Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-17
~! y. Av.R!RAY y! 3D. y. SAID
T0HAVEP:IAlSSEO P
AS ]. j. HILL
EASTERN HARDWARE MAN
THOUGHT HE WAS BEATING
RAILROAD MAGNATE; HIS ROLL
WENT WITH THE REST.

Council Bluffs, March 16.-( Especially
j. J. Hill, millionaire, was the magic
name that so impressed T. =. George,
hardware merchant, steamship owner
and man of affairs of San Antonio,
Texas, that he invested $4,000 IN
two wrestling bouts with the Maybray
outfit at New Orleans In October,
1907. This was testified to at the trial
at Council Bluffs today. Mr.. George in
some way got the railroad king asso-
ciataed with j. G. Maybray, who hap
pened to be using the Hill cognomen
at the time. George, SO It is testified,
was induced to go to New Orleans by
J. e. Wright, neighbor. and was
steered by J. H. Jackson to act as bet
ting agent for Hilps secretary, who
wanted to get even with Hill and other
"millionaires" for the way they had
treated him. George was the first wit
ness at the hearing this morning.
James Weber, coal mine operator at
Shamokin, Pa, was the first eastern
mike" to testify at the present hear
ing, and Weber was "miked" by Ed
die X. Morris, negro pugilist. He
went to Council Bluffs at Morris's So
licitation and in the mix-up, backed
him for $4,000, which was lost In the
usual manner.
Western Witness Sensation.
Howard Simpson, Spokane, Wash,
real estate dealer, according to his own
declaration, furnished the sensation In
the trial OF John Mabray, and his as
sociates, charged with fraudulent use
Of the mails.
~ ~ 4 - N1
ceived the attention that was accorded
Simpson. Mystery surrounded the
manner in which he had secured the
volume Of information he vouchsafed
in the case. and neither side attempted
to show how. he came into possession of
1T. He Indicated, however, that he had
been in touch with the defendants for
many years, was familiar with their
handwriting, their method Of operation
and in most cases with their person
ality.
The government introduced and had
admitted directory Of 200 names Of
men who are alleged to have been
identified with Mabray during his OPP
erations in various cities Of the country
Strongest Evidence introduced.
Col. Temple, prosecuting attorney,
stated that he considered Simpsons
evidence the strongest he had yet In
troduced. It is said that Simpson will
give futher testimony in cases to come
before the court later.
An important witness was George
Alberts Of Sioux City, who testified to
having lost $4,000 on wrestling match
at Denver. Alberts Unidentified a "show
letter" which he received from Bert
Shorts, defendant, through the mails.
This letter is the first Of its kind the
prosecution has been able to get into
the record
James Turner Of Myersdale, Pa, lost
$4,000 on prize fight in Council Bluffs
in which Clarence Forbes hod been his
fighter. Turner admitted on cross
examination that he had been a former
Justice Of the peace in Cumberland Md.
and that he had been concerned in a
wire tapping scheme in Chicago when
he first met Forbes. He stated he had
paid telegraph operator $500 for his
services in this scheme.
Some Victims Of Operations.
A resume Of the victims who testified
shows that DR.. j. B. Itterington Of Dal~
las, Tex, lost $4,000 on New Orleans
prize fight. Otto Graebe, Chicago
saloonkeeper, lost $4,000 on Gales-
burg, ILL.,. fight: John Kozlek a Chicago
butcher left $4,000 at Council Bluffs as
the result Of a prize fight; JohnHemel-
Neb., bank was relieved in Council
Bluffs of $4,000, which he secured by
mortga ging his live stock; and George
Alberts, a Sioux City clothing man,
lost $4,000 in Denver on a wrestling
match.