Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-09-20
sLEGAL-c CRIMINAL.
Seven Years For Runyan.

Seven Years For Runyan.
Chester B. Runyan, who stole $780,.
900 from the Windsor Trust company
and who was arrested through infor.
nation furnished by his woman conn
panion, has been sentenced to seven
years in Sing Sing.
splritualist Merchant incompetent.
Edward w. Vanderbilt, an aged lUm-
Der merchant OF Brooklyn, who some
months ago married the noted spirit
ualist medium May s. Pepper and who
gave or willed to her large part OF
his property, has been judged insane
or otherwise incompetent to transact
business by the sheriff's jury summon
ed pursuant to an action brought by
his daughter to determine his mental
condition. During the hearing before
the lunacy commissioners Mr.. Wander
bill frankly admitted his belief in spir-
it manifestations, and evidence was
submitted to show that the alleged
spirits who controlled the medium had
suggested his gifts Of property to her.
Mrs. Pepper-Vanderbilt on the stand
explained that the spirit knswn as
Bright Eyes" and others took COM
plete possession Of her under certain
conditions, SO that she was unoon-
scfous Of the messages sent through
her mind to other persons present.
Twe Gent Fare Law Invalid.
The first test case against the Penn
syivania two cent railroad fare law
passed by the last legislature was de-
cided in the common pleas court 10
Philadelphia when Judges Wilson and
Audenried rendered decision against
vania railroad, which had brought suit
to enjoin the county from collecting the
fine imposed for violation Of the stat
ute. The judges hold that the new law
is unconstitutional because tho two
cent rate Is unreasonable to the point
Of confiscation, inasmuch as It would
deprive the plaintiff Of property with
out due process OF law; consequently
they say that the county should be re-
strained from demanding fines or at
tempting to force collection. The do
PENDANT urged that In determining
whether the maximum rate is improper
all traffic and rates within the state
must be taken into consideration and
that it Is not lawful to take the pas.
senger traffic into consideration with.
out reference to express and freight
rates, but this view was not accepted
by the court. The case was TO be
taken at once to the supreme court Of
the state.
More Oil Trust indictments.
The federal grand jury mt James
town, N. y, has completed Its investi-
CATION of the alleged railroad rebating
to the Standard Oh company, and four
additional indictments have been re-
turned, each containing flfty-eigbt
counts, covering carloads Of oil ship
ped from Clean, N. Y, to points ln
Vermont by the New York Central and
Pennsylvania railroads. The ofrense
charged is concessions to subsidiaries
of the Standard Oh company operat-
ing in that field, the published rate BE-
ing 261a cents and the rite to the,
Standard companies being 1910 cents.
II the companies should be convicted
on all the counts. the court could im-
pose fines aggregatlng $4,G40, 600,
which, added to the Indictment preyi-
ously found, would make a possible
aggregate nearly rs great as that linz
posed by Judge Lands of Chicago.
TayIor's Warrant Suspended.
In the circuit court at Lexington,
KY, Judge Stout ordered the suspe1y
sion of the warrant issued against for,
mer Governor w. s. Taylor. now a fu-
gitive In Indiana, who Is charged with
completely In the murder OF william
Goebel, in order that Taylor may come
to Kentucky to testify In behalf Of
Caleb Powers, soon to be tried for the
fourth time for the Goebel murder.
leo Trust Letters Published.
Evidence Of the most glaring sort
In the shape OF letters written by Wes-
ley NJ. Oler, president Of the American
Ice company, telling Of numerous deals
and methods used in corncring the
market have been taken possession Of
by Attorney General Jackson Of New
York through court order. The dis
trict attorney will be asked to lay this
before the grand jury These letters
are written In satirical vein. laugh
ing at the helpless competitors and
public and expressing approval OF Je-
rome as "a perfectly calm, sane man
who approaches the matter In sensi-
BILE, businesslike way"