Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-23
EGANS GREAT FIGHT
Former Iowa Attorney Who is
Opposed By Entire Bar OF
Sioux Falls
MAKES PHENOMENAL CONTEST
Sensational Political Campaign Results
in Heavy Vote for lowan-Would
Keep Him Out of Office by Disbar-
ment Proceedings = News of the
State.
peciaY to Tines Republican.

torneys of Sioux Falls succeed in keep
ing George w. Egan from becoming
states attorney of Minnehaha county
by disbarring him?
nous thru all this middle west by his
appearance in the Denison diamond
robbery case at Omaha and the Mrs
Moses Kaufman murder case at Sioux
Falls, be driven from the bar and
kicked out Of the state, as has been
threatened?
These are questions which suggest
the bitterness of conflict that already
has been waged before the district and
supreme courts of the state. before
juries and before the voting public, a
conflict that has grown so bitter that
even Mr.. Egan was harassed into MAX
ing personal assault upon one Of his
enemies.
East week Mr.. Egan won his great
est victory over his foes, when as a
candidate for states attorney on the
progressive republican ticket, he was
nominated by majority of 1,s4s in
this county, which was carried by Sen
ator Kittredge, stalwart candidate, by
alaeven 400 votes. His success in in
ducing almost 900 stalwarts to vote for
him has temporarily abashed the crow
that has been fighting him.
But we will not stop until Mr.. Egan
is out of the bar and out of the state"
insisted one Of the attorneys who has
been most intense In opposing him;
this was his answer to Egan's nomina-
ton.
Even today 1t is frequently asserted
In Sioux Falls that Egan will never
become states attorney, for the reason,
it is said, that the steps already taken
to disbar him will succeed.
Before an audience of 1000 men and
women, most of whom cheered him
wildly, Mr.. Egan, on the evening be-
fore the primaries described what he
by members of the Minnehaha Bar as
ISOLATION to keep him from becoming
resident Of Sioux Falls and from
practicing law here.
You are not voting on my candi-
dacy," he declared in conclusion, you
will say by your votes whether or not
any man can come to Sioux Falls and
engage in the practice of law without
bending the knee to these people"
Egan's Campaign Overshadows All.
While 1t is commonly supposed the
recent contest within the republican
party in South Dakota is the most acri-
monious campaign in Its experience, as
a matter OF fact it was completely
overshadowed in Sioux Falls by the
struggle going on between the friends
and opponents of Egan.
Mr.. Egan removed frorr rsn~e'' r"
to Sioux Falls last November. He first
was introduced to Sioux Falls, Masa. A
little more than year ago, citizens
Of Parkston, IS. d., employed him to
prosecute Mrs. Moses Kaufman, for
thez,murder Of Agnes Polreis, poor
girl from Parkston who had been en-
ployed as domestic in the Kaufman
home. Examinations Of the girls body
had disclosed that she was cut and
bruised, that her wounds had been
soaked in I've, that she was internally
injured. Mr.. Kaufman has long been
influential politically in Sioux Falls
and the Parkston people were dubious
asssto whether the Minnehaha county
states attorney, Alpha Orr, would be
willing to proceed against his money
and influence, as vigorously as they
wanted. So Egan came to Sioux Falls
and 1t was not long till he had trouble
with the states attorney and his part
ner. p. C. Rodabaugh. AS Egan tells
the story, Rodabaugh came to him
with a proposition to drop the case,
asserting the woman's guilt could not
be proved and that the county should
be spared the expense. Egan says he
indignantly refused and ordered Roda-
baugh from his room.
In his speech before the primaries,
Mr.. Egan held up before the audience
an affidavit in which 1t was asserted
that Rodabaugh had tried to induce a
deputy sheriff to Join with him in a
plot to compromise Egan with a wom-
an who should be hired to make her
way into his room. Egan obtained the
affidavit and then demanded Of Orr
and Rodabaugh that he be allowed to
try the case in his own way. At all
events, Mr.. Egan did have charge Of
the prosecution and Mrs. Kaufman
was convicted.
Fight in o'Grady Case.
Last fall, Mrs. Julia Ann O'Grady,
wife of farmer near Sioux Falls, was
arrested for the murder of her hus-
band. who was shot while reading in
his home. She employed Egan as her
attorney and turned over to him her
farm and $1,050 in cash. The Mime
haha County Bar association brought
proceedings to have Mrs. O'Grady de-
ciared incompetent, in which case, Of
course, her employment of Egan would
not be recognized by the courts. The
court held with the bar association and
Egan appealed.g Early in January,
County Attorney Orr dismissed the
charge against Mrs. O'Grady. The at
torneys against Egan claim his record
shows he took advantage Of a Woman's
incompetency to obtain all her prop
erty.
Mr.. Egan told publicly that in the
tincompetency proceedings he was sup
ported by 20 witnesses. all of whom
declared her competent, and that only
three testified against her and they
would not say she was incompetent. In
his finding, as quoted by Egan, the
court said: Mrs OGrady admits that
she has employed Mr.. Egan as her at
torney and turned over all her property
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