Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-25
Council Bluffs
FIVE MIKES FILE PETITIONS
Alleged Victims of Maybray Gang
Want Money Back.
FoRTY-THREE THOUSAND ASKED
Money Lost on Horse and Foot Races
and wrestling MRtches-Number
of sensationa Allegations
Made.

The petitions In five Of the twenty-three
suits started by alleged victims Of the
j. c. Msybray gang or big store"
swindlers we're filed yesterday in the dis
trict court by Wadsworth q Crawford, at
torneys for the Mikes" Al had been
anticipated the petitions contain allegations
decidedly sensational in character against
some of the persons made defendants in
these actions. The original notices of suit
in these cases were filed several weeks ago.
The Mikes" who appear as plaintiffs In
the petitions filed yesterday with the
amounts which they seek to recover are as
follows;
George S. Bedford Of Greeley. Colo, lost
312, $50 on q horse race. October 1. 1908, near
Manawa. Alleged steerer, Herbert Coon.
w. H. Bedford Of Bolckow, Mo-, lost
IS, 900 on a horse race, August 81, 1905, near
Iowa School for the Deaf. Alleged steerer,
w. ]. Connors.
]. c.. Bowman Of silverton, Colo, u.s. 100
on q horse race, June 3, 1908, near Manswa-
Alleged steerer, B, B. Jacobs.
John Hermelbrecht Of Bancroft, Neb.,
lost 5000 on a horse race, April Is, 1908,
near Manawa. Alleged ~steerer, Ed Ellis
and Frank Scott.
1nOIldb Cale Oh rOuO uu Lac i6st lOSl
5000 on a wrestling match, July %, 1:OS.
just outside the city limits. Alleged steerer,
Jack Carkeek.
Except for the alleged 'steerer" the de-
PENDANTS named in each Of the five petitions
are the same and are as follows: Benjamin
Marks. alias INC. 76," First National bank
of Council Bluffs Ernest e. Hart dncor-
porated), John ]. spindler, James C. May
hray aIIag ~ Gnrdop olIaa tsNo &
alias "B," alias j. T. Barnes, alias B. S,
Ansel; Frank o. Scott, alias Frank Max
well, alias George Wilson.
During the course Of the lengthy petit
ton in each case 1t is alleged that the
Millionaire club or the Club Of PittsbIrg
Minlonaires. which had its headquarters at
Council Bluffs during the greater part of
1908 was a successor to the once famous
or more correctly speaking notorious
Athletic club Of Webb City, Mo.
Benjamin Marks Of Council Bluffs, James
C.. Maybray, Monte Mccall, Ed Ellis, Isador
]. Warner, F. M. johnson, r. B. Herri-
man, Frank o. Scott and A. B. Craft are
alleged to have been the leading con-
spirators and managers of said club or
organization of conspirators."
Allegations I'm Complaint.
The main allegations in each Of the five
petitions are the same, the only variation
being when the details of the alleged con-
spiracy by which the plaintiff was buncoed
out of his money are given. The general
scheme by which the victim was Mixed
was substantially the same, although
there were some slight variations to suit
the particular case. The result in each case
was, however, the same. the victim and
his money were separated.
Besides alleging that E. e. Hart rented
a strong box or safety deposit box in his
private bank to J. C. Maybray, r. B.
Herman and Monte Mccall, his cashier
is alleged to have rented a building to the
defendants and conspirators in which the
boxing and wrestling matches were held.
Regarding the alleged connection OF The
First National bank and it's officers with
the "conspirators' it is alleged that when
the Mike went to the bank to deposit
the money given him by the secretary of
the MilIionaires club or to draw his own
money on drafts or checks that one or
more of the defendants always went with
him "or were hanging close around in said
bank and in sight of the cashier keeping
watch whether or not this plaintiff was
drawing the money from the bank in ac-
cordance with instructions Of the defend
ants
Benjamin Marks is alleged to have been
particularly fitted to discharge the duties
Of 'flxer' by reason of his long continued
political influence in the community" II
is alleged that 'he used this influence to
keep the officers OF the law from arresting
or interfering with these conspirators or
exposing their nefarious and unlawful bust
i ness"