Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-03-16
HOW SMOOTH GANG
FLEECED VICTIMS
ST. PAUL MAN TELLS HOW HE
PUT $1,000 INTO
pool.
LOST 1T ALL-GREEN BAY RESI-
DENT CONTRIBUTED
SOME $4,000.

Council Bluffs, March 12-The gov
eminent continued yesterday to intro
duce evidence against John c. Ma
bray and eighteen alleged associates
who are on trial before Judge Nc
PhersOn for alleged conspiracy to de-
fraud by means of the illegal use OF
the mails TO promote fixed sporting
events. Colonel Temple, prosecuting
attorney, offered much documentary
evidence in the way of letters ex-
changed between the defendants ana
their alleged victims, but i'll each in
stance followed up this evidence by
procuring a recital from the witness
es of all the events leading up to and
the final loss of large sums of money
on sporting events.
The defense put forth strenuous
efforts to keep out of the record a
number of the 1000 letters taken from
Mabrays effects when he was ar
rested in Little Rock. Judge McPher-
son decided to wait until today before
making final ruling in the matter.
J. H. Secrest, a retired farmer,
Iowa City. told of the alleged opera
ton of the defendants. He first con-
tributed three thousand dollars to the
millionaires treasury, and still salts
fed with the legitimacy of the
scheme, put up $4,000 more which he
lost, both sums going into pools OF
fixed horse races at New Orleans
Il was first approached in a hotel at
St Paul." said Secrest, by man
giving the name of J. c. Kramer VINO
greeted me in casual way and We
discussed the possibilities of making
money out of Canada and Texas land
After | had returned home, he called
me up from Davenport, Iowa, on tel
ephone and said he was coming to
see me. He appeared next day and
laid before me an elaborate plan to
make easy money in New Orleans.
refused to have anything to do with
the scheme, but told him / was gong
to New Orleans and then to Texas.
He declared he would accompany me.
when we reached New Orleans ne
showed me the city and entertained
me in style for few days Then
was introduced to man named Mar
tin, whose real name l later learned
was r. B, Hartman. The two con-
tinued solicitation that l take a little
of the sure thing stock 1 still re-
fused. but finally agreed to lend
Kramer $4,000 to go into it. The
race was pulled off and Hartman
lost the money because our jockey had
a fit and fell from the horse.
The millionaires said it was not
fair TO take our money and that if we
would put up $500 forfeit they
would give us another chance in a
week | wanted my $4,000 back ana
went home and raised $4,000 and
Martin made up the rest and we put
up the forfeit. Another race was ar
ranged and I kept a betting sheet
Nearly $4,000 was bet on that race
and my $4,000 got into the pool in
some way.
Our jockey had another accident,
and ] thought he was dead. Martin
told me we would all be arrested ana
advised me to return home, which l
did
Secrest pointed out that Mabray
was one of the millionaiTes. Secrests
testimony was sample of several
similar stories told yesterday. sam
mel Sutor, Cass Lake, Mimi, explained
the loss of $4,000. and Alex. Delaine OF
Green Bay, Wis, told of losing $500.
z. Pierpont of Pawnee, Okla, lost
$4,000 on fixed wrestling match