Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-22

Leadville, Col, brought back to Logan
| Iowa, and convicted and sentenced tt
seventeen years in the penitentiary
Tom Dennison sat in court, his money
furnished Shercliffe's defence, and his
gang swore black was white in M
effort to save him. The diamonds
were never recovered.
Tho Effort for Parole.
Next year q strong effort developed
to get parole for Shercliffe. The
county attorney of Harrison county
Judge Van Wagenen. before whom he
was tried, and the respectables OF Har-
rison county opposed It. A prominent
Scott county politician was person
ally active in behalf of the incarcerated
diamond robber. He called on Judge
Van Wagenen In company with To-
cal politician in an effort to quiet Var
Wagenen's opposition to the parole
Judge Van Wagenen says that as 8
, result of that interview he was Offered
anything he wanted" He told the
politician tersely and emphatically tc
tell Charley Hipwell to go to hell!'
The attempt to release Shercliffe fail
ed Jackson and Drake during theii
respective terms us governor of Iowa
would not or dared not grant 1t. They
scented job.
Then Governor Shaw was elected
The Sherclifre parole was again agi-
tated. There was stir in certain po-
litical circles. Mcmillan, of Cedar
Rapids got busy. Protests were filed
by Van Wagenen by Billy Pinkerton
and others, against Shercliffes par
don or parole. There were stronger
influences at work, however, and In
November of 1900, Governor Shaw
granted Si,ercliffe conditional free
dom. Dennison held the parole papers
Shercliffe came from the pen
itentiary to Dennison at Oma-
ha He staid here for, a
time but went away, broke his parole
and was returned to prison by sue
ceeding administration.
Dennison Prospered.
All this time Dennison had prosper
of gamblers. crooks and criminals The
civic federation was fighting him
Thomas, the attorney for the federation
found Shercliffe ready to turn upon
Dennison. He confessed to Thomas
and made an affidavit to be used
against Dennison. He went to Logan
Iowa, testified before the grand jury
and Dennison was indicted for COM
plicity in the Pollock robbery. Sher-
clifres story was that Dennison
planned the robbery and rushed" him
to its commission. That Dennison dug
up the diamonds where Shercliffe had
hidden them and sold them thru an
Omaha fence. His story was told In a
truthful, straightforward way. There
were circumstances strongly corrob-
orative of its truth. The grand jury
found a true bill and the governor was
asked for a requisition. He granted
it and then Dennison's fight to stay
outside of an Iowa penitentiary be-
gan.
Strong Influences at Work.
The influences that brought about
Shercliffe's release belong with and are
part of the story of the crime which
spreads in a tentacular fashion over
Iowa and Nebraska, connecting des-
perate men with politicians of minor
and major degree. 1t was discovered
that Judge Hubbard, tho convinced of
his guilt, had asked for Shercliffe's
tives" in Omaha might deliver 400 votes
to Dave Mercer, a Nebraska congress-
man and politician, who had
voted for the payment Of a
million to the Sioux City &
Pacific railroad. John N. Baldwin,
general counsel for the U. P. railroad,
had asked the parole because he was
convinced "the boy was innocent"
The railroad attorneys and the poll
ticians seemed to want Shercliffe out.
Denison's expense account, foolishly
sent to Homer Morris in his own hand
writing says he paid Mcmillan $2,500;
says he spent 5000 to take niggers to
Council Bluffs to vote for Gear; says
he paid Hipwell $957. Hubbard's let
ter says "Shercliffe's relatives" which
term freely translated means Tom
Dennison and his gang Of heelers here
in Omaha, stood ready to deliver the
goods.
That the habeas corpus proceedings
have turned against Dennison that Sec
retary Fessenden ofthe, jewelers. Pro-
tective union has been offered $1S,-
600 to drop the prosecution, that Sher-
cliffe has been approached with offers
of bribery and threats, that it is GEN
orally reported that an assessment has
been made on certain corporations and
on the crooks and gamblers to carry on
the fight for Dennison's liberty. all are
considered here to bear in circum-
stantfal fashion, significantly on the
crime of this morning, when Thomas
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