The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-21
Sensational SWind|e Case Is
Brought to Close
FIFTEEN ARE INVOLVED
Government Believes 1t Has Broken
Up the Most Monumental Swindling
Combination Ever Operated.
To BE Sentenced Thursday =

Council Bluffs. Ia March 2o.--Jqs q
Mabray and thirteen associates 0
for ten days have been on trial he
United States district court, chasged
with illegal use of the mails in con-
nection with extensive swindles, were
found guilty by the jury today. Robert
e. Goddard of San Antonio, the fit-
teenth defendant, secured disagree
ment.
Those convicted are: John c. Mabray,
Leon l.. Loser, Tom S. Robinson, VIII
lard Powell, Clarence Lass, Edward
Leach, Edward X. Morris (colored),
Clarence Forbes, Harry Forbes, Frank
Scott Ed McCov, Winford s. Harris,
Bert r. Shores and William (Ole)
Marsh.
Judge Mcpherson announced that the
sentence would be pronounced Monday
morning at 10 o'clock.
The defendants accepted the verdict
without display of feeling, and Mabray
shook hands with several of the jury
men after they were discharged.
Mrs. Mabray broke down when the
verdict was read and her husband at
tempted to console her. She soon left
the room, however, still weeping.
Two years Imprisonment and a fine
of $4,000 is the maximum penalty for
Mabray entered by the court. Goddard
| is still under indictment and will be
tried again. All the defendants were
locked up Saturday afternoon immedi-
ately after the jury received its instruc-
| Al nf hppn on
bond until that time.
Colonel Temple, the district attorney,
said today he would probably move for
the dismissal of Louis r. Stowe, the
Minneapolis man charged with being a
member of the conspiracy
With the conviction of the Defend
ants the government believes 1t has
broken up the most monumental swind-
ling combination that has ever operated.
Statistics have been gathered which
show the receipts of the combination
since its organization, about ten years
ago, to- ~h1Ss exceeded sS,9o0.pQo. -s's
The success of the government in
| bringing the defendants to trial was
largely due to the capture, when Ma
bray was arrested, of trunk found in
his home, which 1t was later ascer-
tained contained a complete document
airy record of the transactions OF the
y
loose leaf pocket ledger was one
of the documents thus secured. 1t con-
tanned the names and addresses OF
more than two hundred persons who
have 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, wrestling, prize fighting,
horse racing and wire tapping were
the specialties offered victims on whion
to make easy money" The victim
usually was first approached by an al
legged friend, who had been previously
solicited by regular "steerer," as he
was known.
In most instances representation
were made that the "steerer" had a
cousin who was secretary to a coterie
of men of great wealth who were
| travelling over the country for pleas
ure. The victim was told that this
secretary was angry at some alleged
Ill treatment and he had undertak en-
to swindle his employers out of a large
sum of money. The victim was in
vited to assist and when he accepted.
was in turn swindled on a sporting
event which proved to be 'nxed,
against him instead of in his favor.