The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-13

I'LL NC1J respectfully. A. A. AmeS
The production Of an authentic copy
OF the above letter, the original of
which came to light two weeks ago.
and which is now in the hands of
County Attorney Boardman, of Henne
pin county; the statement of E. e.
Wheelock, secretary to Col. Fred w.
Ames when he was chief of police Of
Minneapolis that Dr.. A A. Ames had
said in his presence that Col. Ames
had nothing to do with the collection
of graft money, and a stirring appeal
by Mrs Ames in behalf of her husband.
were the features of the hearing before
the board of pardons yesterday after
noon Of the application Of Col. Ames
for pardon or communication of SEN
tence.
In producing the letter, Attorney
Victor WEIGH, of Minneapolis, sought
to show that Cohen, who received it,
and who was charged with being the
instrument used by the administration
IN collecting the graft money, did not
receive his instructions from Col. Fred
w. Ames, but from another source.
This letter throws a vast flood of
light on the hitherto concealed relations
between ex-Mayor A. A Ames and
Cohen, who collected the money from
| the women declared ATTORNEY Welch.
1t disposes of the question as to
whether 1T was Frederick w. Ames or.
II must say it, his own brother. the
mayor, who inaugurated the infamous
system of graft which fiourished in
Minneapolis.
In an interview with Cohen, he told
M h SIC
never sent him to collect money from
the women of the town. was sent on
instructions from headquarters he
said; sometimes 1 received my orders
from the mayor, sometimes from the
superintendent, sometimes from the
assistant superintendent, sometimes
from the desk sergeant and sometimes
my orders were written and I found
| them in a pigeonhole in NV desk.
do not know from whom 1 received
that graft order, but so help me God,
l did not receive it from Frederick w.
| Ames"
"Cohen's attorney, Frank H. LARA
bee, told me the same" continued Mr..
WEIGH, land he has submitted an aft
davit in which he sets forth the letter
from DR.. Ames to Cohen. This afH
davit is presented to the board. Otto
Wirtensohn, who furnished the only
connecting link between Col. Ames and
Cohen, went on the stand to protect
himself and testified against the for
mer chief of police in order to save his
own position.
THE meager evidence produced
| against Col. Arnes has been contra
dicted by creditable persons, but as
he was tried at a time when public
| sentiment was in a heated condition
and when there was a cry for a con-
VictiOn of someone, he became the vic
| tim. Not one cent Of graft money
was traced to Col. Ames, and it seems
that his reputation as a citizen and
| soldier should have weighed against
the testimony Of a Norbeck, an Addie
Mills or Wirtensohn.
when Col. Ames discovered that a.
system of graft was being practiced
| under his nose he demonstrated with
| his brother, the mayor, and secured
the discharge of Gardner. He then
notified the women that they must
stop paying money for protection.
His one great fault was a lamenta-
| bic lack of backbone He should have
resigned when he learned that graft
| ing was going on, but he could not
| summon the grit to do so, for if he
| had exposed the condition of affairs he
would have been throwing stones at
| his brother. He bore the blame on his
| own back and shielded that Of his
brother, where l hope it will yet fall
| E. E. Wheelock, who acted as secre-
! tary to Col. Ames during the incumb-
ency of the latter as superintendent Of
! police Of Minneapolis, revealed evil
| dence before the board yesterday which
was not brought out before.