The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-03-12
JOCKEY HAD FIT
At RIGHT TIME
Allowed Race Swindlers t,
Furnish Excuse to Their
Innocent Victims

Council Bluffs, Iowa, March 12-The
government continued to fortify itself
with strong evidence against John C.
Maybray and his eighteen alleged as
soclates who are on trial before Unit
ed States Judge Smith Mcpherson for
alleged conspiracy to defraud by
means OF illegal use of the mails. Col,
Temple, the prosecuting attorney,
features the testimony with a goodly
supply of documentary evidence in
the way Of letters exchanged between
the defendants and their alleged VIC
tins, but In each instance followed up
this Evidence by securing a recital
from witnesses OF all the events lead
ing up to and the final loss of large
sums of money on fixed sporting
events.
The defense put forth strenuous eff
forts to keep out of the records a
number of letters taken from Mo-
bray's effects when he was arrested
in Little Rock, Ark, on search war
rant and partially succeeded. Judge
Mcpherson decided to wait until to-
morrow before making final ruling
in the matter, but indicated that he
would let the letters in. 1t is stated
that there are more than 1000 of these
letters giving a complete record Of the
transactions of the millionaires' club
including the names and residence of
victims, together with the amounts
they lost.
]. H. Secrest, retired farmer re-
siding at Iowa City, Iowa, furnished
an interesting account of the alleg-
ed operations of the defendants. He
first contributed $1,000 to the mil
lionaires' treasury and, still satisfied
with the legitimacy of their existence
returned from New Orleans to his
home and secured $4,000 more which
he lost, both sums going into the pools
of fixed horse races.
Il was first approached in a hotel
in st. Paul." said Mr.. Secrest, whose
appearance gives him the stamp of a
dignified gentleman of wealth. He is
probably 65 years old and told story
which kept the entire court room in
respective silence. "a man giving the
name of J.. c. Kramer greeted me in a
casual way at a st. Paul hotel" he
continued, "and We discussed the pos,
sibilities of making some money out
of Canadian and Texas lands. A few
days later, after l had returned home
The called me up from Davenport on
the telephone and said he was coming
to see me. He appeared the next day
and laid before ME an elaborate plan
to make some easy money in New
Orleans. L refused to have anything
to do with his scheme but told him I
was going to New Orleans in a day
clared he would accompany me. When
we reached New Orleans. he showed
ME the city and entertained me in style
for few days. Then l was introduce
ed to a man named Martin, whose
real name l later learned was r. b.
Hartman. The two continued their
solicitation that take little of the
Sure Thing stock. still refused,
but finally agreed to loan Kramer
$4,000 to 60 into It.. The race was
pulled off and Hartman lost the mon
ey because our jockey had fit and
fell from his horse.
The millionaires said 1t was not fair
to take our money and stated that II
We would put up $500 for it, they
would give us another. chance in, a
week. wanted my $4,000 back and
went home and raised $1,000 and Mar
tin made up the balance and we put up
the forfeit. Another race was arrang-
ed and l kept the betting sheet. Near
ly $4,000 was bet on that race and
my $4,000 got into the pool some way.
"Our jockey had another accident
and when we picked him up he looked
i like he was dead and I thought he
was. Martin told me we would all
be arrested and advised me to return,
which l did.
! Secrest pointed out Maybray as one
of the "millionaires" He also pro-
duced several letters which he testi-
fed were received from Maybray's
associates.
Secrest's testimony was only one of
several similar stories told during the
day. Samuel Sutor of Cass Lake,
Minn.. explained his loss of $4,000 and
Alex Delaine of Green Bay. Wis.,. told
OF losing $2.5O0. Zachariah Pierpont
10 Do 1oc% OOn nm