Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-14
VICTIMS OF MABRAY sWlNDLEs
FEARED LAW WOULD REACH
THEM.
SECRET OF GANGS SUCCESS
is BEING DEVELOPED
Government Scores Strong in Prosecu-
tion and Succeeds in Connecting Ma
bray With the Famous Postoffice
Box No. Victims On the Witness
Stand.
Special to rimss-Republican.


Council Bluffs, March 1.-THE ell
ement that aided the members of, the
Maybray organization to succeed and
at the same time operated the greatest
in preventing exposure, as disclosed by
the story being unfolded on the witness
stand, was a fear of personal encounter
with the law and disclosure of their
own cupidity on the part Of the men
who We're feeced. Besides being good
judges of human nature the managers
of the organization exercised great dis
cernment in the selection of it's vic
Tins. Only men of prominence, social
ly, politically or commercially, were &C
cepted, and. also, they must be men OF
money
Every one of the alleged fixed horse
races, wrestling matches or boxing
bouts had bloody ending, great ex-
citement, sudden appearance of bogus
officer or shouted alarms of ones ap-
proach and then fight and scattering
with hurried Instructions to meet
where the victim would be given back
his money, but which meeting was new
er held. And even where victim
the little gathering, which was rare,
the effort never bore fruit, but in the
large majority of cases the victim was
so glad to escape arrest and exposure
that he pocl1eted his losses and said
nothing. And being men Of wealth
they could do this without exciting
curiosity at home and embarrassing
questions.
Cs.sA
This feature of the case is well IL
Illustrated in the case Of F. r. Baker, OF
Bloomington, ILL.,, who threatened to
commit suicide if compelled to go up
on the witness stand and tell his story,
and 1t Yves this sort of reluctance upon
the part of the victims of the syndicate
which made it labor of months for
the government to complete its case
and secure the evidence which is now
pouring into the case in such volume
They simply couldn't get away from
the scene Of their exploits fast enough
after the bloody finale, for, as James
Tierney of Streator, ILL.,, testified, the
slowest train in the world is the 1lll-
nois Central between New Orleans and
Chicago. 1t is the train which I took
after my wrestler had died In the
bout dC new OTlSdIlS elAIU clI SAAS eAAAAS
it seemed to me very, very SLOW"
Worked Friendship Scheme.
Tierney's experience as related upon
the witness stand, regarding how he
was introduced to the game. illustrates
another phase of the operations of the
syndicate which has developed in ev-
cry case thus far, and that is the sue
cess with which intimate friends of the
intended victims were secured to act as
come-ons Tierney testified that John
c. Smith, police judge of Streator, was
the steerer who inveigled him into the
game and who was with him thru the
whole exciting period of incubation and
conclusion II had known the judge
twenty-five years." said Tierney upon
the witness stand, land he talked half
a day in showing me there was nothing
wrong in acting as betting man for
the secretary to the Pittsburg mil
lionaires who were to be f1eeced. He
also wanted me to take along $4,000,
but I wouldn't agree and took only
$4,000, which I lost. Tom Davis, an
other friend of mine, who helped
Smith, accompanied us to New Or
leans. 1 noticed when we got there
Davis was rather we'll acquainted with
Wilson, the secretary of the mil
lionaires."
When Tierneys wrestler died he
said he started back to Chicago, So
liloquizing: well Tierney, get home
now and make some money; that's
gone. 1t was good lesson. Since then
have sent some after what 1 lost
for satisfaction"
w. II. McGrath. of Minneapolis, tes-