Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-04-13
EVIDENCE NIL
SURPRISE PUBLIC
The X-Rays of Dennison Trial
May Make Some Politicians
Uncomfortable
THOMAS KEEPS sLosE WATCH
Omaha Attorney Has Followed sys-
tematic Plan of Watching Diamond
Robbers Movements - Sarah Kuhn
May Be Pardoned at Next Session
of the General Assembly.
Special to Times-Re Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, April 13.-It was Sep
tember 4, 1903, over year ago that
Sherman Morris, alias Frank Sher-
cliffe, made his affidavit duplicating
Tom Dennison in the Pollock diamond
robbery. 1t was this affidavit which
| led to the Indictment against Dennison
i'm Harrison county by the grand jury
and the subsequent hard fight to get
Dennison into Iowa on an extrat.ition.
| The case, which will come on for trial
sooner or later will be one of the most
| interesting that has been heard in the
| Iowa courts and will undoubtedly be
carried to the supreme court. 1t is
quite probable that there has never
been u case heard in the courts OF this
state where every inch of the ground
leading up to the Indictment and trial
has been fought over so thoroughly
and desperately as this trial. The gem
eral outline of the facts of the famous
diamond robbery are pretty we'll
known to the people of Iowa, but it
is not generally known to every one
that for years Tom Dennison has
scarcely made move of which Elmer
e. Thomas Of Omaha, was not inform
ed Thomas is the attorney of the
Civic Federation of Omaha which for
years has been making fight for good
government for that city and Denni-
son as the king of the gambling frater-
nifty has been the chief target. When
it became suspicioned that Dennison
had been implicated in the diamond
robbery a systematic plan of watching
his movements were started, and since
then Dennison has never left the city
but Thomas knew whare he vent, to
whom he talked and in fact his every
movement. While Shercliffe's testi-
mony will be perhaps the principal tes-
timony at the trial in Logan, i. is far
from being the only evidence and it is
learned that a vast amount Of vail
liable evidence of which the public has
not rhe slightest idea will be introduce
ed.
| Shercliffe's affidavit, which was
made while he was in the penitentiary,
recites that he met Dennlson in Oma-
ha and was told by him that w. G..
Pollock carried large amount OF dia-
mords and would travel on tie Sioux
| City s. Pacific train on certain day.
Shercliffe then did the robbng and
| buried the diamonds and Pollock's re-
volver near a school house in Missouri
Valley He told Dennison where the
diamonds were buried and later ac-
cording to his statement received
word from Dennison that he had OBJ
tanned the diamonds but not the re-
volver. The diamonds were valued at
about $4,000 and according 20 Sher-
cliffe he received from Dennison in all
$2,O35 Of this $1,000 was money that
Dennison put up for his bond when he
was arrested in Seattle for disposing
of stolen goods. In cash he received
$1,O35.
There is belief current that Sarah
Kuhn will be pardoned by the next
session of the general assen bly, tho
the same men will compose it that
refused a pardon at the last session.
Arrangements are being made at this
time for presenting the matter to the
next general assembly. In ad-
dition to Senator Courtright
be making a study of her case, he is
being reinforced by Senator Whipple
of Vinton who has now taken up the
case. The pardon was refused by the
last legislature by but narrow ma
ioirty. Representative Thomas Cen
eva of What Cheer represents Keo-
kuk county from which Mrs. Kuhn
WAS sent to the penitentiary He took
a leading part in the movement to get
pardon but Senator John t. Brooks
in the senate opposed the granting of
a pardon at first and later 1save only
passive consent. 1t is claimed by
those interested in securing the par
don that the opposition of Senator
Saunders, who was chairman of the
senate committee on pardons was the
chief factor in defeating the move to
vote pardon.
Senator Young of Keokuk is again
to introduce his bill to abolish the
railroad commission. The bill was in
troduced at the last session of the leg
islature but met defeat. Senator
Young is democratic member who
believes that the railroad commission
is useless appendage to the govern
ment of the state and proposes to
have it abolished. Word has reached
les Moines that he has the bill ready
and proposes to introduce it on the
opening day of the Legislature. He be-
l;eves the bill would have passed at
the last session but for the fact that
he did not get it in early enough. The
kill died in the hands of the commit
tee and never came before the senate
for vote.
A number of the former employees
of the senate and house are becoming
anxious to know whether or not the
proposition to keep the old organlza-
lion as to committees will extend to
the employees. Should the two branch
e.s of the state government decide to