Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-22
FOURTEEN HELD
GUILTY BY JURY
CONVICTION AND SENTENCING OF
GANG 1T is BELIEVED WILL
BREAK UP ONE OF GREATEST
sWINDLEs OF HISTORY.

Council Bluffs, March 21.-(SpeciaD
John C. Maybray, Leon Mosier, Tom
8. Robinson, Willard Cowel, Clarence
Glass, Ed Leach, Eddie K. Morris,
Clarence Forbes, Harry Forbes, Frank
and Eddie Mccoy, leaders of the fam
GUS Maybray gang of swindlers, were
sentenced to two years in the federal
penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth and
fined $4,000 each by Judge McPher-
son here today. Frank Scott and Win
ford s. Harris, other members Of the
gang, were sentenced to six months In
the Red Oak county jail and fined
800. Bert R. Shores and George N.
Marsh who pleaded guilty, We're SEN
fenced to fifteen months at Fort Leav-
enworth and fined $100. R. E. L. God
dard was released. The sentences
followed the finding by the jury in the
Maybray cases Saturday, of all the
men except Goddard, guilty of using
the mails to defraud.
Fourteen Men Convicted.
John c. Maybray and thirteen Of his
associates, who for ten days have been
on trial in the United States district
court charged with Illegal uses OF the
mails in connection with an extensive
race track and ring swindle, were
found guilty by the jury, which re-
turned a verdict at II o'clock Sunday
morning. Robert E. l.. Goddard OF
San Antonio, the fifteenth defendant,
obtained a disagreement.
Those found guilty are John G. May
bray, Leon Loser, Tom s. Robinson,
Willard Powell, Clarence Class, Ed
ward Leach, Edward X. Morris Color
ed), Clarence Forbes, Harry Forbes,
Frank Scott, Ed Mccoy, Winford S.
Harris. Bert R. Shores and William
(Ole) Marsh. The latter three enter
ed plea of nolle contendre when
the trial opened, that, In effect, being
a plea of guilty.
The defendants accepted the YER
diets generally without show of feel
ing and Maybray shook hands with
several of the jurymen after they were
discharged.
Mrs. Maybray broke down and
cried when the verdict was read, and
her husband attempted to console her.
She soon left the room, however, still
weeping.
With the conviction Of these de-
PENDANTS the government believes it
has broken up the most monumental
swindling combination which has ever
been operated statistics have been
gathered which show the receipts OF
the combination since it's organization
about ten years ago, to have exceeded
$5,OOO,000.
Innortant Evidence Is Discovered
The success of the government in
bringing the defendants to trial was
largely due to the capture, when May
bray was arrested, of trunk, found
in his home, which it was later ascer-
tanned, contained a complete documen-
tary record Of the transactions OF the
combination for period of four years.
A loose-leaf pocket ledger was one OF
the documents thus secured. 1t con-
tanned the names and addresses Of
over 200 persons who had acted as go
betweens in various transactions.
They lived in nearly every state in the
union.
There were fourteen branches in
various parts of the country, all oper-
ated from one city. The headquarters
were moved from time to time, as the
leaders came under surveillance by
the authorities. Foot racing. wrest
ling. prize fighting, horse racing and
wire tapping were the specialties Of
fered victims on which to make 'easy
money The victim usually was first
approa ched by an actual friend, who
had been previously solicited by reg
,,1or lactaarer" aS he was known