
ROBINSON, ILL.,, PEOPLE SAY POSSE
HAD BEEN DRINKING.
Charge Made That DepOsed Sheriff
Handled Prisoner ROughIy-Ev-
idence for the State.

For lack of important evidence the hear
ing of John S. Dudley before Governor Dur
bin hangs fire. The case dragged along I'M
til near o'clock yesterday evening, when
Attorney General Taylor and Merrill
Moores. representing the State, found that
they would have to have certain important
dispositions from Robinson ILL.,, to COM
plete their case. About that time the Gov
ernor made up his mind that it was i'm
perative that Dudley's deputy sheriff.
Mills, should testify and also that the two
ferrymen who transported the sheriff's
party across the river from Illinois to In
diana should tell what they know about
billiards. willingness to come into the State
without a requisition. The Governor put
his foot down decsively and intimated to
Attorneys Bays and Hunt, representing the
deposed sheriff. that they should have seen
| to it that these necessary witnesses were
| present.
az expected to get through with this case
| in an hour when first took hold of it,
| said the Governor, land now it has occu-
pied two whole days and bids fair TO take
| up another. Matters must be expedited.
insist upon the presence of this man Mills
and also of the two ferrymen."
ATTORNEYS AGREED.
1--WE will have them here, Governor"
| said John s. Bays and Attorney Hunt
hastily, in concert. Name the time and
we will have them on hand"
Attorney General Taylor then stated to
the Governor that Mr.. Moores would have
to go at once to Robinson, ILL.,, to take de-
positions from important witnesses for the
| State. Part of the necessary dispositions
| NO hay he
| there are one or two very important ones
| that must be secured
Twill these missing dispositions make out
| a stronger case for the Slater" asked the
| Governor.
"If it be possible to make one stronger
| torney general, they will.
The Governor consulted his book Of en-
| gagements and found that he had to make
flying trip with the legislative commit
| tee Monday and that he had to leave for
| Florida Thursday next to take part In
| lawsuit himself. At length he set next
! Tuesday Dec 16, at 10 o'clock in the morn
| ing as the time for again taking up the
hearing. The attorneys signified their will
| ingness to be on hand then and the hear
| ing was at an end temporarily.
| Generally speaking, the day had been a
| bad one for Dudley. The greater part of
! the day had been spent in the examination
of citizens of Robinson, and while all of
| them did not agree upon some points, the
| burden of their testimony was adverse to
| the deposed sheriff.
| WITNESS FOR THE STATE.
B. v. Carey pension attorney of Robin
| son. told the Governor that the sheriff and
| his party were more or less intoxicated
when billiard was taken from the jail at
| Robinson and placed in a carriage prepara-
tory to being taken to Sullivan. He testi-
fed that Dudley damned a revolver into
billiards. neck and poked him pretty hard.
| The prisoner was used roughly, he said.
oxyln do oil he
| possible of Carey's testimony, and the Gov
| ernor himself was evidently very much in
terested. He cross-examined the witness
| carefully and Carey stuck to it that his
| statements were accurate.
The agent of the Standard Oil Company
at Robinson. Mr.: sutphin. told a graphie
jail. The negro begged pitifully for pro-
| lection. he told Governor Durbin, and was
carriage. He was under the impression,
| he said, that some of the members of the
sheriffs posse had been drinking. and
stated. too. that he did not think the negro
| received fair treatment He turned to a
| man in the crowd. he said, and exclaimed !:
They ought not to treat q poor wretch
like that" He testified that Sheriff Dud-
| ley was determined to have the man at
any odds and would listen to nothing. The
negro. he said. called upon Attorney Jones.
and was unwilling to leave without proper
LIMITED AT TROUBLE
Sutphn told the Governor that after
| Dudley had driven away with the negro
| a man in the crowd cried out: They have
no right to take that man away without
papers. They are doing something that is
not right" Somebody in the carriage. he
said. whom he believes to have been Oliver
Dudley, the father Of the ex-sheriff, put his
head out of the window and called back:
We'll we have done It, and what we will
| tn we get hac OH
| will be a plenty.
This testimony aroused the Governor,
| who leaned far over his table and watched
the witness like hawk His cross-exam-
ination was severe. but Sutphin stuck to his
story The attorney general emphasized the
nised that it was one Of the most impo or st
bits of evidence brought out by the State.
Governor Durbn smiled grimly and wrote
busily for few minutes.
Another strong witness for the state was
George w. Jones, an attorney of Robinson,
who was present when billiard was removed
he appealed to Dudley not to take the man mar.
| without proper authority, especially as the
negro had shown that he was unwilling to
would not listen. He testified that the
negro pleaded with the officers not to take
him to Indiana The attorney general
promised to take billiard to Marshall. H..
but instead took an entirely different road
so to return to Sullivan.
SENTIMENT WAS STRONG.
The effect of this testimony was partly
neutralized by T. w. Reed, a resident OF
Sullivan, who said that the sentiment
against billiard was strong that not a
man would help the sheriff rescue him
after the mob had got him in it's control
He had tried himself to make up a rescu-
ing party. but every man asked refused to
help. he said. and among them were some
of the most reputable and prominent citi-
zens of the place. One man, he said told
him TO "go TO h. Here the Governor
became facetious and asked IL it a
certain reputable citizen who had beer
| named that told him to go to a warmer
climate. Reed said. No and the Governor
replied, well, didn't know; anything was
possible
Ii is believed that the hearing will be
| finished I'm short order next Tuesday morn.
ing The impression is strong around the
Statehouse that Dudley will not be rein.
stated. There Is good deal of sympathy
for him personally, but the impression Is
/ -.