Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-02-03
MAYOR AMES
GOES FREE
A Decision of the Supreme Court
Gives the 5oodling EN-chief En-
ecutive His Liberty.
SURPRISE TO ALL CONCERNED
Even His Attorneys Did Not Expect
Complete victory-history Of the
Man and His Crime.

ST. Paul. Jan. 2g,-By a decision
handed down in the state supreme
court today. former Mayor Ames. of
Minneapolis, who was under a SEN
tence of six years in the state peni-
Tertiary. for accepting brides from
fallen women To secure them immun-
ity from arrest. regains his freedom
and. possibly is freed from further
prosecution on these charges.
The appeal OF the defendant rested
its main contention on the inyalidity
of the Indictment upon which DR..
Ames was tried. maintaining that ii
charged commission of more than n
offense. and that the state should
have elected upon which charge il
would rest its case. This contention.
a majority of the supreme court in
the decision rendered today, over
rules. The supreme court is unan-
imous in reversing the judgment of
the H~ennepin county court. but arriv-
es at this conclusion by different
methods. The majority opinion.
which was written by Justice Lewis.
and ~concurred in by Chief Justice
Start and Justice Collins, holds that
the indictment is valid, but that there
was "a failure of proof to sustain the
offense charged" The minority opin
ion. written by Justice Lovely, and
~concurred In by Justice Brown, holds
that the indictment itself was invalid
because 1t alleged more than one of
Tense.
The decision was a surprise to bott
state and the defendants attorneys
the latter anticipating that at the bes
their client would be granted a new
trial because OF the faulty nature o
the indictment upon which he wa!
tried.
The cast of former Mayor Ames ha:
been full of sensations. His indict
ment came as the climax oil the CRANE
jury's investigation into alleged mu
nicipal corruption. and was precede,
by the Indictment OF Irwin Gardner
his secretary, Colonel Fred w. Ames
his brother and chief OF police; Cap
tain Fichette, known as Coffee John,
also a member of the police force
and OF Christopher Norbeck. a deteC
tive. and alleged TO be with Gardner
the organizer of the system o
gratis which, ii was charged, col
lected money from big mitt' mer
d"isTeputable women and others in re
turn for police protection.
After his ~arraignment on the indie
ment, DR.. Ames was released on yer
heavy bonds and went to West BAD
en-, Ind, for his health. While there
Developments in the municipal scar
aal were such that the eX-mayor dc
cided not 10 return to Minneapolis
He disappeared from West Bader
and for a time all trace of him wa
lost. Finally he was located at Ne,
hampton, VT. with a relative OF hi
wife. He maintained that his phys
.al condition was such that a journe
q Minnesota would undoubtedly n
suit in his death. A vigorous figh
Wzs made TO prevent his ~extraditioI
but finally he was returned to Mime
apolis, where his trial commenced o
April 80. There was much sensation
al testimony developed at the hearin
of the case, and a great legal fgf
was made to free the ex-mayoI
Nevertheless, on May 9TH, tne jury r.
turned 4 verdict of guilty and on tn
l6tf OF May he vas sentenced TO 81
wars in the state penitentlary.
An appeal was at nee taken to IN
supreme court, and was argued ID
cember "a. 1903. and resulted in tn
decision handed down today.
or the others indicted as a resu
OF the municipal grating scanda
Colonel Fred w. Ames is now servin
a seyen-year term in saltwater. whel
also are Detective Christopher No
beck and Norman w. King. "Coft
John Fichette. after being tried an
convicted, appealed his case to the $
preme court, but died before a d
cision was handed down granting hi
u new trial.
DIR. Ames has had a remarkab
political career. having been electe
mayor of Minneapolis three times
a Democrat and being defeated on
by a small plurality by former Cove
MOI Merriam. for the chief executi'
office Of the state. With the ado
tion OF the new primary law, d
Ames announced his candidacy f
mayor on the Republican ticket, S
cured the nomination and was elect'
by a large majority.
Pending the decision of the S
preme court. Or. Ames has RESUME
the practice OF medicine in Minnea
oils. and today announced that pt
haps he was not yet out of politics.