Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-24
John B. Hollenhors, Roadmaster
and c. J. johnson, Section
Foreman, Bound Over
MAKE CONFESSION
TdQkimony of johnson and of William
sibert, Said to Be Implicated With
HoiIenhors in Defraudins Company,
"A Virtual confession-Both Con.
fessed to Division of Money.

John B. Hollenhors, of this city, a
Great Western, and Claude ]. Johnson,
a section foreman for the road at
Reinbeck, were held to the grand jury
by Justice Clark for conspiracy and
obtaining money by false pretenses
from the company by padding the pay
rolls Hollenhors was bound over this
morning, and johnson was held to
await the action Of the grand jury late
Saturday afternoon. Both were held
under bonds of $3.50. and furnished
them. II. R. Morris, of Melbourne,
acted as surety for Hollenhors.
The hearing, which began Saturday
morning, and which was secret at the
request of Hollenhors' attorney, was
not concluded until almost noon today.
1t furnished a number Of sensations,
including the admissions of guilt and
practical confession from c. j.
johnson and William Sibert, the latter
former agent for the company at
Cedar Falls, who has also been arrest
at the instance of Hollenhors' attor-
ney, waived examination, and was
held to the grand jury.
The defense offered no testimony,
but Hollenhors' attorney made a mo-
ton that the case be dismissed,
which was overruled.
Testimony Confessions Of Guilt.
The testimony of both Johnson and
Sibert was an admission of the guilt
OF both. johnson connived with Hol-
lenhors, SO he testified, to padding the
pay rolls and dividing the money. ST.
bert, at the time, was in Waterloo,
where he arranged the qashing Of the
checks, and secured the money. The
securing Of the money on the checks,
from the funds of the railroad COM
pany, was corroborated by Cashier
Swindell, of Waterloo, who testified to
seeing Sibert and Bridges, a clerk in
Swindell's office. bending over in front
of the safe, and Of finding the checks
in the safe and the money gone.
Johnson Arrested.
No sooner had johnson told in detail
his connection with the stuffing Of his
pay rolls and the division Of the money
than Hollenhors attorney drew UP an
information and swore to 1t, and Johff-
son was placed under arrest. The In
formation contains virtually all the
claims made against Hollenhors. in tho
one filed by the company. 1t refers to
the three checks, and charges conspir-
acy. johnson telephoned to the Rein
beck State Bank, and thru it P. S.
Balch, Of the Marshalltown State Bank.
went surety on his bond
'Foreman's Testimony Sensational.
Johnson's testimony was little shor.
Of sensational. He went into detail
and told of the addition of three names
to the pay roll of his section. This he
said he did at the instance of Hollen-
hors, who was roadlnaster of his di-
vision. Johnson testified that Hollen-
hors told him he would get one-third
Of the amount realized on the checks.
The time book was brought to this
city, johnson said, and here it was
fixed that the checks were to be turned
in at Waterloo for payment. The names
and the amounts Johnson said which
were added to the roll were those of
q. I1OluiD6ES, $OV.ot, r Johnson, $E0.Sl:
and c. Bergstrand, $19.61. johnson also
testified to receiving one-third of the
money, $24.70.
Sibert Got the Money.
The checks were endorsed with the
fictitious names, and were sent to ST.
bert, so he testified. He cashed them.
keeping one-third Of the money, and
giving one-third to Johnson and the
other third to Hollenhors Sibert
said he got the checks cashed by
clerk named Bridges in the office of
Swindell, cashier.
Swindell, the cashier, was absent, he
testified at the time, but returning to
the office he saw thru. the window
Sibert and Bridges bending over in
front of the safe as tho taking some
thing from it. Later he found the
checks, and knew company funds if
cashing them, had been paid out
The state attempted to prove that
since 1903 such similar transactions to
defraud the company had been going
on, with Hollenhors as the instigator,
but on the objection Of Hollenhor's at
torney the testimony was ruled out
Johnson said he knew of other deals"
but in them he had not shared.
RIJou OPENS.