The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-11-04
DoBB1Ns SOON TO BE TRIED.
Princeton Gambler Charged With
Swinding T. W.. Ballew Out of
$4,000, on Fake Race,
Will be Tried at Coun-
Gil Bluffs Nov Is.

w LII VIC lIlVO az SouA
Gil Bluffs Nov Is.
Council Bluffs, Oct. 28.-County
Attorney J.. j. Hess and Attorney
General Byers have decided that, of
the two indictments pending against
John R. Dobbins in the district court,
the one charging larceny OF $4,000
from T. w. Ballew, the millionaire
Princeton, Mo-, banker, shall be tried
first. Dobbins is indicted also on
charge of conspiracy to rob and steal.
The state has the right to elect which
of the two cases shall be first taken
iup. .
The larceny charge is regarded by
the state as the stronger. In fact,
the Iowa supreme court, in its ruling
in the case of Leon Loser, or LoZier
and Ed Moore, knocked out conspir-
acy charge in somewhat similar
case. Loser and Moore were then
local sports. the former being foot
racer and the latter gambler. They
were indicted for conspiring to swim
die William Barker and Charles
Gregory out of several thousand dol
lars on fake race at Webb City, Mo.
The Webb City gang was the pre-
decessor of the Maybray syndicate in
the Mike making business. Loser
and Moore, it was shown by the
evidence given in their trials, induc-
ed Gregory and Barker to go to Webb
City and wager some $4,000 or
$1,000 on a race. which, of course,
went against them.
incidentally, Loser is one of the
men indicted in the federal court
here and in Omaha as steerer and
accomplice in the Mabray operations
1t is declared by lawyers that, in
order to prove Dobbins guilty of
larceny of Ballew's $4,000 it must
be shown that he actually partici-
pated in division of the plumber.
1t is to this point in the case that the
evidence of three witnesses is direct
ed who have been subpoenaed by
county attorney Hess. Notice of the
summoning of these witnesses has
just been filed by the state in the
Office of the clerk of the district
court They are Gilmore Markley, a
hotel keeper Of Centerville, Iowa,
Scott Craig, conductor on the K.
c., St. Joe & Council Bluffs railroad
line, Lew Young, a travelling man,
and Levi Lowery, stock buyer
Markley is expected to testify that
Dobbins, Immediately after the al
legged swindling of Ballew, showed
/ him diamonds which Dobbins valued
at $500, and which ne told Markley
he had just redeemed with money
secured at Council Bluffs.
Craig, Young and Lowery will tes-
fifty, it is stated, that Dobbins told
them on Craig's train about the
swindling of BalleW, and that he had
received his share of the money.
This was while Dobbins, it is claimed
was enroute from Council Bluffs i'm
mediately after Ballew had been in
itiated into the Numerous and Sus-
ceptible Order of Mikes.
Dobbins is said to have received
$500 as his share of the Ballew
swindle. 1t was the rule of the syn
dictate, as shown by the memoranda
found in the possession of Mabray at
Little Rock, Ark. to give the steerer
so per cent Of the proceeds Of his
IDEAL" A second man named Mar
tin is said to have been implicated
with Dobbins in the Ballew swindle.
and the $4,000 which represented
the steerer's share of the Ballew
money was divided between them.
Dobbins disappeared from Council
Bluffs about the time the federal
grand jury returned its indictment
here. Where he is no one here ex-
cept his attorneys knows, and they
naturally decline to discuss the sub
ject. They have, however, given as
surance to county attorney Hess that
their client will be here when his
case is called for trial in the district
. court on Nov. 18th.