Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-20
VAUDEVILLE STUNTS
IN D0BB|hS Trial
SEVERAL WITNESSES coNvuLsE
SPECTATORS WHEN THEY
GIVE TESTIMONY.
GERMAN TELLS HOW HE WAS
SEPARATED FROM $4,000
Castle Relates Methods by Which He
Was Roped in and, Also Details Some
of the Social Pastimes of Gentle
mems Club at Brist-state's Testi-
mony Nears Close.
;pecial to Times-Republican.


Council Bluffs, Nov. 2O.--The philo- |
sophical manner in which some of the
victims of the Mabray gang pocketed
their losses, and the humorous way in
which some of them are now relating
their stories upon the witness stand in
the case of the state VS.. John r. Dob
bins. charged with being the chief
steerer who lured Banker Ballew of
Missouri into losing $4,000 on a fake
horse race, are features of trial which
will long be regarded as one of the
most remarkable over tried in an Iowa
court.
Time and again court and attaches
have been convulsed in laughter and
several times business had to be sus-
pended until order could be restored
and judge and jury assumed frame of
mind proper for the consideration of
the testimony and befltting the serious
ness of the case. Time has healed the
wounds of the men injured in their con-
tacEwith the members of the syndicate,
and as one after another of the victims
related their experiences the humor be-
came infectious. The personal appear
ances and droll speech of some of the
witnesses has served to accentuate the
setting for the "Comedy of Errors"
and if, at times, the usual judicial at
mosphere was lacking, 1t only served to
relieve the tedium of "a long drawn out
trial.
At one point in the proceedings, when
w. H. Bedford of Missouri, told of one
| Carson, a steerer, exerting hypnotic
| influence upon him, the court and spec
tators were startled. This is an entire
ly new phase and unsupported feature
of the alleged swindles.
| Hemelbrecht Makes Fun.
John Hemelhrecht, of Bancort, Neb.,
a German farmer vs,,.a testified to his
experience while besalg eeparated from
| $4,000 in cash by the gang, was one of
| those who detracted from the serious
ness of the case thru his droll speech.
| The place where all the races We're
| pulled off lies some distance south of
| Council Bluffs, and when Hemebrecht.
in answer to a question said, they
did have me going some south. Attor-
ney General Byers said, I'm not Jok-
ing, Mr.. Hemelbrecht. Now, which way
were you going when you Nleft the
Grand hotel?" Il yust said dot 1 vas
going sout-you think this been one
yoke, zu mir?" More questioning and
nodding of heads led the German to ex-
claim, "I think l bin got some sense
vet; 1 know we're 1 vas when l bin
home, by chiminy.'
| In relating his experience, the usual
story, Hemelbrecht said: Il vas to help
oudt In der races, undt do der betting.
Mr.. Maxwell, the secretary, he tole me
4 dot I should get some drafts so der
millionaires vot was to lose would think
had money to go home on if l lose
so they wouldn't feel bad about bot
ting"
Castle Tells Of Britt Poker.
George r. Castle, of Britt, Iowa, and
George L. Brown. of Norton county
Kansas, were two other victims who
testified. Castles story was enlivened
/, by queries. on cross examination. In
relation to an indictment returned
against him in Britt on a gambling
: charge shortly after he was swindled
and his admission that he entered a
plea of guilty to the charge and his
: exclamation of how 1t happened. IN
Castles narrative of the manner IN
r which he was swindled out of $4,000
by the Mabray gang, brought into the
case the name of a young man named
Godfrey, resident of Britt whose faith
er Castle knew we'll Godfrey, Castle
said, introduced him Into the game HIS
! exnerience ended with the usual charge
of a shortage Of $500 in the stakes, the
: refusal of Wilson to count the stakes
until after the 'race, confusion, excite
i. ment and distraction and the usua
: quick getaway of the entire bunch.
: During the cross examination of Cas-.
: tie the witness became somewhat net
tied and exclaimed. IF I've got to eX-
plain the politics of Iowa / want ths
floor for a minute. / am a republican
and 7 challenged thirty-one democrats
who were trying to vote in our caucus
: Then they tried to get even with M
by having me indicted for gambling.
You see it was just like this. W.
Just had a little social one-horse poke
; game after supper, like people do ev
= erywhere."
81 object to the witness saying tina
people everywhere play one-horse pok
ner." interposed Attorney Tinley for tn
:, defense.
"I'll take 1t back" said the witness
"The lawyers in Council Bluffs don't
they, play for something Digger.
The court again raped for order ant
threatened to clear the court room
. eve are not running, a vaudevill
a show" said Judge Green with som
q asperity.
J, For the first time group photograph
Of wrestling match was introduced a
: evidence. From this photograph bot
. Castle and Brown identified several @
! the men, one of whom was Gordon" O
| Aabray.
8 Browns story had so much of tn
2 sameness that 1t was featureless
a C. A. Nelson, Of Alma. Mich. VIII
Z testified to having dropped $4,000 int
J, the Mabray hopper, is the only victir
II thus, FAR known who has the distinc
I tion of having recovered a part of hi
. Host money, testifying that he was pal