Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-31
ARMSTRONG FINED
500 AND COSTS
Case Against Money Lender APP
pealed on a Decision OF
Guilty
GOES TO DISTRICT COURT
Prosecution Brought Under City Ord.
nance Prohibiting the Taking Of
Personal Property as Security for q
Lean Without Securing q License as
Pawn Broker.


money lender, who was arrested by
Chief of Police w. E. Nicholson Thurs
day afternoon, on a charge of misde-
meslnor, was found guilty, by Mayor
o. l.. Ingledue this morning. Arm
strong was fined 500, and the costs,
or thirty days in Jail. the maximum
penalty possible for the offense. No
tice of appeal was at once served,
Armstrong putting UP cash bond Of
$500.
The particular offense on which
Armstrong was found guilty vs for
securing from Byron Plato a watch.
for which he gave Plato S.. Plato,
who has been employed by the Iowa
Central, said on the witness stand that
he put up the watch as security for
loan for two weeks Armstrong con-
tended that he bought the watch out
right and produced bill OF sale to
support his claim.
The section Of the ordinance on H.
censes. under which the prosecution
was made, reads: ''Pawnbrokers and
persons receiving actual possession Of
personal property as security for a
loan, with or without a mortgage or
bill OF sale thereon, shall pay the sum
of SIS semi-annually." The city al
legged that Armstrong had never paid
the license.
The loan or sale, involved in the
case, was made on July %, according
to the bill Of sale introduced. Arm
strong commended In his testimony that
the watch was bought Internationally.
and that his sale price. should Plato
want to buy it back, and provided it
had not been already sold to some
other purchaser, was $5.75. "A card
bearing Armstrong; name and this
amount was introduced In evidence. It
was secured from Plato, who said
Armstrong gave 1t to him.
To every question bearing on wheth-
er or not the transaction was a loan
or sale Armstrong commended that
1t was a sale pure and simple. Plato
testified that it was q loan for a per-
iod OF two weeks.
Mayor Scores Armstrong
{ Mayor Insledue scored Armstrong
when he imposed the fine. He said he
had warned Armstrong that his bust
ness was being watched, and that
complaints had come to him that
Armstrong was doing a pawnbroker's
business. but that It was not until re-
Gently that the city has secured any
evidence. Mayor Ingledue also said
that he believed that Armstrong was
liable to the city TOR a pawnbrokers
license Of $50 a year for, number o.
years, and that that phase OF the quesi
ton he intended to take up WithAthe
city attorney later.
Armstrong May Sue Mayor.
That suit against Mayor Inghedue,
in the shape Of impeachment proceed
ings, is not an tmprobabdlity for the
near future, was stated by Armstrong
today when he said that this action
brought by the city would not in any
way deter him from bringing an action
that he had contemplated for some
time, or ever since the killing OF
George W. Davis by w. d. Toler.
Mr. Armstrong says that he has
Investigated fully the sentiment In the
city, and finds that he will have plenty
Of evidence that can be introduced to
show that the mayor has violated his
oath Of office in his attitude during
the strike, in not suppressing riots
and preserving order. Because he had
expressed himself publicly on the
street against the administration, Arm
strong alleges that the present action
against him is brought, and that 1t
is due to purely a personal animus on
the part Of the mayor.
Why Was He Not Notified?
why was l not notified that Ii
cense was expected Of me?' Arm
strong asked, in talking about the
case. The chief of police goes here,
and there, and everywhere about the
city, collecting licenses, and yet ahe
has never come to me, nor notified me
that was expected to pay a license
for conducting pawn shop. If the
mayor was inclined to be fair he would
have so notified me and given me a
chance to pay license II thought
owed one, before filing an information
and causing my arrest"
(Mr. Armstrong also said that he
was not in business at the present
time, nor had he been since April He
has. sold his office furniture, his safe,
and other office fixtures.