Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-13
PREPARING FOR
CARROLL TRIAL
DOWELL, SULLIVAN AND READ
WILL ASSIST STATE IN CASE
AGAINST GOVERNOR.
MAY POSTPONE HEARING
Trial is Set for Sept. 10, but Efforts
May be Made to Continue it
Until After Election
in November.

Des Moines, Sept. 12.-When Gov.
lernor B. +. Carroll some time durins
the September term of court faces
trlal on the charge of criminally libel
ing John Cownie, former member OF
the board OF control, he will find him
Guthrie. Hon. G. C. Dowell, for eight
Years state senator from Polk county
Hon. Jerry B. Sullivan and Attorney
| w. l.. Read as counsel for the state
The four men have been working to-
gether for some time and during the
last week have held almost daily meet
1ngs preparing the case against the
chief executive
This array of legal talent for the
prosecution will be opposed by Hon
James Parsons. Judge A. c. Parker
Attorney M FL. Cohen and possibly
other men who will be chosen when
the time of the trial Is certain. The
names of the attorneys who would
nave charge of the case for the de-
tense We're announced Immediately
following the returning of the indict-
time it was announced that County
Attorney Guthrie in all probability
would undertake the prosecution alone.
Later. however, it was decided that he
would have the men named above as
his assistants.
May Postpone Trial.
While the hearing Of the case has
been set for Sept 10 and the attorneys
for both sides have declared that they
would be ready for the hearing at that
time, 1t is thought by many that the
trial will not be held this month. The
indications are that the trial will be a
long drawn out affair, requiring two
weeks and possibly more. In the fight
WI III 10 "a IN tn hn
will introduce large number of wit
nesses and the defense probably will
bring as many, while the work Of
choosing jury in all probability will
take two or three days.
Governor Carroll has a campaign on
his hands and it is not probable that
he will be willing to give two or three
election to attendance at trial. 1t Is
also cited az an evidence that the
trial will not be held at the time set
that the governor is said to have a
number Of speaking dates arranged for
the month.
Want Trial Postponed.
Republican politicians in the coun
ties where the fight is close between
the democrats and republicans are in
sisting that the trial be postponed un-
til after the fall election. They point
out that 1t will be impossible to draw
a. jury without some democrats being
members of it, that these democrats
will unconsciously be Influenced by
their desire to get the republican NOM
inee in bad and that a fair trial cannot
be held until after the election.
They point to the selection Of James
Parsons, one Of the leaders Of the dem
ocratic party, as q proof that the fight
Will enter political lines, and that Par
sons was made an attorney in the case
to secure the friendliness of the demo-
cratic members of the jury.
Many Of the questions concerning
the trial of the governor will be settled
today at conference of the judges,
held prior to the term assignments.
Who Will be Judge7
1t has been generally understood that
Judge Howe will have the hearing Of
the case, although the representatives
of the governor have not assured that
he was acceptable to them, this being
one of the conditions under which he
consented to the presiding Judge. If
the governors attorneys or the gov
ernor himself should object to holding
the hearing before Howe, the case will
probably go back to Judge De Graft.
before whom it would have been heard
if it had come up in the regular order
of cases, De Graft having charge of
criminal work for the coming term.
The change was made originally be-
cause Of the fact that Judge De Graft
was an appointee of Governor Carroll
and is candidate for reelection,
while Judge Howe is serving his last
term on the local bench.