The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-03-31
Caster Makes Confession in Which He Tells ahe Whole StoIn Open
Court the Defendant Tells the Story Of Famous
Says that Confessions Made True.
JUDGE WILLIAMS FIXES FINE 5000 AND COSTS
erin
Defendant Remains a
Court Imposes Senen

Standing alone in the prisoners
dock in the circuit court this after
noon John Caster, the stool pigeon of
the alleged gang which formerly
worked in the City Council of Keno
sha, admitted that he was bride
taker and consented to take upon
himself the punishment that should
have been meted out to all the gang
Judge Williams, presiding at this last
scene of the famous case, took pity on
the poor worn out man and SEN
fenced him to pay fine of two hum
dred dollars and to pay further fine
of one hundred dollars to satisfy the
costs in the action. The fine was
paid in open court and Caster was
formally discharged from custody.
But this is probably not the end of
the case as before he was freed from
further penalty the defendant, at the
request of the judge, took the witness
stand and Under oath told the story of
the famous Doodle in the Kenosha
council. In his confession in open
court Caster told OF the workings of
the gang and the manner in which
they had secured and divided the
money for the payment of the amount
agreed upon for their votes.
The last chapter in the drama was
devoid of pyrotecnics. All the morn
ing was taken up in securing a jury
to hear the case and when the court
was called to order this afternoon the
fate of Caster had already been seal
ed. His attorney and the court had
been in close conversation and the at
torney had announced that Caster,
weary of bearing the burdens OF
others, had decided to give up and
throw himself on the mercy of the
Court. Mrs. Caster was in the court
room and when the jury came in and
the defendant stood up to face his
peers tears streamed down her face.
There was little in the scene but pity
for the man who was pleading guilty.
AS soon as the jurors had filed into
their places in the jury box, Attorney
ingalls, arose and addressed the court.
eff your honor please" he said,
."after full consultation with the de-
PENDANT and guided by such advice as
| have been able to give him, we ask
even at this stage of the hearing to
be permitted to withdraw the plea of
not guilty and enter plea of guilty.
1T seems to me that there is little
that | can say to the Court which will
aid him in fixing the penalty to be
assessed against this man. The
Court is too well acquainted with the
facts in the case. Caster was the
victim of circumstances from the be-
ginning, He was an ignorant man
placed in position for which he was
fully untitled and here he became
hoodwinked and was made the tool of
political schemers. He confessed the
crime repeatedly, and under all these
circumstances / want to ask that the
Court be as 1enient as possible in the
matter"
The court room was SO still that one
could have heard pin drop, and the
only sign Of life was sob from the
seat in which the wife of the defend
ant was sitting.
Judge Williams waited a second and
then called Caster to his feet. The
defendant was visib1y nervous as he
stepped UP before the bar of justice.
Judge Williams at once called him to
the witness stand and asked that he
be sworn. Caster then told the story
of the entire transaction. He admit
ted before the Court that he had
made the confessions of his guilt and
of the guilt of others in the case and
stated that he had signed the con
LESSONS made at the residence of
District Attorney Buckmaster and
that they we're true in every particu-
lar. He stated specifically that
Smith, Pirsch and himself had receiv-
led $1,000 from C1ausen and that
C1ausen had personally solicited his
aid and had offered the bride. He told
the story of the weird confession that
he had made to John Kleist in the sa-
loon on West in street, and insist
ed that the confession had been one
of his own vo1ition. He stated in
open court that the money which he
had received had been taken to Mil
YANKEE by his brother-in-1aw, Jacob
Orth, and had been sent back to him
in the way Of a draft, and that the
draft IN the hands of the District At
torney had been the one he had re-
.ceived.
He stated that he had at first repu-
dated his confession on account of
the fact that the men whom he had
implicated had promised to secure his
acqnitta1, and that he had also heard
threats against him if he declined to
repudiate the confession.