Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-02

| poration politicians, hammering In
! silently at the doors of the peniten-
| tiary for the release of a thief who
might otherwise have died Thousand
times in states prison. unknown AND
| unnoticed Shercliffe had no intiu-
encc with Shaw. He has none Win
Cumlnns There is not public man
in the state or an honest editor who
would be willing to insinuatc that
Sherclitre has influence with Cummins
John n Baldwin, Judge n. NJ. Hub
| bard, Joe Blythe and other railroad
| corporation solicitors, had induence
with Mr.. Shaw to secure Shercliiie's
| parole when Tom Dennison put the
| springs in motion. The have not and
never had any such influence or con-
troll over Governor Cummins. And
there is the rub.
The political lid has been kept down
on the Dennison trial now in progress
| 1t belongs there. No one wants to see
political corruption made part of the
| case against a man on trial for re-
ceiving stolen property. The attorneys
| for the prosecution have very properly
kept politics out of the case and avoid
ed the charge against themselves and
the state of political prejudice and
persecution They have allowed II. G.
| Mcmillan to keep off the stand on the
plea that his duties in the federal
| court at Sioux City demanded his un-
divided attention. Mr. McMillan's UNI
swerving attention to the prosecution
of bootleggers promises well for the
United States revenues and offers hope
that the deficit In the treasury will
soon become surplus. The states
lawyers were kind to Charley Hipweli
When he came to Red Oak pleading
that he was the only Iowa politician
present as a witness and he a democrat
and urged that he should not be Sc
lected as the single sacrifice, the at
torneys for the state were touched by
Charley'sr plea.
One bulwark Of defense set up for
Tom Dennison is the allegation that
Omaha politicians seek his downfall.
His shrewd attorneys have managed
to get much of this before the jury In
the hope to prejudice the case Of the
state. To bring Iowa politics into
the case would have assisted this de-
Tense. There are plenty Of reasons
from the lawyers point of view to
keep the lid closed and try Tom as a
thief and not as politician
There is a lowlivedness peculiar to
the paper that makes 1t in the insinua-
ton that Governor Cummins Is shelter
ing an alleged thief and murderer from
"many sheriffs," who are waiting for
the governor to honor requisition pa
pares." 1t is perhaps the conviction of
the Cedar Rapids paper that the gov
pernor should permit the principal
witness of an Important case to be
taken from the witness stand before
the case is finished. This seemed to be
the idea when the Jefferson county au-
thorities proposed to carry Shercliffe
away from Logan at critical time
last year, and were defeated in their
purpose by the ruling Of the court,
which at that time appears to have
sheltered the witness from many
sheriffs." Doubtless Tom Dennison
and a number of Iowa politicians of
certain stripe would feel easier If they
might see shercliffe going out of the
state in irons, but those who wish to
see Justice done would justly condemn
any scheme to take him away at least
until the prosecution of Tom Dennison
has been decided.
There is nothing to be said for Sher-
cliffe except that he served his time
for the diamond robbery and has had
no charge brought against him since
he came from the penitentiary, but 1t
is proper to say OF him that nearly
every one of those close to the trial
considers the many demands for him
as so many "big bluffs" They come
from fields where gamblers have wide
influence with county officials Sher-
cliffe was free for about two years,
and none Of these "many sheriffs"
wanted him then. He lay in the pen
itentiary for years and none Of the
many sheriffs" thought Of him. 1t is
suggestive that only after Shercliffe
gave Dennison and his political pals
away that the "many sheriffs" surged
lin. There is difference between
protecting an important witness in
state case and turning loose in the
state criminal who had not confessed
his crime or offered restitution. To
offer uncalled for and unjust insinua.
tionS against Mr.. Cummins will
scarcely help the case of either Mr..
Shaw or Mr.. Mcmillan. The Cedar
Rapids papers weak attempt at back
firing is a complete failure
THE vAPORINGS OF CRIMINALS.
Professor Clan, college professor at
Pisa. Italy, is attracting considerable