Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-12-24
HENRY is CLEARED
POLICE OFFICER ExONERATED
AT HEARING IN HOQUIAM.
Marshal Anstie Fails to Make Good His CHARGE
Of Extortion. and Henry is HonorabIy
Acquitted. Proves His Actions to Have
Been Straightforward.

Ed. Henry, the ex.police officer, was
discharged Tuesday afternoon by Judge
Warren, at Hoquiam, after u hearing
occupying parts Of two days. Henry Was
charged by Marshal Anstie with having
extorted $40 from Marie Voletta, an in
male Of the River street house called
"The Harem."
The prosecution fell down utterly in |
the attempt to manufacture u case, and
the neat little cost bill is handed to the
taxpayers Of Chehalis county as Christ
mas box. On the part Of the state but
two witnesses, Marie Voletta and her
landlady. Dora Hamilton, were called,
who testified to the arrest and the giving
Of $40 to the officer as bail. THIS Was
substantially the case presented by the
prosecution. II Marshal Anstie had
knowed ge sufficient to justify his charge,
he failed to show it. In fact, the marshal
was not called as witness at all in the
direct examination. He was called in
rebuttal, but. failed to rcbut any of the
statements made by witnesses for the
defense.
For the defense, Henry testified to the
facts surrounding the transaction COM
planned Of. The ugly feature OF the affair
seemed to be the fact that he should Sc.
lect the hour OF 3 a. m. to arrest woman
on the charge of being an inmate OF
house of i'll fame. This caused suspicion
that all was not square, but, on the Wit
ness stand, Henry made this perfectly
clear. 1t transpired that the Voletta
woman was variety actress who sacr-
feed her position in the Olympus theater
to devote her time to "skinning" Grip
ped mill emplove, who had just received
81 900 for the damages that crippled him
for life. Henry knew the man, and had
helped him before he received the
money, and the arrest Of the woman grew
ont OF Henry's efforts to save the money
OF her crippled victim, whom she is said
to have blown in at the rate Of 5000 q
night.
At the time Henry was a substitute
Officer, in the place OF Officer McGahan,
and he testified that he tried to turn the
money over to McLahan when the latter
resumed his position the day after the
arrest that McGahan refused to take il,
saying he should turn it into the police
court, which ne did. The testimony OF
Henry was corroborated by McGahan,
J, dye Pearson and his court records. and,
at the close sof the case, Judge Warren
promptly announced that the prosecution
had totally failed to show probable
case, and ordered Henry's discharge.
Before the close of the case, it began
to appear that the marshal had ex.
changed places with the defendant, and
had to defend some OF his actions in the
J tenderloin district. The testimony Of
McGahan along this line betrayed state
OF affairs that should not be permitted to
exist in the police department. A degree
OF familiarity and looseness seems to
haye existed between the authorities and
the demimode that would demoralize any
police force on earth. yet, when exam.
ined on these points, the marshal ap.
reared to think that sort of conduct per.
fectIy proper.