Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-07
ILLINOIS STATE OFFICIAL AR
RESTED IN CONNECTION
WITH koPF MURDER
DEEP PLOT is ALLEGED
Frank c. Farnum, Leader Of Faction
Opposed to That Which the Late
J. v. kopf Headed, Is Said to Have
Planned killing Of Kopf-Farnum
Gives Bail.

Chicago, Dec. 6.-State Senator
Frank G.: Farnum, charged with being
an accessory to the murder of County
Commissioner John V. Kopf, was today
held to the grand jury in bonds Of $780,
900 for hearing December 16.
Farnum, who represents the nine
teenth district in the upper house Of
the Illinois general assembly, was ar
rested yesterday afternoon and locked
all night in a cell in the Warren av-
enue police station.
The charge brought against Farnum
by the city police is that of murder.
Translated, the accusation is that Of
being accessory before the fact to the
fatal stabbing of County Commissioner
John V. Kopf eight days ago. George
Gill Roberts, clerk at the republican
ward election in the thirteenth ward,
is held for the actual stabbing, which
resulted in the commissioners sudden
death on Sunday.
The arrest Of Farnum was the start
ling outcome Of the murder, which in
turn was the elimination o. long con.
tinued bitterness between warning fac
tions of Lorimer and Deneen republi-
cans in the thirteenth ward.
Evidence Laid Before Collins.
Captain Peter NJ. Kelly of the War
ren avenue statlon, who has had
charge of the case from the day of the
ward club election, held a conference
with Chief Collins early yesterday aft
ernoon and laid before him the infor-
nation that had been secured. The
result was the decision to arrest Far
mum at once. Then Captain Kelly con-
tinued to maintain strict secrecy.
Roberts Held As Actual Slayer.
The police, continue, to hold that be-
yond a doubt Roberts, the election
clerk, was the only man who had a
hand in the actual stabbing, which
took place in the voting room at 1850
West Madison street. Numerous wit
nesses have stated this to Captain
Kelly, and there is no reason for be-
lieving that Senator Farnum will be
accused of taking physical part in
the riot which occurred about, the
judges table during which Roberts
thrust his pocketknife into Kopf's
side.
Congressman Lorimer arrived in
the evening from Washir -ton to at
tend the funeral Of Mr.. Kopf, which
took place this morning.
Denounced as Result Of Plot.
The stabbing of Commissioner Kopf
attracted widespread astonishment in
political circles throughout the city.
The entire Lorimer following at once
denounced the entire occurrence as a
deliberate plot on the part of the fac.
tion led by Senator Farnum, w. ].
Jackman and Fred F. Bullen, which
supported Deneen in the last election.
The severity of their criticism and
the general Indignation on the west
side stirred the Warren avenue police
to speedy action, which resulted in
Farnnms arrest -
Such an arrest has not before been
made in the history of Chicago poll.
tics. Late Sunday evening, after all
efforts to draw from Roberts con
fession that the stabbing had been
planned had failed, Callahan, the 9th,
er election clerk,wss arrested charged
with completely in the crime, and was
locked up in the Warren avenue sta.
ton. No formal charge was entered
/ against him, and it was known that
the police hoped and expected to
frighten him by threats of prosecution
into 'squealing." A rumor went out
that Callahan had turned states evi
dencef under the pressure which had
been brought against him. In an at
tempt to verify this belief, Captain
Kelly was asked to state if Callahan
was to be prosecuted, and he said ne
had not determined on his action to
ward that prisoner ss1 a5-