Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-19
ANUSES
At DOBB|NS TRIAL
ONE OF THE MARRAY mikes"
WHO GOT FUN OUT OF BEING
vIcTiMlzED.
LOST $1,000 ON FAKE RACE
BUT GAINED SOME FUN
Bedford Relates How the Bets Were
Mixed and How the Fake Injury of
the Jockey Was Worked-Admits
That He Was an Easy Mark For
Swindlers.
Special to Times-Republican.

special 10 11meS-ReD
Council Bluffs, Nov. 19.--W. H. Bed
ford, of Bolcllow, Mo-, the first in the
array of victims of the Mabray syndi-
cate to testify in the Dobbins trial.
almost convulsed the court, jury and
attorneys several times by his droll
way of telling his experiences with the
gang which ultimately cost him little
been one of the best losers the syn
dictate encountered and the easy man
indicated that time had helped him to
forget 1t and the longer he reflects on
his loss and actions the more he be
lieves he was several kinds of fool.
Bedford testified that he was roped
into the deal thru the advances of a
man named Carson, who was intro
duced to Bedford by neighbor named
Barnes. Barnes vouched for Carson $
reputation and reliability. Bedford $
experience with the gang which feeced
him varied from that of Banker Bal
lew in that Bedford says he was in
duced to come to Council Bluffs on q
land deal, and that while he was here
he was introduced to party of mil
lionaires who Were running q line from
Council Bluffs to Des Moines for an
electric railroad. He was introduced
to a man named Maxwell private sec
retary to the millionares, who, in order
to get even with them for some fancied
slight. had agreed to help Carson
skin the milionaires. Bedford. he
testified, was ITO represent them in a
horse race. Much time was spent in
preliminaries, and when the witness
told about being taken out to see the
race horses and when he exam
ined the teeth of the horse which wa.
to win and said. "his name was REQ
Leo; looked at his teeth and saw
he was about years old. One of hi,
hips was a leetle lower than the other
thought | had seen horses that could
run faster" a perceptible ripple OF
laughter went over the court room.
"Mixins" the Bets.
about noon" continued the witness
Maxwell gave me fifty 800 bills two
$1,000 bills and another roll of money
| got cashiers check for my s.. 00t
and was instructed that when / drew
out Maxwell's money l should also
draw out my check and casually lay
it down. | had suggested that Max
we'll be stakeholder and the milionaires
said it would be all right With them
but that it might give them an advan-
ltage as Maxwell was their private sec.
retary. After the first days bettina
| Maxwell came to me ana said he hat
all the stake money in the millionaires
| strong box and that he couldn't get a
/ 1t in time for the betting. He sug.
! gested that / cash my check ! tolc
him l wasn't to do any betting will
my own money and he said that i
wouldn't really be betting Just loanini
1T until he could get at the money il
the strong box, so he complied and hi.
$4,000 was just mixed in with th,
rest and became a part OF the pot
Working the Jockey Game.
/ There was a cry of a shortage II
the stakes of $500 during the most ex
citing part of the betting and Maxwell
l who was under suspicion of havin,
manipulated the bets and money, wa
accused of being responsible for tn
shortage, which was claimed existet
by Gordon. one of the millionaires. Ii
the meantime Bedford went to Mis-
shortage good and togave Martin, VIII
ND I,
would lose his job and reputation. Fin
: ally the race was run at the conclu
sion of which, as the Bedford Carson
Martin jockey lay on the ground flop
ping around" with the supposed bloo
flowing from his mouth. ~ saw 1t wa
not blood" testified Bedford, "but
thought it no good to say anything, be
cause 7 was In anyway, so I just con
cluded to take my medicine. The iocke
was Hopping around and Gordon ex
claimed My God. he's going to die
I Proves An Easy Mark.
"Finally we came back to town. A
we drove up to the Burlington depo
, Carson stopped. asked him why h
was stopping there. and he said, Don
you want to take this train I said
did We went to the depot and he too
me into the toilet room and he bega
, to cry and said he was ruined an
; didn't have cent NV poor wife an
babies he kept saying.
II thought, My God. am crazy
but 1 pulled out $40 and gave 1t t
Carson"
Bedford took the train and wer
; home fully satisfied that he had bee
swindled and content to take his med
: icine. as he frankly admitted on til
: witness stand. On cross examination
, when asked what he told the banker
] when he went for the $1,000. Bedfor
laughngly replied that he might hay
told them dozen fish stories. Once. O
his return to Council Bluffs from
return trip to Missouri the millionaire
! were so busy buying right Of way II
r their electric line to Des Moines, thu
they kept Bedford waiting some tim
Bedford several times referred to Ms
bray In his testimony, In this mar
ner, 'Mabray-i, mean Gosacn-for