Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-21
Sherclife, on Witness Stand
Shows Up Former Partner
and Friend
TO PROVE AL'B'
shercIiffe's Defense Against Train
Robbery Revealed = Will Attempt to
Prove He Was Elsewhere on Date
of Crime = Defendant Closely Cues
toned on Gross Examination.
Special to Times-Republican

Minneapolis, Jan. 21.-Frank Sher-
cliffe took the stand in his own defense
yesterday "wednesday afternoon and
denied all completely in the train rob-
plicated by the confession of Owen
Ball
Shercliffe. who gave his true name
as Sherman w. Morris, by his testi-
mony, showed that the defense will re-
ly upon an attempt to prove an alibi
and to prove that the defendants name
was brought into the case by bitter en-
emies.
Shercliffe states that he was born in
1870. He has worked in Des Moines as
a machinist or machine hand in lum-
ber furniture and casket factories. He
Schmidt & Henry furniture factory,
April 10. last. He said he stopped be-
cause work had been light, he had been
laid off for five weeks after the finan-
cial stringency the winter before and
did not know when he would be laid
off again. His wife was also sick.
He had staid at the home of his
wifes relatives. stepfather and mother,
Mr.. and Mrs Ernest kinkle, where his
wife was sick. He remained there over
a week, until April 20, then went to his
former home in Melbourne. Ia, to visit
his brother. After staying there week
y, ~ Nov cGo1 nd RI
Des Moines. Then he went to Chicago
in search of work.
Denies Train Robbery.
He said he accompanied Ball from
Chicago to Lansing, Mich, where he
was arrested and taken to Colorado for
trial on an old murder charge. In
Lansing he had been visited by his
brother and by Elmer Thomas, of the
Civic Federation of Omaha. Neb.
He said he had heard Owen Balls
testimony on the stand and that part
Of it which said he Joined Ball in the
robbery was false. He said he had not
been in Minneapolis at that time. Iowa
relatives of the prisoner and his wife
were In the court room and will be put
on the stand in the effort to substanti-
ate the alibi.
Mr.. Morrill, continued the direct ex-
animation with reference to the al
legged enemies of Shercliffe
He "knows Tom Dennison."
do you know a person by the name
of Tom Dennison?" was asked.
Il think I do. l am sure do.
How we'll do you know him? Do you
know him personally, intimately, polit-
ically or otherwise?"
Yes, sir. think know him as we'll
as any man on earth"
"What associations have YOU had
with him and where did you first
meet?"
II met him in Salt Lake City, Utah,
in the spring of 1891"
did you have any business with
him there and them"
II did-criminal business"
..Who is Tom Dennison?'
"Tom Dennison is a gambler. polf-
tician, race horse man, crook and
thief
Have you had trouble with him sub
seauent to meeting him in Salt Lake
City,"
Eyes, sir"
what business did you have with
him?"
81 had criminal business with him in
Nebraska, Iowa and Utah until Sep
TENDER, 1893.
"You got into trouble with him over
the business
Eyes, sir"
\ "And quit bitter enemies?"
well, we quit bitter enemies about
eight years later"
"How bitter?'
Expected Assassination.
Mr.. Rees objected for the state but
was overruled and the witness an
swered. $50 bitter that I expected he
might assassinate me or hire some one
to do it for him. I thought he might
blow up my house the. same as he did
the houses of some of the members
of the Civic Federation of Omaha.
At this point the court ruled that the
witness must confine himself to Den
nfson's connection with him and not
with third parties
did he ever threaten your life?"
asked Mr.. Morrill,.
Eyer sir. At Red Oak, Iowa, and
elsewhere. Fre made the assertion that
ne would Spe1lQ . 1V,VUO IL ASS0SoeoiS "
Job me. l replied that If he did not
like what I was doing | would meet
him on the street in daylight and give
him any satisfaction he wanted
Shercliffe Outlines Criminal Career.
Mr.. Rees then took the witness for
cross examination He took the witness
thru the criminal history of his life
Siarcliffe testified: 81 was first con-
victed in Aurora, ILL.,, in 1885 for TAX
ing $50 out Of an open safe In the
daytime. I was convicted in Ogden,
Utah, in 1891 of getting cash drawer
from a safe in brewers office. The
charge was grand larceny. l was con-
victed next in Logan, Iowa, in Septem-
Der, 1893, for diamond robbery"
'Is that what is called the Pollock,
diamond robbery?" asked Mr.. Rees.
at is what is called the Tom Dem
nison- Shercliffe- Pollock diamond rob-
berry," replied Sherciffe.
II was sentenced to seventeen years
in prison and served nearly ten years.
I was then convicted in Leadville, Col,
in September, 1908, Of murder in the
second degree.
A deposition introduced into the trial
Of Tom Dennson against the Daily
News of Omaha for libel, was shown
to the witness. shercliffe. identified
the signature as his and said he made
the deposition in Des Moines, Iowa,
Jan. 10, 1907.
did you not testify In that depo-
sftion that you and Dennison and pos
sibly others planned the robbery Of