The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-05-29
INDICTMENT RESULT
OF EvANGELIST'S CHlRGES
Alleged That County Officials
Received BTIhsS From GamhIeis
and DOtSsggsTs

Special 10 Daily Leader.
Tecumaeh. Okla, May 2o--Ailer de.
llberailng over thirty hours the Jury
trying District Judge Maben uu lhe
charge of bribery and graft. last night
II 1880 O'Clock returned verdict Ok
acqultial.
Gentlemen. thank YOU said
Judge Mahcn. as he shook hands with
tho Jurors. He then thanked Judge
Rosser and IN brler speech assured
the jury that his conduct III the fu.
lure should be such as 10 warranl
The esteem OF his fellow men and q
sentiment Of the public kindred 10
that expressed by the jury. Beside
hlm sat his aged father, OF Fort
Worth who has remained In the court
Foom during the last few days Of she
trial.
Othcrs Indicted
Judge Maben's Indictment was Tue
result Of au effort by Attorney Gen.
ral West to rid polsRwatomle couh.
" Of bootleEgera and gamblers. n.
lcimen'a we're also returned aRalnet
County Attorney Virgil nlageFs and
William Sims, chief of police. Al well
ls against other men III tie cpuhty
not IN official positions 4 anaclai
grand Jury impaneled By District
Judge Carruthers Of 0kemgh ana cbll
I'd by Chief Justice NJ i Kane, made
m investigation with the aid of At
orney General West aud Fred s
'aldwell special enforcement attog
4ey Tor the state. Before tile fury we're
ormer gamblers and boofleeRers, who
esilfled to having given the officers
brlbes
The trial OF Judge Mahen began
ast week at Tecumaeh Ii vas atlend
q wtil interest from the start ann
arly thele we're predictions Of i con-
ictlun. Ont johnson aud John Roa'
'rs of Shawnee who had offered and
iyen brlbea. we're the principal wit.
iesses for the state. aside from Virgil
ilggers depoaed county attorney who,
n q measure. turned states evidence
Judge Mabena testimony changed the
spect considerably. The defense
made q strong effort to establish q
'hargo that there had been con.
piracy hetween some Of the atale1
Witnesses by which Judge Maben was
o be made the "acapegoAt Of the lot
rhe case vent to the Jury after an
fgumeni lasting nearly two days,
Thursday evening a. 0'clock An
arly ballot showed that eleven mem.
lers OF the Jury we're for aequlttal
Exposed By Evangelist
The alleged erOokednesB Ia Potta.
ya,0mle county was exposed by the
lev r. : Huigln, an evangelist into
whose hnnds were placed affIdavlts
making charges against officials.
Prior TO that time there had been q
alling oui between two factions OF
he Law vlolalofs, and the leeder o.
me faction, threatened by the other
With Imprisonment, placed In the
lands Of the attorney general prac-
ically ali the facts upon which the In.
lictments we're based. The evangelist
had stirred the town and Law abiding
people were ready for house clean.
lng
oNNrf HaNHH Ndu NrfH HHH VI tNH
most prominent Democratic leaders
IN the state He was delegate 70
he hati0nai convention at Denver
ind has bad great deal 70 Id with
shaping the political destiny uf tho
state since the advent Of statehood.
he was elected iudg6 Of hts district
n 1907 by large majority. he "a
y native Of Texas and began the
practice at law in Fort Worth several
years ago. What bis plans are no
would moi reveal tonight He simply
lald he was satisfied and be went
home TO tell his wife the good news.
Virgil Blggers was deposed from
)ffice shortly after his indictment.
and the term Of William Sims explr'
ed few days after his arrest.
Attorney General West would make
no statement as to his plans for flir.
ther prosecutions, Judge Mnben n
also charged with einhezzlement II
lis believed tha; the attorney general.
having failed OF a conviction on the
strongest charge, will not prosecute
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